THE GUNS ALL BEWITCHED A DILEMMA. 359 



one might almost be led to imagine that the amazing num- 

 ber of animals congregated here less than two years before 

 must be either killed or driven altogether away from the lo- 

 cality ; but this was not the case. Water was still to be 

 found in the vleys and pools at some distance, and, until 

 these were exhausted, wild animals were little likely to visit 

 a spot where they were subject to constant persecution. 



One or two rhinoceroses, however, occasionally visited the 

 fountains, as appeared by their tracks. These I determined 

 to watch, while I dispersed my men over the adjoining coun- 

 try in search of game. One night a huge animal came wad- 

 dling along, but, though I lodged a ball in its body, it was to 

 no purpose. The men were equally unsuccessful, and re- 

 turned, after several days' absence, half starved, and, conse- 

 quently, as ravenous as wolves. They had encountered sev- 

 eral rhinoceroses, zebras, &c., but they only wounded or 

 mangled the poor beasts. It seemed as if every gun, mine 

 included, had been bewitched, 



Tunobis, as often stated in the preceding pages, was the 

 farthest easterly point which Galton and myself had attain- 

 ed in our journey toward the Ngami. Every inch of the 

 ground ahead was now unknown to Europeans at least. 

 The Bushmen, it is true, had furnished us with some infor- 

 mation, but it was either too vague to be relied upon, or not 

 applicable to the course I intended to pursue. Knowing 

 nearly the position of the Lake, I was anxious to take as 

 straight a line as possible ; but, on consulting the few natives 

 hereabout, they declared that, were I to do so, it would be 

 certain destruction to myself and cattle, inasmuch as the 

 " field" in that direction was one howling wilderness, totally 

 destitute of water. By traveling southward, however, for a 

 few stages along the sandy and dry water-course of Otjom- 

 binde, I should, they said, run no risk. I was quite at a loss 

 to know how far I could depend on their information ; but 

 Piet, the interpreter, who had crossed the Kalahari in the be- 



