60 ADVENTURES IN SOUTH AFRICA. 



sion of a regiment of cavalry, when having overhauled 

 me for half a minute, they charged headlong into the 

 soft muddy vley, and in another moment they were hid- 

 den from my view. I marked the reeds bowing before 

 them far on my right and left as they splashed and 

 struggled through the marshy vley, and presently they 

 gained the other side, when, emerging from the reeds, 

 they held across the open plain, steering for their 

 strongholds in the woods beyond. As the clouds oi 

 dust behind me cleared away, I looked back and beheld 

 a fine old cow stagger for a moment and then fall dead, 

 and near her stood a wounded calf, whose mother had 

 remained beside it, being loth to leave her offspring. 



I now returned to Dr. Livingstone, when we brought 

 up the wagon for the fallen buffaloes, and halted for the 

 night. Just as woihad outspanned, a blue wildebeest, 

 having observed the oxen, and taking them for buffa- 

 loes, fearlessly approached the wagon, when, advancing 

 under cover of one of the oxen, I bowled him over with 

 my rifle. Early on the following morning the reed- 

 cutters from Chouaney hove in sight, and were not a 

 little gratified to find so bountiful a supply of their fa- 

 vorite " niama," or flesh, awaiting their arrival. The 

 afternoon was cold and rainy, and at a late hour we 

 outspanned at Chouaney, where we were immediately 

 welcomed by a messenger from Sichely, who expressed 

 himself highly gratified at our arrival, and promised to 

 come and breakfast with me next mornino:. 



