156 Men, Mines, AND Animals in South Africa. 



away from the road into the veldt. Consideriiiii' 

 that it was still too near the road to see much 

 game, we determined to de^'ote the next day to 

 moving the camp a good distance further into tlie 

 veldt down the Buhjane Ri^'er. This we effected. 

 It was a trek of much interest, as we had to make 

 our OAvn road through the, hush. Captain Williams, 

 I nnd Lee kept riding on ahead to find out the 

 best wa\' through the trees, the places where the 

 many spruits could most easily Ije crossed, and 

 how to a^'oid the rocky ground. We had to cross 

 the riA'er Umjinge just where it joins the Buhjane. 

 This was rather an anxious business, for the banks 

 were high and the sandy bed was hea^•^^ The 

 mules were taken out of the " spider," and attached 

 to the team of the mule-waggon. Drawn by 

 eighteen mules, this Avaggon literall}' bounded down 

 the bank, more than once within an ace of capsiz- 

 iiio', and for a moment stuck fast in tlie sand. 

 Our mules, however, jjroved equal to the emer- 

 gency, and, stimulated by the most tremendous 

 cracking of " vorscld)achts " and some lashings, 

 successfully di-agged their load up the opposite 

 bank, where they "were soon followed by the 

 " spider." At ten o'clock we outspaimed and rested 

 till one in the afternoon, when we inspanned again 

 and trekked till sunset. AYe accomplished alto- 

 gether about ten miles. The axe had often to be 

 freely resorted to to clear away the bush ahead. 

 We pitched our camp in a lovely spot on the liigli, 

 precipitous bank of the Buhjane River, which can- 

 not be said to How, but which lies beloAv us in a 



