START ON THE LAST EXPEDITION. 241 



ony. On the 20th of February I crossed the Great Or- 

 inge River at AUeman's Drift, and entered Colesberg 

 uext day. I found most of my old friends still here, 

 and also my redoubtable friend old Murphy, as wild 

 and as jolly as ever. 



I hired the old barracks for my residence during my 

 stay in Colesberg, and immediately set about sewing 

 up my trophies in canvas, and stowing them away in 

 cases. This was accomplished in about fourteen days. 

 A fortnight more was spent in preparing for another 

 hunting expedition. T purchased a new wagon from a 

 Mr. Emslie for d£100, and a fresh stud of sixteen horses, 

 a mule, and a span of oxen from various parties in town, 

 and subsequently I increased my stud to twenty. 



CHAPTER XXXI. 



Start on my fifth and last Expedition into the Interior — Mr. Orpen ac- 

 companies me — Hurried March — Extraordinary Herd of Blesboks — 

 The Hart River — Cattle attacked with Hoof Sickness — Three Lion- 

 esses fearfully maugle my Pack of Dogs — Lion Hunts — Hytenas de- 

 vour my Camp-stools — Meritsane — Six Buffaloes shot — Another Lion 

 Hunt — Gloi-ious Chase with Elands — Sichely's Kraal — We cross the 

 Limpopo — A Lion attacks my Kraal and kills an Ox — A Field of 

 Battle — Seboono — My hundredth Elephant! — We march down the 

 Limpopo and hunt Hippopotami — Attacked by Rheumatic Fever — 

 Mr. Orpen nearly killed by a Leopard. 



On the 19th of March, 1848, I left Colesberg with 

 three wagons "well manned and stored," for my fifth 

 and last cruise in the far interior. I was joined by a 

 Mx. Orpen (a mighty Nimrod), who, notwithstanding 

 my representing to him the dangers and hardships of 



'Voi.. IT.— L 



