122 ADVENTURES IN SOUTH AFRICA. 



nevertheless resolved t(5 pack up and march to Choua- 

 ney. Accordingly, after much trouble and manage- 

 ment in stowing away all my lumber, we got under 

 way about 11 A.M., and readied Sichely's a little after 

 sundown. On the march one of my wagon's after- 

 wheels rolled off, but, very fcrtunateh^, the axle-tree 

 escaped. I found Mr. Livingstone at his devotions, 

 and he informed me that it was Sunday. 



The next day was deliciously cloudy, with some 

 slight showers of rain. In the evening Sichely came 

 down to see ine, bringing my four lost oxen, which he 

 had at length made up his mind to restore. Three of 

 Sichely's men engaged to accompany me to the colony, 

 their wages to be three guns and two cows, 



I now proceeded slowly by way of Lotlokane, Motito, 

 and Campbellsdorp, and encamped on the Vaal River 

 on the 11th of November. Here I was obliged to wait 

 for several days, owing to the great body of water com- 

 ing down rendering a passage impossible. 



On the 16th, however, the river having subsided, I 

 inspanned my two wagons, and took the drift with my 

 heaviest wagon, drawn by fourteen oxen. I led the 

 team on horseback, and, several Griquas assisting us, 

 wo took the drift very high, and got a little more than 

 half way through, when two of the oxen became en- 

 tangled in the gear, and, being dragged along, my driv 

 or foolishly halted the wagon. The result of this fool- 

 ish managem.ent was, that the oxen instantly turned 

 right-about-face, and stood with their heads up water, 

 the stream being too powerful for them to stand still 

 otherwise. We spent a fruitless hour of very harassing 

 work, trying to right the oxen, which was, however, 

 impossible, and at length we were obliged to cut away 

 the trek-tow and cet the oxpn ashore. Hfuv, ;i!hi 



