Death of the Mules. 177 



indeed, are any of use ; the creature had to be 

 left to die by the roadside. At midday another 

 mule was in the same condition, and was also 

 abandoned, and in the evening a third succumbed 

 and died during the night. The "spider" team 

 being; now reduced to three mules, three were 

 taken from the mule waggon, the team of which 

 was reduced to ten mules, too small a number for 

 its heavy load. These losses were depressing ; it 

 was impossible to say ^vhere they would stop, or 

 in what condition the lapse of n. few hours only 

 might find us. Up to this time things had gone 

 very j)i'osperously, not only with me on my 

 journey from Johannesburg to Tuli, but also with 

 Major Giles on his long trek through Bechuana- 

 land. Xo losses of any importance had been 

 sustained, and I ^v^as inclined to think that the 

 horse sickness I had heard so much of was of 

 trifling moment, which could be easily avoided by 

 proper treatment and jjrecaution, and which only 

 embarrassed the io-norant or the careless " trekker." 

 On this point I was destined to be undeceived. 

 The Umsawe river was crossed on this day, a 

 small stream with a fair quantity of flowing water. 

 From here to the AYanetse river is a distance of at 

 least twenty-two miles. Rain had set in the 

 previous evening, damp and cold wind prevailed 

 throughout the day ; outsjoanning, cooking, and 

 eating in the open air ceased to be agreeable, the 

 travel generally was dreary and uncomfortable. 

 Of course, persons who were acquainted with the 

 country and its climate averred that such rain vvas 



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