230 



SUGHELT. 



evasions and falsehoods would be put in practice to mis- 

 lead me, and induce the belief that the effects were be- 

 yond recovery. 



Here is a matter for serious consideration. A great 

 advantage to the public may be obtained by my instru- 

 mentality, but can I, a servant of the government, take 

 upon myself the responsibility, wholly unauthorised, of 

 using my influence as belonging to the government, in a 

 direction altogether beyond my office and functions ? 



20th August. To Waad Jilgo : a pleasant march of some 

 ten or eleven miles, in my case agreeably diversified by 

 good sport with antelope. Our route lay down the ex- 

 tensive plain of shingle, the streams of which were thickly 

 coated with ice which jingled merrily under our trampling 

 feet. A smart pace was necessary to keep up the circu- 

 lation, so I strode on ahead of Abdool. The shikarries 

 were detained, waiting till their tats had finished their 

 seer of corn. The poor animal that knocked up on Satur- 

 day disappointed our hopes and expectations, after all his 

 improving symptoms dying in the course of the night. 

 He was one of the strongest of the lot, and in fair con- 

 dition. 



Many antelope were seen on either hand ; but the 

 ground presented no facilities for stalking, so I did not 

 check my course for them. After about five miles' tramp, 

 the shikarries came up. We now left the shingly water- 

 course, ascending on to some uplands yielding, here and 

 there, a light sprinkling of grass, the blades few and far 

 between, but just tinting the spot where they grew. A 

 fine buck antelope suddenly stepped into view, as he sur- 

 mounted a rise ; gazed at us a second or two, and leisurely 

 took himself off. This was tantalising. I dismounted, 

 and with Subhan sought to circumvent him ; but he had 

 put many a hundred yards between us. We again 



