A NIGHT OF ANXIETY. 239 



cause his presence gave confidence to my people, 1 

 deemed it best to pretend that I believed him to be 

 sincere. My flesh being exhausted, I resolved to halt 

 for a day for the purpose of hunting before proceeding 

 further ; and having obtained a good supply, to steer 

 through the forests by compass a little to the east of 

 north, and to search for water with my horses in ad- 

 vance of the wagons. I felt poorly in health, and was 

 much troubled in mind. My situation was by no means 

 an enviable one. I was far in the interior of Africa, 

 alone and friendless, surrounded by a tribe of men who 

 would do any thing to prevent my attaining my object; 

 but fear restrained them from using violence. What 

 I most dreaded was their stealing my oxen or horses, 

 which they could easily accomplish, as I was encamped 

 in a thick forest ; my men also were faint-hearted, and 

 anxious to return toward home. 



That night I slept little, from vexation and anxiety. 

 The whole tribe of the Booby men lay encamped beside 

 us. They lay on the ground around a nuraber of fires, 

 with a hedge of thorny bushes placed in a semicircle to 

 windward*of each party. After breakfast I rode east 

 to hunt, accompanied by Kleinboy leading^ pack-horse ; 

 about thirty of the Bechuanas followed us in the hope 

 of flesh. Having proceeded about two miles, I per- 

 ceived a large herd of blue wildebeests and zebras. I 

 signed to the Bechuanas to lie down, and then rode 

 slowly forward as if to pass to leeward of the herd. 

 Having probably never before seen a horseman, they 

 allowed me to approach within a hundred yards, when 

 I sprang from my horse, and with my first barrel drop- 

 ped a fat blue wildebeest. The Bechuanas then rushed 

 forward, but I beckoned to them to lie down. Having 

 loaded, I galloped in pursuit of the troop, and after rid- 



