134 THE GREAT THIRST LAND. 



herds of game that are before us ; and I do not 

 think we regretted not having caused some of their 

 numbers to bite the dust. If we had been short of 

 food it would have been different, but we had still an 

 abundance of that necessary. 



I have seen the spring-buck before ; and although I 

 had only time to take a casual glance at them on this 

 occasion, they seemed to look more beautiful than 

 ever they did previously. There is no doubt that they 

 are among the handsomest animals in the world, and 

 are to the African continent what the prong-horned 

 antelope is to the American. There is also a consider- 

 able resemblance between them in configuration of 

 body, only that of the New World is the larger. 



During our midday outspan the halt was taken 

 advantage of to get our rifles unpacked and put in 

 order, for at any moment now we might find ourselves 

 in the middle of game. At three o'clock we inspanned, 

 and came down a rather steep and difficult hill-side. 

 When we reached the bottom we found that the spruit 

 where the road crossed it was impassable, so we had 

 to make a long detour to our right to find a ford. 

 After proceeding nearly a mile we discovered a place 

 which had been used for this purpose previously, so the 

 cattle were wheeled abruptly at it, Umganey, divested 

 of every particle of clothing, foreloping. 



No person who has not witnessed what a Cape 

 wagon can go through would believe that anything 

 constructed of wood and iron would stand such usage 

 as they have to be subjected to, without breaking. 

 All the cattle were now in the water up to their 

 stomachs, pulling their utmost, William on the box 

 cracking his long whip and shouting as if life and death 



