AN ADVENTURE PASTURAGE SCARCE. 241 



turages in tropical climes are converted by any of these 

 causes into luxuriant savannas is incredible, and can only be 

 duly estimated by those who have themselves witnessed such 

 changes. 



A stage on this side of Eikhams we encountered Hans, 

 who had met with a little adventure in the neighborhood of 

 Scheppman's Mountain, where he had one day unyoked. He 

 had been out in search of game, when on his return he was 

 astonished to observe a number of natives rushing toward 

 the wagon, no doubt with the intention of plundering it, and 

 probably of spearing the men who had it in charge. On see- 

 ing Hans approach with a gun, however, they all took to 

 their heels ; but some were captured, and, after they had un- 

 dergone a sound drubbing, and been threatened with death 

 should they ever attempt a similar outrage, they were allow- 

 ed to depart. Not many hours elapsed before these very 

 savages returned to beg for tobacco ! 



We were sorry to find that our cattle looked thin and mis- 

 erable. Indeed,^ Hans had experienced the greatest difficulty 

 in bringing on the wagon. Restored tranquillity had given 

 confidence to the Damaras, who were now flocking in great 

 numbers with their cattle to the banks of the Swakop, the 

 result of which was that every blade of grass was consumed 

 for miles around both sides of the river. This was indeed 

 sad news, as our route lay precisely through these parts, and 

 our draft animals were by this time in a distressingly ex- 

 hausted and reduced state. It required some efforts on our 

 part to overcome these difficulties, and we lost no time in re- 

 tracing our steps. After Mr. Galton had disposed of some 

 of the superfluous goods to the natives, and exchanged the 

 run-away mules to Jonker for cattle, we bade farewell to the 

 hospitable hearth of the missionaries at Barmen and Richter- 

 feldt, and proceeded quickly on our road to Walfisch Bay. 



On arriving at the confluence of the Swakop and the Tjo- 

 bis Rivers, we had a narrow escape from being poisoned, as 



L 



