ENORMOUS QUANTITIES OF GAME. 235 



the thorns so tormenting, that I found it necessary to make 

 immense detours, and even then all our clothes, pack-sad- 

 dles, &c., were literally torn to ribbons. 



The few days that we remained at Tunobis were spent 

 profitably and pleasantly. Besides much interesting infor- 

 mation of the country, derived from the Bushmen, part of 

 which has since been substantiated, we had abundant shoot- 

 ing. From the absence of water within a distance of two 

 or three days' journey of the place, the number of animals 

 that nightly congregated here to quench their thirst was 

 truly astonishing. 



To give the reader an idea of the immense quantity of 

 game hereabouts, I may mention that, in the course of the 

 few days we remained at Tunobis, our party shot, among 

 other animals, upward of thirty rhinoceroses. One night, 

 indeed, when quite alone, I killed, in the space of five hours 

 (independently of other game), no less than eight of those 

 beasts, among which were three distinct species ; and it is 

 my belief that if I had persevered I might have destroyed 

 double the number.* But I never took delight in useless 

 slaughter. In our case, and I think I may say in all cases 

 where I have been concerned in killing a great number of 

 wild beasts, not a pound of flesh was ever wasted, for what 

 we did not require for our own use was devoured by the 

 natives. 



As another evidence of the enormous quantity of game in 

 this region, I may state that the fountain in question, which 

 was a copious one — nay, apparently inexhaustible — was al- 

 most nightly drunk dry. 



On several occasions I had narrow escapes from being 

 gored by the horns of these ugly monsters. Thus one an- 



* "Wlien we thus shot at night, we generally ensconced ourselves 

 in a " skarra," that is, a small circular inclosure six or eight feet in 

 diameter, the walls (usually consisting of loose stones) being about two 

 feet in height. 



