xri GEMSBUCK HUNTING 257 



this adventure, written upon the spot to my friend 

 Mr. Alexander Brown, now lies before me, having 

 been sent by him to help me to compile these journals, 

 I think my best plan is to reproduce it just as I then 

 worded it. 



Near Pelatsi, December 6, 1876. 



My dear Alick — To ease my distracted mind, 

 I will now give you a full and particular account of 

 what has befallen me during the last two days. At 

 Goqui (let me not omit the one sweet drop in my 

 cup of bitterness) I shot a fine old red hartebeest 

 bull, a solitary old fellow. On Sunday night I slept 

 about six miles on the Tati side of Serule, and 

 finding a pan of water near at hand, remained there 

 all Monday, trekking on again in the evening to 

 Serule. Having ridden out on horseback as the 

 waggons were travelling, I came across a family of 

 Bushmen, one of whom, upon my questioning him, 

 said he could surely show me gemsbuck on the 

 following day, if I would remain at Serule and be 

 guided by him. Of course I was only too glad to 

 spend a day in such a pursuit, and so remained at 

 Serule that night, the Bushman sleeping at the 

 waggons. Next morning we made an early start, 

 Miller riding the yellow nag, whilst I rode Bottle. 

 I suppose we had ridden about six miles when we 

 cut the fresh spoor of a herd of gemsbuck. The 

 veldt was here very open, but the tracks led us into 

 a sand-belt, which gradually grew thicker and thicker, 

 till at last it became difficult to ride throucrh, even 

 at a walk. Krom where the bush was densest, how- 

 ever, they fed back again towards the open country, 

 and at last, when about 300 yards from the 

 edge of the bush, I saw a large animal that I 

 knew was one of the gemsbuck make a dash past. 



s 



