124 THE OXl^N INTRACTABLE. 



ing carefully removed the skin, with the head attached to it, 

 I set to work to quarter the flesh, which was rather a labo- 

 rious task. 



Though it was winter (January), the day was oppressive- 

 ly hot, and the leafless thorn-trees afforded no shelter against 

 the burning rays of the sun. I suffered excessively from 

 thirst, and, unfortunately, the wagons did not overtake me 

 till after sunset. The Damaras yelled with delight at the 

 sight of the oryx. They had a glorious gorge that night, 

 and the return of daylight found them still at their feast I 



With the exception of a heavy thunder-storm, accompanied 

 by a deluge of rain, our journey to Barmen was marked by 

 no farther incident worth recording. We reached it in safe- 

 ty on the 9th of January, 1851, after seven days' travel, half 

 of which would have been sufficient under ordinary circum- 

 stances ; but we had experienced very considerable difficul- 

 ties in getting our wagons forward. The oxen pulled well 

 enough so long as the country was level, but the moment 

 they had to face a hill they came to a stand, and no amount 

 of flogging would induce them to move. Wlien the whip 

 was applied, it only produced a furious bellowing, kicking, 

 tossing of heads, switching of tails, and so forth. On such 

 occasions they would not unfrequently twist themselves en- 

 tirely round in the yoke, and it often took a whole hour to 

 put them to rights again. 



On account of the thick wood and general ruggedness of 

 the country, the dry beds of periodical water-courses afford 

 the only really practicable road. On the approach of the 

 rainy season, however, these are not always safe ; for, when 

 in imagined security, the traveler may perhaps all at once 

 find himself in the midst of a foaming torrent. If the oxen 

 are not well trained, most serious results are to be dreaded. 

 There are many instances of wagons with their teams hav- 

 ing been thus surprised and swept away. Our fears on this 

 head, thereforo, wcro not quieted until we were in full view 



