230 ADVENTURES IN SOUTH AFRICA. 



as the first ; and after this I hooked a very heavy fish, 

 which I lost. I doubt not but most excellent sport 

 might be obtained in the Limpopo. 



In the evening Carey and I cut dow^n a very dense 

 thorn-tree to inspect the nest of a secretary The sum- 

 mit of the tree was very wide, den.'se, and level, and 

 from the terrible nature of the thorns it was utterly in- 

 accessible without the aid of the hatchet. When the 

 tree fell, out from its nest rolled a young secretary, 

 and immediately disgorged its last meal, which con- 

 sisted of " four lizards of different sorts, of which one 

 was a chameleon, one locust, one quail, and a mouse." 



A few days after this I sent out John and Carey into 

 different airts to seek game, and each killed a pallah ; 

 but the sky threatening rain, they did not wait to escort 

 their venison, but left natives to bring it on, A con- 

 siderable time having elapsed, and the Bakalahari not 

 appearing, I dispatched John and some of the natives 

 in my service to look after them, and it was well I di(f. 

 so ; for, on reaching his pallah, John found the Bakala- 

 hari whom he had left to convey it to camp in the act 

 of bolting with the half of it, having cunningly (as he 

 thought) hacked the other half with a sharp stone, and 

 dirtied the flesh with the entrails, thinking to persuade 

 us that it had been done by a leopard or hyaena. 



It was now twenty days since I dispatched natives 

 to the nearest missionary to inform him of my distress, 

 and solicit assistance in oxen, and they might ere now 

 have reached me if all was well ; this caused me many 

 painful doubts and apprehensions. Bay after day was 

 passing away, and hourly I felt my situation more and 

 more irksome and tedious. Moreover, my supplies 

 were fast coming to an end. I certainly felt my fixed 

 position most painful. At length, however, that aid 



