TRADING FOR CATTLE. 245 



ised to acquaint them with my wishes. In the after- 

 noon, my wagons having outspanned at a great dis- 

 tance from the water, I inspanned, and trekked down 

 to the Hart stream, which I crossed, and drew up on 

 its opposite bank. 



Next day the chief, instead of coming to trade as he 

 had given me to understand he would, held a hunting 

 party with a number of his people on the old Scottish 

 principle of the ring, a common and successful mode of 

 hunting among the South African tribes. On this oo 

 casion, however, the ring was mismanaged, and the 

 game broke through. In the evening one large ox was 

 brought foi" barter, but we did not agree about the 

 price. Our oxen now presented a most woeful appear- 

 ance, the greater part of them being very lame, and 

 nearly all more or less ailing. This was a most start 

 ling fact, and, as the Bechuanas did not seem dis 

 posed to bring oxen for barter, it threatened to oppose 

 an insurmountable barrier to our progress either back- 

 ward or forward. 



Two hours having elapsed after breakfast the follow- 

 mg morning, and the chief not having made his appear- 

 ance according to promise, Mr. O. and I went up to 

 the palace to ask him what were his intentions in re- 

 spect to the trading. He replied that he could not 

 force his people to bring me oxen, but that he had in- 

 timated my wishes to them. I then remarked that he 

 would do me a friendship if he would set his people the 

 example by first dealing with me himself, as I knew 

 that I should then have no difficulty with them. The 

 chief, after some demur, told me that oxen would be 

 brought for barter, and requested me to go before him 

 to the wagons, and get ray coffee-kettle under weigh. 

 In the evening I obtained one good-looking ox from one 



