112 ADVENTURES IN SOUTH AFRICA. 



need ; he stated that he had seen an oryx standing at 

 a distance on the plain, which bore the appearance of 

 being wounded. We then made for this oryx, and on 

 my overhauling her with my spy-glass I saw plainly 

 that she was badly hit. On my cantering up to her 

 she ran but a short distance, when she. gave in, and, 

 facing about, stood at bay. I foolishly approached her 

 without firing, and very nearly paid dearly for my folly ; 

 for, lowering her sharp horns, she made a desperate 

 rush toward me, and would inevitably have run me 

 through had not her strength at this moment failed her, 

 when she staggered forward and fell to the ground. 



On the following day the waters of my vley sank 

 into the earth and disappeared: the water for some 

 days past had become very " brack," making myself 

 and my people very unwell. 



On the 28th I had the satisfaction of beholding, for 

 the first time, what I had often heard the Boers allude 

 to — viz., a " trek-bokken," or grand migration of spring- 

 Doks. This was, I think, the most extraordinary and* 

 striking scene, as connected with beasts of the chase, 

 that I have ever beheld. For about two hours before 

 the day dawned I had been lying awake in my wagon, 

 istening to the grunting of the bucks within two bund- 

 ed yards of me, imagining that some large herd of 

 springboks was feeding beside my camp ; but on my 

 rising when it was clear, and looking about me; I be- 

 held the ground to the northward of my camp actually 

 covered with a dense living mass of springboks, march- 

 ing slowly and steadily along, extending from an open- 

 ing in a long range of hills on the west, through which 

 they continued pouring, like the flood of some great 

 river, to a ridge about a mile to the northeast, over 

 which they disappeared. The breadth of the ground 



