THE missionary's WAIL. 103 



The heat throughout the day had been terrific. Before 

 the Sim had well disappeared behind the mountains between 

 which we traveled, Mr. Schoneberg was completely knocked 

 up, and we were obliged to encamp for the night. Each of 

 us carried a small tin water-can ; but, instead of having it 

 filled, as I did, with the pure liquid, IVIrs. Rath had kindly, 

 but unwisely, provided her friend with a mixture of water, 

 sugar, and cinnamon. This, as may be supposed, only served 

 to increase his thirst. 



"VVe had hardly finished removing the packs and saddles 

 from our tired steeds before the poor missionary threw him- 

 self despondingly on the ground, exclaiming, " Ah ! JVIr. An- 

 dersson, if we were to tell people in Europe what we suffer 

 here, none would believe us." I could not help smiling at 

 this burst of despair ; for, though from the heat the day had 

 been distressing enough, we had by no means suffered either 

 from want of water or food. Poor Mr. Schoneberg ! he was 

 totally unfit for the hardships he must necessarily encounter 

 in the African deserts. Indeed, not many weeks afterward 

 he all but perished from his inability to endure thirst for a 

 short period. 



The next morning at daybreak we were again in the sad- 

 dle. Our course was northerly, and a little by east ; and the 

 greater part of the road lay some distance from the Swakop, 

 which at one point forced its way through a narrow, pic- 

 turesque, and bold gorge. 



In one place we passed at the foot of " Scheppman's Mount- 

 ain," so called from a melancholy event which occurred here 

 a few years ago. A missionary named Scheppman had made 

 the ascent to obtain a view of the surrounding country, but 

 in descending the cock of his gun was caugiit by a bough, 

 and the contents were lodged in one of his legs. After hav- 

 ing suffered agonies for a few days, he expired, and the hill 

 has ever since gone by his name. 



The vegetation was more rank than in the parts we had 



