Chap. XXII.] SOUTHERN AFRICA. 193 



yelling of jackals,* and roaring of lions, with whose 

 melody our only surviving dog never failed to chime 

 in. The sole of my shoe coming off, during the 

 hot pursuit of a water-buck, whose leg I had frac- 

 tured, I had the felicity of completing the animal's 

 destruction barefooted, and afterwards running about 

 two miles over sharp flint-stones to overtake the 

 waggons, which had crossed four inconsiderable 

 mountain streams, and were entering a field of tall 

 reed- grass, that waved above the heads of the oxen. 

 An immense white rhinoceros suddenly started from 

 his slumbers, and rushed furiously at the leading 

 waggon, crushing the dry reeds before him, and 

 alarming the cattle by his loud snorting and hostile 

 demonstrations. A volley, however, cooled his 

 courage, and he retired to a suitable bush, where we 

 despatched him. Three more rhinoceroses were 

 added to the list on our way to the Massellan river, 

 which flowing through the mountains, joins the 

 Lingkling, a tributary to the Limpopo. 



Although said to be very expert in following the 

 tracks of wild animals, the Hottentots are far less 

 skilful than the Asiatics, and I not unfrequently 

 eclipsed them myself. Piet was the most accom- 

 plished in wood-craft, and besides being possessed 

 of considerably more nerve, was the only one of our 

 followers upon whom I could depend for any assist- 

 ance in the field. The rest were ready enough to 

 go out, that they might obtain a supply of ammuni- 

 tion, and gain a pretext for evading their other 



* Canis Mesomelas. 



K 



