ot to be compared with tea kept in
porous jars; so I should not advise you to bother about it. You will
want a water bottle. Get the largest you can find. It is astonishing
how much water a fellow can get down, in a long day's march.

"Oh! As to your boots, get the uppers as light as you can--the lighter
the better; but you must have strong soles--there are rocks in some
places, and they cut the soles to pieces, in no time. The sand is bad
enough. Your foot sinks in it, and it seems to have a sort of sucking
action, and very often takes the sole right off in a very short time.

"I suppose you smoke?"

"Cigarettes, sir."

"I should advise you to get a pipe, in addition, or rather two or three
of them. If they get broken, or lost in the sand, there is no replacing
them; and if you don't take to them, yourself, you will find them the
most welcome present you can give, to a man who has lost his.

"I should advise you to get a lens. You don't want a valuable one, but
the larger the better, and the cheapest that you can buy; it will be
quite as good as the best, to use as a burning glass. Matches are
precious things out there and, with a burning glass, you will only have
to draw upon your stock in the evening.

"Now, do you ride? Because all the white officers with the Egyptian
troops do so."

"I am sorry to say that I don't, sir. I have ridden donkeys, but anyone
can sit upon a donkey."

"Yes; that won't help you much. Then I should advise you to use all the
time that you can spare, after ordering your outfit, in riding. No
doubt you could hire a horse."

"Yes; there is no difficulty about that."

"Well, if you will hire one, and come round here at six o'clock
tomorrow morning, I will ride out for a couple of hours with you, and
give you your first lesson. I can borrow a horse from one of the staff.
If you once get to sit your horse, in a workman-like fashion, and to
carry yourself well, you will soon pick up the rest; and if you go out,
morning and evening, for three hours each time, you won't be quite
abroad, when you start to keep up with a column of men on foot.

"As to a horse, it would be hardly worth your while to bother about
taking one with you. You will be able to pick one up at Dongola. I hear
that fugitives are constantly coming in there, and some of them are
sure to be mounted. However, you had better take up a saddle and bridle
with you. You might as well get an Egyptian one; in the first place
be