70 DAYS AND NIGHTS BY THE DESERT. 



by the Boer bass. I differ from them, for the 

 place of honour should ever be the place of danger ; 

 and certainly the advance guard is not, upon occa- 

 sions such as this, where attack is to be apprehended 

 from the wild animals of the forest. I never knew 

 of an ox being pulled down by a lion when in the 

 yoke trecking. I have heard of such things 

 occurring, but I am convinced that they are very 

 few and far between ; so the careful traveller will 

 ever do well to see that all his loose beasts, whether 

 horses, hounds, cattle, or sheep, precede the waggons. 

 If this advice be neglected, disaster may assuredly 

 be apprehended. 



On the Notowani river, a friend and shooting 

 companion lost a most valuable "saulted" horse 

 through the natives having forgotten this precaution ; 

 but there was some excuse for their dereliction of 

 duty. It was in this way: to get to the river named, 

 long forced marches had been made ; on reaching it, 

 of course it had at once to be forded, for no interior 

 trader fails to do this, in case a flood should take 

 place during the night, and his advance in con- 

 sequence be delayed for an unknown time. My 

 waggon got safely over the " drift," being light, but 

 my friend's stuck hard and fast in its centre. To 

 assist the driver, and encourage the bullocks to 

 renewed exertions, the herds deserted the loose 

 animals, who doubtless commenced to feed upon the 

 succulent grasses that abounded upon the stream's 



