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OCR Rendition - approximate
The Reawakening Scientific Exploration 221 savages are understood principally to fancy. All this has cost a lot of money, but like buying a ship, unless she is wrecked, you will sell her again. I have been obliged to draw a bill on Barclay for £400 beyond my letter of credit, at 30 days sight, and I leave behind me about £350 in cash, to pay the wives and mothers of my men, in case of any possible emergency. I wrote duplicate letters to Barclay, which I gave my Bankers here, to send with the bills, to ask them to advance what balance there may be against me, at a usual rate of interest, but that if it was not convenient for them to do so, I had left a power of attorney with you, to sell out some shares and requested them in that case to communicate with you. But I hope they will advance the tin, as it is a bore selling, and I cannot draw any more money, till I come back. I take £50 in my pocket in case of any possible accident, but I am assured that money is no earthly use where I am going, everything is done by exchange for cloth and iron or something else. My two large boats I am compelled to leave behind as my present route lies over a hilly country, where I could not possibly take them. But, if I make out the Cunene satisfactorily, they may yet have to carry me. I shall be able to write one more letter, that you will get in a reasonable time and that will be when the vessel leaves me in Walfisch Bay. After then I will leave one or two with the Missionaries, and when I quit them, if all goes well I may soon get within messenger reach of the Portuguese settlements. I have of course to write to Sir H. Smith and I think I will do so to Lord Palmerston and to the Geographical Society, so that letter sending will be a great object to me and I will do all I can to contrive it successfully. Well, I have now done with myself. It is no good asking questions about home because I do not expect to receive a letter until I return. I have had none from England yet, your hunting season will be just beginning when you get this, I suppose. I am curious to know if you have been yachting this year. I think if you were suddenly transported here, you would like the place amazingly so many horses all with a deal of blood in them. Every cart goes at a trot and is driven 4, 6, or even 8, in hand. Sometimes you see a set of tearing horses and a young strip of a lad -only, with an immense whip to manage them. I have only 4 dogs. Well the sheet is out, so goodbye. I often think of you all at Edstone and Claverdon and regret the Sunday evening rides. Give my love to my Mother and all, and send this letter as a circular to them. I will give you pictures in my next. When you write, address to me care of Messrs Van der Byl and Co., Cape Town, Cape of Good Hope. Goodbye old fellow. WALFISCH BAY, SOUTH WEST OF AFRICA. 27th August, 1850. DEAREST MOTHER, At last I am fairly on the desert with everything before me quite clear and apparently easy. I have, I find, made a most fortunate selection of men. They work most willingly and well, and nearly all know some kind of trade. When I arrived here some 3 days ago, the Missionaries came down to meet me, and have been most civil. I am sure I have selected a far better route than my first one, for now I am quite as near the undiscovered country as I-should have been after 3 months land journey from Algoa Bay. Ostriches are all about round here, though I have seen none yet. We got 5 eggs and ate them the other day. Lions infest the country about 30 miles off; if they don't eat my mules I shall have delightful shooting. The ship unexpectedly is on the point of starting, so my dear Mother, a long intended letter is FRANK GALTON.
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