328 EXPEDITION INTO [Chap. XXXVII. 



CHAPTER XXXVII. 



EXCURSION ON HORSEBACK IN QUEST OF ASSIST- 

 ANCE, AND MEETING WITH THE EMIGRANT 

 FARMERS. 



So dreadfully had our horses suffered during the 

 late campaigUj that it was with considerable diffi- 

 culty I succeeded in selecting from the whole drove, 

 three that appeared fit for service. With these/ 

 and a good supply of ammunitioUj I set out on the 

 morning of the 8th of January, attended by Andries, 

 and joyfully turned my back upon the disastrous 

 hill, near which we had been so long spell-bound. 

 Proceeding several miles to the westward, we as- 

 cended a high barren range, overlooking an exten- 

 sive valley, and soon discovered that the columns 

 of dust which had been greeted as the harbingers 

 of relief from our misfortunes, were occasioned by 

 the mad careering of troops of gnoos. Thus dis- 

 appointed, we swept round to the southward, and 

 iiight closing in after we had ridden about forty 

 miles, we lay down to sleep in an olive brake, on 

 the bank of a small stream. It rained very heavily 

 for some hours, and the bushes not keeping out the 

 water, rather added to than diminished the dis- 

 comfort, so that I had sufficient reason to rejoice at 

 the return of daylight. Continuing our search in 



