A sextant, quadrant, or theodolite—the suggestors weren't quite sure of the differences between these things; all sounded impressive enough.
A pocket telegraph instrument.
Cyclist's cape and riding suit, with long woollen stockings—for grass-seeds to hold on to, no doubt.
Aluminium water canteen, flint and steel and touch-paper, a medicine chest (the larger the better), snake poison antidotes and brandy (doubtless to make me see 'em), the Bible or a few works of my favorite author, a small "handy" spirit-lamp, a field-glass, much woollen underclothing, rice, oatmeal, cream of tartar, dried this and pressed that; stock, taps and small die-plate; bombs for scattering obnoxious niggers, a recently-invented apparatus for extracting water from damp earth by evaporation and condensation, sponge for gathering up the dew from the tree leaves, a hammock, mosquito curtain.
And many other articles which I cannot bring to mind just now. The reader is entitled to suggest as many more as he pleases.
But it was too late to start collecting all these things at Alice Springs, so I considered, and contented myself with the purchase of—an ounce of quinine, a box of Cockle's pills, and a quart pot.
* * * *
During the time I remained at Alice Springs I bothered my head very little indeed about what there might be in store for me in the country beyond. I had previously been led to cogitate over so very many evil possibilities that I had long resolved not to lay myself out particularly to guard against any at all. Had I devoted my thoughts and actions to making certain of all being safe to the end, then very plainly my wisest plan would have been to turn and cycle back. When advised to arrange against this or that misfortune I returned grateful thanks for the advice, but all the same trusted rather to precautionary measures inventing themselves, or being invented by other than such a powerless atom as myself.
I placed implicit trust on three things—good health, good luck, and a good bicycle. If any of these went wrong, no preparation which I was in a position to make would go far towards the prevention of very nasty happenings.