A DAY IN THE BUSH. 309 



Their nocturnal performances are always veiled 

 in mystery, and the men are considerably influenced 

 in their conduct by the fear which they entertain 

 for this association as a body. 



Our steamer was detained an extra day at 

 Bathurst to embark troops and stores for Sierra 

 Leone, where some skirmishing was going on, 

 about thirty miles in the interior, so I determined 

 to have a look at the bush. Blanc provided me 

 with a horse and a man who knew the country, 

 but either game was scarce, or my dog could not 

 manage to find it, for ufter a hard day's work my 

 bag consisted of only two brace of red-legged 

 partridges, a couple of quail, and a sand-grouse, 

 notwithstanding I went over what appeared to be 

 very likely-looking ground. I heard from some of 

 the officers that game was very plentiful a few days' 

 journey in the interior — consisting of eland, harte- 

 beste, harness deer, koodoo, leopard, and hog; 

 and that lions had been seen about 200 miles up 

 the river. We dined and slept at Government 

 House, and Colonel D'Arcy very kindly invited 

 me to remain behind for the next month's steamer. 



