50 EXPEDITION IPsTO 



only tank in the country was exhausted. The small supply 

 that we had brought in the wag'g'ons was barel}^ drinkable 

 eA'en in coffee ; but our suffering's were nothing* compared 

 with those of the unhappy oxen^ which althoug-h tired to 

 death with the sultry march^ ran franticly in quest of some 

 pool where they mig'ht slake their thirst — making* the air 

 resound with their mournful lowing-s. Durino- the nio-ht the 

 hyaenas^ attracted by the smell of our mutton^ actually 

 devoured a spring-buck within the limits of our camp. 



As we advanced^ the g'ame became hourly more abundant, 

 althoug'h still exceeding-ly wild. Groups of hartebeests,* 

 quag'g-as, and brindled giioos, were everywhere to be seen 

 -the sleek varieg'ated coats of the two former species spark- 

 ling* in the ra3^s of the sun j and the fierce little 63^68 of the 

 latter g-listening* like fire beneath their shag-g-y forelocks. A 

 short chase was sufficient to seal the fate of three quag'g'as 

 — all males, averagino- thirteen hands hio-h. Durino- the run 

 I had not seen a human being*, and fancied myself alone ; 

 but I had scarcel}" dismounted to secure my g*ame, when a 

 woolly head protruded itself from every bush, and in an 

 instant I was surrounded by thirty Barolong-s, who having* 

 by sig'ns expressed their approbation of my performance, 

 proceeded to devour the carcase with the g-reatest avidity 

 — g-reedity drinking- the blood, rubbing* the fat upon their 

 bodies, and not leaving* so much even as the entrails for the 

 birds of prey. 



Our unfortunate cattle had now tasted no water for six- 

 and-thirty hours, and we resolved to travel day and nig-ht 

 in search of this necessary of life. The sun at leng*th de- 

 parted, darkness overtook us, and no moon succeeded to 

 g-uide our course ; when, by a sing-ular instinct, the two 

 horses that we had obtained from Captain Sutton, and 

 which were consequently acquainted with the road, sud- 



* AcronoUis Caama. Delineated in the Portraits of Game and Wild Animals 

 of Southern Africa. 



