192 EXPEDITION INTO 



stream, the treacherous appearance of which had induced us 

 to follow a path ploug"hed by hippopotami, the pack-wag^g-on 

 became suddenly eng-ulphed in a quag"mire. The trektou7V, 

 or leathern trace, having- been nibbled by allig-ators, twice 

 snapped in the attempt to extricate it by double purchase ; 

 and all other resources failing-, we were at leng-th actually 

 compelled to dig- it out. This subsequently unfortunate vehicle 

 was shortly afterwards upset for the first time during* our 

 journey, by the carelessness of Frederick, who had been 

 appointed to the post of leader of the team, vice April re- 

 moved. With one hind wheel on the slope of a steep bank, 

 and the other in a deep hollow, it vibrated for some seconds, 

 as thoug-h the turn of a hair were to decide whether it 

 should stand or fall. "It's over" — "now it's safe" — 

 " No, g-one by heavens !" burst from half a dozen mouths at 

 once 5 and just sufficient time having- elapsed to admit of- 

 the inmates effecting- their escape, down it went with an 

 appalling- crash, the wheels appearing- uppermost, and the 

 motley contents displaying- themselves in admirable disorder. 

 Peltry, merchandize, and hunting- trophies — camp furniture, 

 tinman's wares, and oilman's stores, were speedily strewed 

 upon the plain ; whilst ten thousand leaden bullets, having- 

 been liberated by the sudden shock from the sacks in which 

 they were pent up, mig-ht be seen emulating- each other in a 

 race to arrive at the lower g-round. To a spectator unac- 

 quainted with the construction of a Cape wag-g*on, no one 

 component part of which is attached to another, this would 

 have appeared an irrecoverable and total wreck. In the 

 course of two hours, however, every thing- was in its proper 

 place ag-ain, and the vehicle in motion, a trifling- distortion of 

 the awning- being- the only trace left to remind us of the 

 catastrophe. It served as a lesson, nevertheless, to trim the 

 wag-g'ons with g-reater care ; and as we had now eaten some 

 way into the stores, the hunting- trophies were removed from 



