HUNT FOR WATER. 245 



found two or three vleys that had once contained a little 

 water, but they were now hard and dry. He-entering 

 the dense forest, we held one point more to the east, 

 and rode on as before. For miles we continued our 

 search, until my hopes sank to a very low ebb; and 

 Kleinboy swore that we should never regain the wag- 

 ons. At length I perceived a sassayby walking before 

 me: this antelope drinks every day ; " fresh vigor with 

 the hope returned." I once more pressed forward and 

 cantered along, heedless of the distance which already 

 intervened between me and my camp and the remon- 

 strances of my attendant, who at last reined up his jad- 

 ed steed, and said that he would not follow me further 

 to my own destruction. I then pointed to the top of a 

 distant gray tree that stretched its bare and weather- 

 beaten branches above the heads of its surrounding 

 comrades, and said that, if we saw nothing to give us 

 hope when we reached that tree, I would abandon the 

 search, and hunt during that season in Sichely's mount- 

 ains to the east of Booby. 



But fate had ordained that I should penetrate fur- 

 ther into the interior of Africa, and before I reached the 

 old gray tree I observed a small flight of Namaqua par- 

 tridges flying across my path in a westerly direction. 

 It was impossible to tell, until I should see a second 

 flock of these, flying at a different angle, whether the 

 first flock had come from or were going to water. For 

 this I accordingly watched, nor watched long in vain. 

 A considerable distance ahead of me I detected a second 

 flight of these birds likewise flying westerly ; and it was 

 evident, from their inclination, that they held for the 

 same point as the first had done. Shortly afterward 

 the first flight returned, flying high above our heads, ut- 

 tering their soft, melodious cry of " pretty dear, pretty 



