CHAPTER II 



Kuruman — Seventy-eight Elephants shot — Bechuana Chief, Montsua — 

 Sccheli — Bamangwato — Scenery — Hard-working Missionaries — 

 First Girafte Hunt — Lost in the Veldt— Great Sufterings — Cold — 

 Hunger — Thirst — Ninety Hours' Fast — Loss of "Salted" Horse 

 — Heartlessness of Natives — The Lost found — First Lion seen — 

 Tati Gold Fields — Mashuna Diggings. 



At length we had everything ready, and in the end 

 of April 1872, Sadlier, Dorehill, and I crossed the 

 Vaal river and trekked away towards Kuruman, 

 where we knew we should strike the main waggon 

 track to the interior. It was not until the 26th of 

 May that we reached Kuruman, although it is in 

 reality only a {qw days' journey from the Diamond 

 Fields ; this was chiefly owing to my horses running 

 away from a place called Daniel's Kuil back to 

 Griqua Town, and then scattering over the country, 

 causing a delay of a fortnight before I could recover 

 them. 



Kuruman was by far the prettiest spot I had yet 

 seen in Africa. In the first place, the eye was de- 

 lighted by a splendid spring of beautifully clear water, 

 and, what is most rare in the desert wastes of South- 

 western Africa, delightfully shaded by fine trees, 

 and the magnificent fruit garden originally made by 

 the Rev. Mr. Moffat was rendered most pleasing by 

 the large groves of dark-foliaged orange trees, covered 



II 



