Mr. Goodenough
impressed upon them that unless attacked at close quarters, and
specially ordered to fire fast, they must aim just as slowly and
deliberately as if using their old guns, for that in so long a
journey ammunition would be precious, and must, therefore, on no
account whatever, be wasted. In the boxes were six thousand rounds
of ammunition, a thousand for each gun, besides the ammunition for
the rifles and fowling pieces of Mr. Goodenough and Frank.
In order to render the appearance of his followers as imposing as
possible, Mr. Goodenough furnished each of the Houssas with a pair
of trousers made of New Zealand flax, reaching to their knees.
These he had brought from England with him. They were all found to
be too large, but the men soon set to work with rough needles and
thread and took them in. In addition to these, each man was furnished
with a red sash, which went several times round the waist, and
served to keep the trousers up and to give a gay aspect to the
dress. The Houssas were much pleased with their appearance. All
of them carried swords in addition to the guns, as in their own
country they are accustomed to fight with these weapons.
They started early in the morning, and after four hours' paddling
passed Konig Island, an abandoned Dutch settlement.
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