i6o THE REDISCOVERED COUNTRY 



of dead stillness. Wondering, we tramped around the 

 head of it. There were no tracks in its mud nor through 

 its grasses. A half-dozen small green mounds elevated 

 six feet above the surface proved to be springs, with 

 the water standing in pools or gushing out from their 

 crater-like tops. This water was strongly mineral (per- 

 haps arsenical?) which may account for the absence 

 of hfe. 



At any rate this was a disappointment. The swamp 

 was here all right: ideal in size and location to have 

 accumulated all the buffalo of the region. Only it was 

 the wrong sort. At least that was knowledge; so we 

 jotted down the fact, and prepared to return. Having 

 nothing else to do with the day we resolved to drive a 

 coarse grass swale for lions. Sent messengers to camp 

 to turn out the men, and sat down to wait. Somehow 

 they mistook their orders and spoiled the beat. 



"Let's get out of here," said we disgustedly. 



So we returned to camp, packed up, and got underway 

 at 10:40. It was no time of day to travel, but we 

 were anxious to get on. Took a compass bearing that 

 should bring us to the river a short day 's march below 

 our bridge. On this course we found the swells of the 

 plains broke in rough stony points, with fiats and turret- 

 like kopjes below. In one of these, about noon, we saw 

 three lions about 200 yards distant; but, without actu- 

 ally running away, they kept ahead of us, and we could 

 not get even a snapshot at their gliding yellow bodies 



