THE CAPE BUFFALO. 89 



sprawling with his feet, and endeavouring to rise, which it 

 had not strength to do ; the other two horses shivering 

 with fear, and unable to make their escape; but I could 

 neither see nor hear anything of my fellow-travellers, 

 which induced me to fear that they had fallen victims to 

 the first transports of the Buffalo's fury. I, therefore, 

 made all possible haste to search for them, to see if I 

 could, in any way, assist them ; but not discovering any 

 trace of them in the whole field of battle, I began to call 

 out after them, when I discovered these magnanimous 

 heroes sitting fast, like two cats, on the trees, with their 

 guns on their backs, loaded with fine shot, and unable to 

 utter a single word. 



" I encouraged them as well as I could, and advised 

 them to come down, and get away as fast as possible from 

 such a dangerous place, where we ran the risk of being 

 once more attacked. The sergeant at length burst out 

 into tears, deploring the loss of his two spirited steeds ; 

 but the gardener was so strongly affected, that he could 

 scarcely speak for some days after." 



Speaking of a small settlement in the interior, he says: 

 " Buffaloes were shot here by a Hottentot, who had been 

 trained to the business by the farmer, and in this manner 

 found the whole family in meat, without having recourse 

 to the herd. The balls were counted out to him every 

 time he went a shooting, and he was obliged to furnish 

 the same number of dead Buffaloes as he received of balls. 

 Thus the many Hottentots that lived here were supported 

 without expense, and without the decrease of the tame 

 cattle which constitute the whole of the farmer's wealth. 

 The greatest part of the flesh of the Buffalo falls to the share 

 of the Hottentots, but the hide to that of the master." 



