horses, and two others who had charge
of a flock of Cape sheep, which were to follow the caravan, and serve as
food until they could procure oxen by purchase or game with their guns:
so that the whole force of the party amounted to twenty men: two
Hottentot women, wives of the principal men, also accompanied the
caravan to wash and assist in cooking.

The animals belonging to the caravan consisted of fifty-six fine oxen,
which composed the teams; twelve horses, as Major Henderson could only
procure six at Algoa Bay, or they would have purchased more; thirteen
dogs of various sizes, and Begum, the baboon, belonging to Captain
Henderson: to these were to be added the flock of sheep.

The wagons were fitted out as follows, chiefly under the direction of
Major Henderson and Mr. Swinton.

The first wagon, which was called Mr. Wilmot's wagon, was fitted up with
boxes or lockers all round, and contained all the stores for their own
use, such as tea, sugar, coffee, cheeses, hams, tongues, biscuits, soap,
and wax candles, wine and spirits in bottles, besides large rolls of
tobacco for the Hottentots or presents, and Alexander's clothes; his
mattress lay at the bottom of the wagons, between the lockers. The wagon
was covered with a double sail-cloth tilt, and with curtains before and
behind; the carpenter's tools were also in one of the lockers of this
wagon.

The second wagon was called Mr. Swinton's wagon; it was fitted up with
lockers in the same way as the other, but it had also a large chest with
a great quantity of drawers for insects, bottles of spirits for animals,
and every thing necessary for preserving them; a ream or two of paper
for drying plants, and several other articles, more particularly a
medicine-chest well filled, for Mr. Swinton was not unacquainted with
surgery and physic. The other lockers were filled with a large quantity
of glass beads and cutlery for presents, several hundred pounds of
bullets, ready cast, and all the kitchen ware and crockery. It had the
same covering as the first, and Mr. Swinton's mattress was at night
spread in the middle between the lockers.

The third wagon was called the armory, or the Major's wagon; it was not
fitted up like the two first. The whole bottom of it was occupied with
movable chests, and four large casks of spirits, and the Major made up
his bed on the top of the chests. In the chests were gunpowder in
bottles and a quantity of small shot for present use; tobac