His first step was to get Alphonse, who was thoroughly competent in such matters, to trim his hair and beard in the most approved fashion.

I think that if he had had some hot water and a cake of soap at hand he would have shaved off the latter; but he had not.

This done, he suggested that we should lower the sail of the canoe and all take a bath, which we did, greatly to the horror and astonishment of Alphonse, who lifted his hands and ejaculated that these English were indeed a wonderful people.
Umslopogaas, who, though he was, like most high-bred Zulus, scrupulously cleanly in his person, did not see the fun of swimming about in a lake, also regarded the proceeding with mild amusement.
We got back into the canoe much refreshed by the cold water, and sat to dry in the sun, whilst Good undid his tin box, and produced first a beautiful clean white shirt, just as it had left a London steam laundry, and then some garments wrapped first in brown, then in white, and finally in silver paper.

We watched this undoing with the tenderest interest and much speculation.
One by one Good removed the dull husks that hid their splendours, carefully folding and replacing each piece of paper as he did so; and there at last lay, in all the majesty of its golden epaulettes, lace, and buttons, a Commander of the Royal Navy's full-dress uniform -- dress sword, cocked hat, shiny patent leather boots and all.

We literally gasped.
'_What!_' we said, '_what!_ Are you going to put those things on ?' 'Certainly,' he answered composedly; 'you see so much depends upon a first impression, especially,' he added, 'as I observe that there are ladies about.