124 ADVENTURES IN SOUTH AFRICA. 



pletely done up, we desisted for the night. JMy men 

 came off to the wagon with three of my steeds, and I 

 rummaged out some flesh, meal, and cofiee, with some 

 sleeping toggery and cooking utensils ; we then left the 

 desolate wagon, with great doubts of ever boarding it 

 again. 



I could not help thinking of Robinson Crusoe when 

 he visited for the last time the wreck of his ship. I 

 rested but little that nig'.it, and had good reason to be 

 anxious; for if the river should come down at all, it 

 would be impossible to do any thing with the wagon 

 next day, and I could not expect any thing but to see a 

 tearing flood. If this had happened I should have been 

 utterly ruined, for nearly all my worldly property was 

 contained in the wagon. I sent a messenger to Mr. 

 Hughes, requesting him to assist me in my troubles with 

 men and oxen next day, although it was the Sabbath. 



I had the gratification to find at day-dawn that the 

 river had fallen a little during the night, and had just 

 finished my breakfast when four Griquas came up, 

 bearing a long stout rope, which Mr. Hughes had for- 

 warded for my use. These men informed me that he 

 had sent men out in diflerent directions to seek for three 

 span of his oxen to be brought to my assistance. We 

 then set about getting the gear in order, and very soon 

 two spans of the oxen appeared with another party of 

 Griquas. We next made fast one end of the rope to 

 the dissel-boom, and to the other end of this rope we fast- 

 ened the large buffalo trek-tow, which reached slanting 

 ao"oss the strong current to shallower water where the 

 oxen could stand. We then brought in two span of 

 oxen, and fastened the end of their tow on the buffalo, 

 and put the oxen in motion. They laid a mighty strain 

 on the long tow, and the wagon moved slightly, when 



