Ch.u'. XXXIII.] SOUTHERN AFRICA. 289 



— now stoppino- inquisitively to scrutinize the wag- 

 gons — then lashing their dark sides with their snowy 

 tails, as they hastily retreated. Large troops of 

 bles-bucks,* or white-faced antelopes, a pied spe- 

 cies that we had rarely met with before, likewise 

 chequered the scene ; and with herds of spring-bucks, 

 quaggas and ostriches, announced the proximity of 

 water. Presently, to our delight, we descried a 

 " reed encircled fountain," at which, after twenty- 

 eight hours of total abstinence, the dying oxen were 

 enabled to slake their terrible thirst. A strong cal- 

 careous deposit adhering to the vegetation, rendered 

 the water extremely bitter to the taste, and it was 

 by the exercise of the long whips alone that the 

 cattle were prevented from plunging into the pool 

 before our casks had been filled. 



The accidental, but important discovery of por- 

 tions of a broken yoke key, here enabled the Hot- 

 tentots to decide the knotty and long-argued ques- 

 tion, whether the outward bound tracks upon which 

 we were proceeding, were those of Dutch, or of 

 Griqua waggons. Opinion being now unanimous in 

 favour of the former, it was determined to follow them 

 as long as they should preserve a south-westerly 

 direction. The total absence of fuel obliged us, after 

 an hour's halt, to continue our march over numerous 

 salt-pans, upon which herds of bles-bucks were bu- 

 sily licking the crystallized efflorescence. Alarmed 

 at our approach, vast troops of them were continu- 

 ally sweeping past against the wind, carrying their 

 * Gazella Albxfrons. Delineated in the African Views. 



o 



