206 THE GREAT THIRST LAND. 



commenced to whet their appetites. These people are 

 both most amusing. The elder showed his knowledge 

 of the human character by the following observation, 

 " If you want to court a lass, aye make the mother 

 believe that if she were single you would prefer her to 

 the daughter." Wise man this ! The younger of the 

 two is brim -full of hunting anecdotes, as he has annually 

 made a trip into the elephant country since he was a 

 lad. He has confided in me and the other thinks it a 

 good joke how he has promised to give up that pursuit 

 after he has married. A great sacrifice ; but what must 

 he not do if his frow desire it? 



The owner of the white donkey here adds, " Next 

 year, or the year after, you will be at it again ; your 

 love-making will be over then, and the wife will be glad 

 to get rid of you for a while. Yes, it's the same with 

 the whole of you; you'll all promise anything before 

 you're married, and do as you like after." There's some 

 truth in this, I believe. 



The young elephant-hunter had taken a great fancy 

 to one of my double eight-bore guns, and was anxious to 

 make a trade with me ; the gun and twenty pounds for 

 his horse, saulted and warranted a first-class hunter. I 

 was not then sufficiently conversant with the merits of 

 saulted horses, or I should have accepted the offer. The 

 value of this nag could not have been less than one 

 hundred pounds, and many a time afterwards I regretted 

 letting the opportunity slip of becoming its possessor. 



Next morning we trecked past a fine farm, abun- 

 dantly supplied with water, and possessed of a large 

 quantity of land under cultivation. The homestead 

 stood in the centre of an extensive orchard, the 

 greater number of. the fruit-trees being orange; the 



