SOUTHERN AFRICA. 51 



denly separated themselves from us^ and g-alloped off. Fol- 

 lowing* them up^ the scream of water-fowl sounded like 

 music in our ears^ and w^e had the gTatification of perceiving* 

 a pond of mephitic water a little to the rig-ht of the road. 

 Both man and beast appeared simultaneously ajiprised of the 

 cheering- discovery — water was the universal cry — the Hot- 

 tentots rushed to the edg'e of the pond^ and throwing- them- 

 selves on their faces, swallowed larg-e quantities — indifferent 

 to the crowd of horses, oxen, and sheep, which followed 

 close upon their heels. The oxen in the wag-g-ons were with 

 difficulty restrained until the yokes had been removed, when 

 impatient of their burning* thirst, they also rushed headlong- 

 into the now muddy pool. 



An accident deprived us of the handsome dog- that we had 

 obtained from Brother Mark Graaff, the itinerant tutor : no 

 bush presenting- itself which could shelter him for a moment 

 during* the long* march, from the scorching* rays of a vertical 

 sun, he had soug-ht an asyliun beneath the wag-gon, the wheel 

 of which passed over his body. For many da^'s past the feet 

 of our canine companions had suffered g'reatly from their 

 contact with the heated earth ', and^ in some instances, had 

 become perfectly raw\ Ever and anon the unfortunate ani- 

 mals would voluntarily present a paw, and, with a suppli- 

 cating- whine, solicit another dressing* of the tar and tat 

 composition used for g-reasing- the axletrees from the 

 application of which they experienced temporary relief. 



In order to recruit the exhausted streno-th of the oxen, 

 we halted a day at Great Chooi, another extensive salt-lake, 

 which we reached early the following- morning-. No pen 

 can describe the scene that here took place. The Hottentots, 

 having' first mutinied ag-ainst Richardson, deputed Andries — 

 who advanced to me with a step of defiance — to acquaint 

 me with their determination not to obey his orders : the 

 contracts at Graaff Reinet having-, to save trouble, been 



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