GIRAFFE HUNTING. 309 



the cares and difficulties I had encountered in reaching it. 

 The name of this fountain was Massouey, but I at once 

 christened it "the Elephant's own Fountain." This was a 

 very remarkable spot on the southern borders of endless ele- 

 phant forests, at which I had at length arrived. The fountain 

 was deep and strong, situated in a hollow at the eastern ex- 

 tremity of an extensive marsh, and its margin was surrounded 

 by a level stratum of solid old red sand stone. Here and 

 three lay a thick layer of soil upon the rock, and this was 

 packed flat with the fresh tracks of elephants. Around the 

 water's edge the very rock was worn down by the gigantic 

 feet which for ages had trodden there. 



The soil of the surrounding country was white and yellow 

 sand, but grass, trees, and bushes were abundant. From the 

 borders of the fountain a hundred well-trodden elephant foot- 

 paths led away in every direction, like the radii of a circle. 

 The breadth of these paths was about three feet ; those lead- 

 ing to the northward and easfc were the most frequented, the 

 country in those directions being well wooded. We drew up 

 the wagons on a hillock on the eastern side of the water. 

 This position commanded a good view of any game that might 

 approach to drink. I had just cooked my breakfast, and 

 commenced to feed, when I heard my men exclaim, " Almag- 

 tig keek de ghroote clomp cameel;" and, raising my eyes 

 from my sassayby stew, I beheld a truly beautiful and very 

 unusual scene. From the margin of the fountain there ex- 

 tended an open level marsh, without a tree or bush, that 

 stretched away about a mile to the northward, where it was 

 bounded by extensive groves of wide-spreading mimosas. 

 Up the middle of this marsh stalked a troop of ten colossal 

 giraffes, flanked by two large herds of blue wildebeests and 

 zebras, with an advanced guard of pallahs. They were all 

 coming to the fountain to drink, and would be within rifle- 

 shot of the wagons before I could finish my breakfast. I, 

 however, continued to swallow my food with the utmost ex- 



