146 FINAL DEPARTURE FROM SCHMELEN's HOPE. 



that (the most important point of all) we should be sure of 

 water for ourselves and cattle. 



No time was now lost in making ready for a final start. 

 An American, who had long been in Mr. Hahn's service, was 

 about to travel to the Cape by land. Although the journey 

 was supposed to last at least six or seven months, communi- 

 cation was so rare in these parts that we deemed it advisable 

 tO benefit by it. Letters were accordingly written to friends 

 and acquaintances, as also dispatches for the British govern- 

 ment at the Cape. 



CHAPTER XIII. 



Depart from Schmelen's Hope. — Meeting with Kahichene. — Oxen 

 Stolen. — Summary Justice. — Superstition. — Meeting an old Friend. 

 — Singular Custom. — Gluttony of the Damaras. — How they eat 

 Flesh by the Yard and not by the Pound. — Superstitious Cus- 

 tom. — A nondescript Animal. — The Author loses his Way. — Rav- 

 ages of the Termites. — "Wait a bit, if you please." — Magnificent 

 Fountain. — Remains of Damara Villages. — Horrors of War. — 

 Meet Bushmen. — Meet Damaras. — Difficulties encountered by Af- 

 rican Travelers. — Reach the Lake Omanbonde. — Cruel Disappoint- 

 ment. 



On the morning of the 3d of March we left Schmelen'y 

 Hope. The alternately rugged and sandy nature of the soil, 

 the embarrassing thorn coppices, and the stubbornness and 

 viciousness of the oxen, rendered our progress at first very 

 slow and tedious. 



On the fifth day we arrived at a splendid vley, called 

 Kotjiamkombe. From the branches of the trees and bushes 

 which lined the sides of this piece of water were suspended 

 innumerable graceful and fanciful nests of the well-known 

 weaver-bird species. The rank grasses and reeds afforded 

 shelter to a great variety of water-fowl, some of which were 

 gorgeously plumaged. Here we found Kahichene waiting to 



