209 EXPEDITION INTO 



salting*, in case the country in advance^ of wliich every one 

 was equally ig-norant^ should not afford a supply of g-ame. 

 Leaving* the carcases a banquet for the vultures^ we placed 

 these delicacies on our meag*re steads, and rejoined the cafila 

 in the afternoon. Weary and exhausted for want of water, 

 we were not a little rejoiced on our arrival to find the wag-g*ons 

 drawn up on the banks of the beautiful Chonapas^ a dee}) 

 o'urg'ling' stream tenanted b}^ hippopotami, and meandering* 

 amid clusters of sig"hing* reeds. Some of our people were 

 busily eng-ag'ed in the manufacture of a buffiilo hide drag*-rope 

 for the approaching* journe}^, and others had g-one in search 

 of fire-wood. Not a dr^^ twig* was to be obtained, however, 

 in the whole country, and it was found necessary to break 

 up one of our boxes in order to boil the water and dress 

 some fish that had been taken. The savag*es had always 

 evinced the strong*est antipathy to the finny tribe, fl^'ing* in 

 dismay if one were suddenly exhibited ; and Andries here 

 attempting* some ill-timed practical joke of the kind upon 

 Maphook, the savag*e sprang* tig-er-like upon his back, and 

 throwing' him to the g*round, handled him so roug*hly, that 

 our crest-fjillen hero, whose short thick fig*ure and bull neck 

 betokened incalculable streng-th, was nevertheless fain to 

 sue for quarter. 



From our present position, the Vaal Ri^er was stated by 

 the g'uides to be onl}'- two days' journey to the southward, the 

 ra,ng*e of mountains in which it rises being* indistinctly visi- 

 ble to the south-east. Having* conducted us thus far on our 

 journey, they now declared their intention of returning* im- 

 mediately to the king*, for whom they had the impudence to 

 demand the g-un, as well as the promised wag"es of their own 

 services ; adding*, in reply to our remonstrances, that as we 

 were now standing* on the g*round where the emig-rants had 

 been routed, they found it impossible to proceed fiirther, or 



