230 THRILLING ADVENTURES. 



topped the white slabs on the sides of these strongly con- 

 trasting with the black charred bushes which grew amongst 

 the crevices. A large portion of the country had been set 

 on fire a few weeks before, in order to clear off the withered 

 grass, and the bountiful thunder-clouds having caused the 

 young green blades to make their appearance, large herds of 

 game had been attracted to the spot. At the gorge of these 

 hills was an extensive line of pit-falls, into one of which a 

 hartebeest, whose leg I had broken, fell as I was riding him 

 down my horse being nearly engulfed in a second, at the 

 same moment. During the day I killed another impoofo, 

 which actually measured nineteen hands two inches at the 

 shoulder, and was even more remarkably unwieldy than any 

 we had hitherto seen. 



" Our road was now sometimes over a rocky pavement, at 

 others over ground which threatened the destruction of the 

 wagons; large stones more than a foot in height, offering 

 sharp sides and projecting points, were firmly fixed in the 

 ground, and added to careless driving, threw the vehicles 

 from side to side with a violence that shook every spoke. 

 About four o'clock we halted at the Mimori river, only five 

 miles from Mosega. A chain of lakes to the left of our camp 

 containing a herd of wild buffaloes, whose formidable heads, 

 resembling masses of rock, were protruding from the water 

 amid waving sedges, the whole of their bodies being immerged. 

 I wounded one, which I attempted to ride down ; but the 

 sharp-pointed stones cutting the shoeless feet of my horse to 

 pieces, I brought him back to the wagons, dead lame." 



