HERD OF ELEPHANTS. 77 



I was now all anxiety to reach my Fountain of Ele 

 phants, and pushed on with all speed for Massouey. On 

 the 15th, just as I had reached the Bastard kraal of 

 Rhama, I fell in with ray old servant CaroUus, who 

 had absconded from me at Bootlonamy. He was in 

 company with the wagons belonging to Mr. David 

 Hume, the trader, on their return to the colony, but, 

 meeting with his old companions Kleinfeldt and Klein- 

 boy, he resolved to turn about and re-enter my service, 

 which I was not sorry for, as I was short of hands for 

 the distant expedition I was about to make. I also fell 

 in with Captain Arkwright and Mr. Christie, who were 

 proceeding up the country on a similar expedition to 

 my own. 



On the 16th of May I halted at Chouaney, at the 

 residence of Dr. Livingstone, who told me that one or 

 two troops of elephants had been frequenting the dis- 

 trict. With one of- these I fell in on the 20th, when I 

 had an opportunity of testing the sportsmanlike qual- 

 ities of my new servant Martin. The troop consisted 

 of nine bull elephants, the finest of which I shot, but 

 Martin, after selecting the poorest of the lot, ultimate- 

 ly lost him. We now pressed on as rapidly as possi- 

 ble for my favorite fountain Massouey, which we at 

 length reached on the 29th. 



I felt sincere pleasure in revisiting this very inter- 

 esting spot. I found it well frequented by the ele- 

 phants. Two troops of cows and three old bulls had 

 drunk there on the preceding night. When the wag- 

 ons came up to my old halting-place, I took a hasty 

 breakfast, and then started on the spoor of an enormous 

 old bull. After following him north for about six miles, 

 we lost him in the spoor of a troop of cows; I accord- 

 ingly followed the spoor of the cows, and soon came up 



