SOUTHERN AFRICA. 233 



first drew our attention to this treasure, which was sur- 

 rounded by a ckimp of buh'ushes, with a strong- calcareous 

 incrustation at their roots. So exhausted were the oxen, 

 after their three hours' cold bath the preceding* day, that 

 they could hardly have reached this oasis, had not the fresh 

 scent of a lion recruited their vig'our. However tired the 

 poor beasts mig-ht be, a sniff of one of their feline enemies 

 never failed to put them in the highest sj^irits. Several 

 g-noos rushed with them to the water's edg-e, as if to dispute 

 their share, and I shot one from the wag'g'on • but in the 

 total absence of fuel, we were driven to the necessity of 

 burning" one of the spare wag'g'on-poles, in order to cook a 

 portion of the flesh. 



A heavy dew fell during- the night, and was followed by a 

 dense fog", in spite of which we were fain to decamp from 

 this inhospitable bivouac at an earty hour. The face of the 

 country here, so beautifully clothed with herbag-e and flow- 

 ers, would appear to be kept fresh and verdant by these 

 nig-htly dews and humid mists, rather than by the partial 

 showers which, few and far between, are wont to visit it. 

 The being- able to sleep in the open air Avith perfect impunity 

 is a convincing- proof that in Africa these vapours are little 

 prejudicial to health. As the fog- dispersed, long- files of 

 quag-gas were observed moving- across the distant profile of 

 the plain, like a rival caravan on its march; a rang-e of 

 mountains could shortly afterwards be disting-uished to the 

 westward, and about noon the hawk-eyed Hottentots, wIiq 

 possessed an extraordinary facility of detecting- objects at 

 a distance, descried a troop of savag-es. Of the two parties 

 it is difficult to say which was thrown into the g-reatest 

 consternation by the mutual discovery ; but I can only aver, 

 that while every preparation was making- on our side for 

 a g-allant defence, the enemy was observed in ignominious 

 retreat. 



