A HEART-SICKENING SIGHT. 261 



tie flying in dire confusion, and dashed to the ground a 

 valuable ox, which lay groaning in his powerful grasp. 

 I was awakened by the noise, and, instantly directing 

 a troop of the dogs to be let loose, the cowardly lion 

 was put to flight. The poor ox sprang to his feet and 

 joined his companions, but I was obliged to shoot him 

 next day, his fore and hind quarters having been fear- 

 fully lacerated. 



About 9 A.M. I left Seleka's, and at sundown halted 

 on the Limpopo, opposite Guapa. 



Here I remained for many days, making successful 

 excursions with Mr. Orpen across the river in search 

 of elephants. On these occasions, however, and like- 

 wise upon all subsequent encounters with the ele- 

 phants, I had the mortification to remark, that on com- 

 ing up with them, my followers invariably yielded to a 

 natural impulse, and thus throughout the entire expe- 

 dition the whole brunt of the elephant hunting lay upon 

 my shoulders, not a single elephant being bagged or 

 even wounded by any individual in my establishment 

 except myself 



On our return from one of these expeditions we came 

 upon a heart-sickening sight. The Bamalette tribe, 

 through whose district we were now hunting, had been 

 attacked and put to flight by Sicomy a few months be- 

 fore, when a large number of them were massacred, in 

 consequence of which they had deserted their former 

 town and ensconced themselves in an elevated ravine 

 in the mountains. We visited their deserted town and 

 the ground over which they had been pursued and slain. 

 We were horrified to behold the bleaching bones and 

 skulls of those who had fallen ; the wolf and jackal had 

 feasted on their remains, and laid the long grass flat 

 round each skeleton, and the blood was still visible 



