iNSfAXNlNG. 143 



same day, his waggons having preceded him some 

 twelve hours. The Imsiness of inspauning, when 

 a novelty, is very interesting. The camp presents 

 a scene of great apparent confusion, but in realitv 

 all is in perfect order. The various cases, port- 

 manteaux, and bags, having been packed, the tents 

 struck and rolled up, and the bedding folded, and 

 everything being assigned to its proper waggon, 

 the loading of the waggons begins, a work re- 

 (juiring great care and method. All this work is 

 done imder the orders of ]\Ir. Edgell and Mr. 

 Mackay, whose task is by no means a light one. 

 The marshallinii- of o\ev a liundred oxen, of the 

 horses, mules, and donkeys, proceeds with precision 

 imd regularity, the " boys " having been perfectl}' 

 drilled and trained on " the trek " through Bc- 

 chuanaland. All being ready, the " vorelopers " at 

 the head of their teams, the drivers causing their 

 "whips to crack with loud repoi'ts, off starts one of 

 the waixffons, five minutes later another, and so 

 on ; last comes my " spider "" "with its team of eight 

 mules. The Avhole made a fine procession of great 

 length. At the outset a work of difficulty lay before 

 us, the crossing of the drift of the Tuli River. 

 Here the sand for more than one hundred yards is 

 deep and heavy, and double spans become necessary 

 for each waggon. The leatling waggon, having 

 descended into the river-bed, is halted, the span of 

 oxen is taken out of the second wao-o-on and at- 

 tached to the first, which, drawn, by thirty-six 

 oxen, move with apparent ease through the drift. 

 This process, repeated A\-itli each waggon, occupied 

 some two hours, and it was four o'clock before all 



