122 IMMENSE HERDS OP CATTLE. 



quently could not lay any claim to the soil. However, the 

 messengers would not listen to this, and told him that their 

 chief would never think of intruding without having obtained 

 special permission to do so. 



At this period Kahichene was supposed to be the richest 

 and most potent chieftain throughout the country. His 

 wealth, of course, consisted solely in oxen and sheep. To 

 give some idea of the number he then possessed, I will state 

 that, early on the day after the interview just mentioned had 

 taken place, the first droves began to make their appearance, 

 and continued to arrive, without intermission, till late in the 

 evening of the second day. Moreover, they did not come in 

 files of one or two, but the whole bed and banks of the SAva- 

 kop were actually covered with one living mass of oxen ; and, 

 after all, this was but a small portion of what he really own- 

 ed. In the space of three short weeks not a blade of grass 

 or green thing was to be met with for many miles on either 

 side of Richterfeldt. Indeed, a person unacquainted with 

 the real cause of this desolation would have been likely to 

 attribute it to the devastating influence of that scourge of Af- 

 rica, the locust. 



Much valuable time had hitherto been lost in obtaining 

 information of the country and the inhabitants, in buying 

 and breaking-in of cattle, and so forth, and this without our 

 having accomplished any considerable distance. We were 

 now in hopes, however, of being able to prosecute our journey 

 in earnest, and no time was lost in making the final arrange- 

 ments for our departure. Our intended route lay to the north 

 of Richterfeldt ; but as the country was said to be very hilly 

 and densely wooded, we deemed it advisable to proceed via 

 Barmen. As hardly mules enough were left to draw the cart, 

 it was thought best to leave it behind in charge of Mr. Eath, 

 who kindly promised to look after it in our absence. The 

 two wagons were thought sufficiently large to contain our- 

 selves ai^d baggage. 



