100 ADVENTURES IN SOUTH AFRICA. 



ing far I fell in with him, having, with a Hottentot's 

 usual good sense, come away without water in the 

 casks. Having shown him how to steer, I rode on to 

 the camp, which I was right glad to reach, and felt 

 much refreshed with a good bowl of tea. I was active- 

 ly employed during the rest of the day in preserving the 

 two oryx-heads for my collection. In the evening a 

 horseman on a jaded steed was seen approaching the 

 wagons, accompanied by an after-rider leading a spare 

 horse. This was my friend Paterson, who had suc- 

 ceeded in obtaining a fortnight's leave of absence, and 

 with whom that evening, over a gemsbok stew, I 

 " fought my battles o'er again." Our respective studs 

 being considerably done up and in need of rest, the 

 following day was devoted to " dulce otium," washing 

 our rifles, and writing up the log. 



On the 14tli we went out on foot after a troop of 

 ostriches, one of which we wounded, and came home 

 much exhausted. The very ground was as hot as the 

 side of a stove. The following day we were visited by 

 a party of Boers from the neighboring encampments, 

 who had come to see how we were getting on. Find- 

 ing our brandy good, they made themselves very agreea- 

 ble, and sat for many hours conversing with us. The 

 leading subject of conversation was gemsbok and lion 

 shooting, and the slaying and capturing of whole tribes 

 of marauding Bushmen in by-gone days. They in- 

 formed us that when they first occupied these districts 

 the game was far more abundant, and eland and koo- 

 doos were plentiful. Their herds of cattle were con- 

 stantly attacked and plundered by the vindictive wild 

 Bushmen.^ The Boers informed us that in a country 



• Unlike the Caffre tribes, who lift cattle for the purpose of preserv- 

 ing them and breeding from them, the sole object of the Bushmen is to 



