^54 ADVENTURES IN SOUTH AFRICA. 



in disgust, and, without looking at my compass, order- 

 ed the Bushman to go ahead. My attention had been 

 so engrossed with the excitement of the pursuit, that I 

 had not the remotest idea of the course I had taken, and 

 the whole country exhibited sucii an aspect of same- 

 ness, that there was no landmark nor eminence of any 

 description by which to steer. Having ridden many 

 miles through the forest, I at length asked tlie Bush- 

 man, in whom on such occasions I generally placed 

 great confidence, if he was sure he was riding in the 

 right direction, and, as he appeared quite confident, 1 

 allowed him to proceed. At length he said that we 

 had gone a little too far to the left, and led me away 

 several miles to the right, which was westerly ; where- 

 as the wagons eventually proved to be a long way to 

 the east. I felt convinced that we were wrong, and, 

 reining up, a discussion arose between us, the Bush- 

 man still maintaining that we must ride west, while I 

 was certain that our course should be east. I now 

 adopted my own opinion, and, having ridden many 

 miles in an easterly direction, we were at one time 

 close upon the wagons, when the thick-headed Bush- 

 man declared that if I persevered we should never see 

 the wagons again, and I with equal stupidity yielded 

 to his advice, and a southwesterly course was once 

 more adopted. Having ridden for many miles^ I again 

 reined up, and again told the Bushman we were wrong ; 

 upon which he foj the first time acknowledged that he 

 knew nothing at all about the matter, but stated it to 

 be his impression that we ought to ride further to the 

 west. My head was so confused that I lost all recol- 

 lection of how we had ridden ; and while I was delib- 

 erating what I should do, I observed a volume of smoke 

 a long way to the north, which I at once imagined had 



