42 ADVENTURES IN SOUTH AFRICA. 



Table Mountain, you old ring ! Draw, you lazy troop 

 of mares ! Snow Mountain, you lazy Satan ! Blue 

 Mountain, you child of the devil !) At the same mo- 

 ment he catches the refractory Blauberg the most ter- 

 rific wipe round the ribs with his fore-slock, accom- 

 panied by a sharp report like the discharge of a pistol, 

 upon which a cloud of blue hair is seen to fly from the 

 ox, and a long red streak, down which the blood copi- 

 ously flows, denotes the power of the weapon the driv- 

 er so mercilessly wields over the backs of his horny 

 team. At last the huge and heavily-laden wagon is 

 in motion, and rolls lightly along after the powerful 

 oxen, which on level ground seem scarcely to feel the 

 yokes which lie across their necks. 



Requiring to pick up several large parcels at the 

 stores of some of the merchants in the town, we trek- 

 ked down the main street of Grahamstown, and in 

 passing the shops. of the butchers and bakers, laid in 

 a large supply of bread and fresh meat for immediate 

 use. Before we had proceeded far, some sharp-sighted 

 Hottentots came running after us, calling out that a 

 foHntain of tiger's milk had started in the stern of the 

 wagon ; and on halting, we discovered that several loose 

 cases of gin which I had purchased for immediate use, 

 and which had not been properly stowed, had sprung 

 aleak. The Hottentots seemed to regret amazingly 

 the loss of so much good liquor, and endeavored with 

 their ha"nds to catch it as it fell. Owing to the various 

 delays which had occurred during the day, I did not get 

 more than half a mile clear of Grahamstown when the 

 sun went down ; and there being then no moon, I deem- 

 ed it expedient to halt for the night. We accordingly 

 outspanned; and the Hottentots, having secured the 

 oxen to the yokes, and picketed my two horses on the 



