-* Velt Conflagrations 



I was obliged to shut my eyes, and so lost my bearings. 

 I got otTvvith a fright, however, and with nothing worse 

 than singed shoes and garments. 



Another time, just as we were hurriedly pitching our 

 tent in the evenino^, a sudden and violent fire broke out 

 cimono- some dried sedQ:e-weed in the neif^hbourhood, and 

 it was with the greatest difficulty that we were able to 

 save ourselves and the camp. I lost a large number of 

 specimens which could never be replaced. And it 



GRANT S GAZELLES 



so happened into the bargain that, having started our 

 march back to the coast in that time of commotion, I 

 had, for safety's sake, to throw away several hundreds 

 of cartridges. The fire soon got at these and they began 

 to explode ! 



I often saw single trunks of trees which for more 

 than a week had been smouldering by day, while at 

 night time they burned so brightly that they lit up the 

 darkness like giant lamps. 



641 



