DEPARTURE FCR THE LAND OF ELEPHANTS. 193 



light, I (lid not permit them to outspan until after mid- 

 night. I held a westerly course, steering for the Salt- 

 pan's Drift, about four days' journey down the Orange 

 River, where I intended crossing. By adopting this 

 course I avoided the hostile Boers, who were scouring 

 the country across the river immediately opposite to 

 Colesbcrg. 



On the fourth day I reached Salt-pan's Drift, which 

 I crossed with considerable difficulty, the wagons re- 

 peatedly sticking fast in the deep sand. The opposite 

 bank was extremely steep, and required an hour's cut- 

 ting with our pickaxes and shovels. We passed the 

 farms of several Boers, from whom I purchased three 

 excellent dogs, named "Wolf," "Prince," and "Bonte- 

 berg." On one of these farms were half a dozen os- 

 triches, which the Boer endeavored to persuade me to 

 purchase. Continuing our march, on the 28th we 

 passed through the Griqua kraal named Rhama. In 

 the morning, on proceeding to rouse my men, I discov- 

 ered Kleinboy very coolly smoking his pipe over my 

 loose, dilapidated powder-casks; upon which I seized 

 the culprit, and handled him rather roughly. This so 

 disgusted my friend that he dashed his pipe on the 

 ground with true Hottentot action, and swore he would 

 go no farther with me. The appearance, however, of 

 a fine fat sheep, which I purchased a few minutes after 

 from a Griqua, induced INIr. Kleinboy to alter his mind 

 on the subject, and he sulkily returned to his duty. On 

 the 4th of May Ave made the fair Vaal River, which 

 we crossed at my old drift. Here a party of Korannas 

 rode up to the wagons, mounted on pack-oxen. The 

 bridles consisted of thongs attached to sticks passed 

 through a hole in the animals' noses, and the saddle 

 was a sheep-skin secured with a thong across the back. 



Vol. I.— I 



