Chap. VIII.] SOUTHERN AFRICA. 61 



quantities — indifferent to the crowd of horses, oxen, 

 and sheep, which followed close upon their heels. 

 The oxen in the waggons were with difficulty re- 

 strained until the yokes had been removed, when, 

 impatient of their burning thirst, they also rushed 

 headlong into the now muddy pool. 



An accident deprived us of the handsome dog that 

 we had obtained from Brother Mark Graaff, the 

 itinerant tutor : no bush presenting itself which could 

 shelter him for a moment during the long march, 

 from the scorching rays of a vertical sun, he had 

 sought an asylum beneath the waggon, the wheel 

 of which passed over his body. For many days 

 past the feet of our canine companions had suffered 

 greatly from their contact with the heated earth ; 

 and, in some instances, had become perfectly raw. 

 Ever and anon the unfortunate animals would volun- 

 tarily present a paw, and, with a supplicating whine, 

 solicit another dressing of the tar and fat composition 

 used for greasing the axletrees — from the application 

 of which they experienced temporary relief. 



In order to recruit the exhausted strength of the 

 oxen, we halted a day at Great Chooi, another 

 extensive salt-lake, which we reached early the 

 following morning. No pen can describe the scene 

 that here took place. The Hottentots, having first 

 mutinied against Richardson, deputed Andries — 

 who advanced to me with a step o'f defiance — to 

 acquaint me with their determination not to obey 

 his orders : the contracts at Graaff Reinet having, 

 to save trouble, been made in my name only. The 



