ioo DAYS AND NIGHTS' BY THE DESERT. 



of the virus under the skin of the tail, when fre- 

 quently that appendage rots and falls off. When 

 this occurs to a beast, it is deemed " salted," or 

 impervious to future attacks of this disease. 



As far as my experience goes, this is a myth, for 

 as many of my guaranteed "salted" beasts suc- 

 cumbed to lung-sickness as those I had obtained 

 without a warranty. There cannot be a doubt that 

 this portion of Bechuanaland is capable of making 

 magnificent stock farms ; and, if the land was not j 

 called upon to support an excessive quantity of 

 beeves, the disease of which I have just spoken 

 would, in my belief, die out. At the present time, I 

 scarcity of water is the great drawback to this 

 locality ; but this need not continue to be so, as I 

 feel convinced that, by sinking wells only a few feet 

 beneath the surface of the soil, an abundant supply 

 of water could be obtained at all seasons of the 

 year. 



I had scarcely left my new acquaintances, when \ 

 I found evidences in abundance of the havoc lung 

 sickness had made, for numerous were the carcasses) 

 I found on either hand. So plentiful were they,| 

 that I had ceased to take particular notice of them,| 

 and thus approached one with a slack rein and; 

 thoughts that were of far and distant scenes, 

 when my horse nearly jumped from under me,i| 

 and but for the aid afforded me by his mane, I 

 unquestionably would have kissed mother earth. 





