1 8 SOUTH AFRICA. 



in about three days. I had a Hottentot " after- 

 rider " with me, and was armed with a good double 

 gun. The spare horse carried blankets, a change 

 of clothes, and some food ; we had, too, a small 

 sharp axe wherewith to cut thorny bushes to form 

 a defence for ourselves and the horses from the 

 very possible attacks of lions or hyaenas at night. 



During the first day's journey I shot a fine cow 

 elephant with good tusks, which was standing 

 knee-deep in a muddy pool close to our track. 

 Creeping up to within a few yards, I got a side-shot 

 at the head between the eye and the ear, and the 

 huge beast collapsed at once. We could not then 

 spare time to cut out the ivory, but having marked 

 the tusks which the Hottentot told me nobody 

 would then abstract we left them till our return 

 journey, and then easily drew them out by hand, 

 as not a particle of flesh was left on the skeleton 

 the vultures, wild beasts, and corruption having 

 completely denuded the bones. 



I shall never forget our first night's bivouac in 

 the veldt, near a large pool of water in thick bush. 

 Having made a strong kraal for the protection of 

 ourselves and horses, and collected plenty of dry 

 wood for keeping up the fire all night, I felt fairly 



