230 Men, Mines, and Animals in Sol'th Africa. 



tor probably bad set up on a mound, and wbicb be 

 tbouofbt was our mark, did not fiud tbe bodies 

 of tbe antelope tbat evening. He and bis 

 party bad to pass a disagreeable niglit on tbe 

 ^'eldt Avitbout food or water. I was somewbat 

 anxious about tbem, and also feared for tbe 

 mules. Towards evening a messenger arrived 

 from Fort Salisbury witb letters for me and for 

 Sir Jobn AYillougbby. He bad cleverly followed 

 tlie windings of our waggon spoor, separating it from 

 old tracks. My letter brougbt me bad news of my 

 waggons. Tbey bad come to a standstill between 

 Fort Victoria and Fort Cbarter in tbat bopeless 

 sandy jDlain wbicli I wrote about in a former cbap- 

 ter, and tbe oxen, exbausted by tbe beavy roads 

 and derivino; no nourisbment on tbe wide tracts of 

 burnt grass or from tbe " sour veldt," were, I was 

 informed by Mr. Edgell, totally unable to proceed 

 witb tlieir loads. Furtber, IMajor Giles bad broken 

 bis collar-bone wbile ridino- a burdle race at Fort 

 Victoria, and bad bad to be sent back to tbe Fort. 

 Tbis was a bad lousiness, but not altogetber un- 

 expected by me. Wlien I saw wbat sort of countrv 

 it was wbicb bad to 1)e traversed, I entertained 

 misgivings as to wbetber any waggons would ever 

 get across it witbout mucb delay and mucb loss. 

 I bad passed, moreover, many troops of waggons 

 utterly unable to proceed. Mr. Edgell begged me 

 to send down to bim from Fort Salisbury some 

 fresb spans of oxen. Little did be know wbat sort 

 of place Fort Salisbury was. Fresb oxen in good! 

 condition could not be obtained for love or money. 



