Let me recommend my mode of correcting this evil; under which I was so often, and so grievously, a sufferer, that, at length, a radical cure became indispensable. I made a point of lagging behind sometimes, or perhaps of riding back, and of stopping my camels, &c., to see what, besides my own property, might be on their backs. It is inconceivable what bundles of cloaths, pots, and pans, were burthened: nay, even perroquets sometimes formed a part of the group. In the first instance, I gave fair warning, that whatever was found thus clandestinely laden, should be destroyed: after that, I spared nothing; but caused all the brass vessels to be beat up with a tent-mallet, and the rest of the luggage to be burnt. The consequence was such as might be expected; my baggage was always up in excellent time, and my cattle were no more chafed, and galled, by excessive burthens. I anticipate the observation, that, ‘the drivers were to blame.’ True, but few of them have the resolution to withstand solicitation, or, perhaps, a small douceur, in some shape or other; and as to discharging them, it is not always practicable, the greatest fear being that they should discharge themselves. Elephants and camels must not be put into the hands of novices: neither will they always submit to be ruled by strangers. As I have just said, the bearers are almost always principally concerned in these instances; the reason for which is, that every other servant has usually some family, or goes share in some _tattoo_, (poney,) which conveys his luggage: not that they would be a whit more scrupulous, were it not for the fear of discovery; to which they would be peculiarly liable. On the other hand, the Bearer, being perhaps merely a temporary servant; and, if I may so term it, an alien in the camp, has no such means of disposing of his luggage, as falls to the lot of the regular servants: besides, all this tribe are either most penurious, or most dissipated. They either hoard every _cowrie_; or run in debt, and then, to avoid payment—run away.