SOUTHERN AFRICA. S47 



a tribe called Lihoya, and were engaged in eating- up a bles- 

 bok that had been caught in one of their pit-falls. Having, 

 through the agency of a broken cigar, negociated a treaty of 

 alliance with these terrified savages, who as usual had fled on 

 perceiving me, I pointed to the wheel-tracks, and gave them 

 by signs to understand that I was in search of my waggons. 

 They instantly understood my meaning, and holding up both 

 hands, pointed to the western horizon. The ladies, although 

 very nervous at first, had in the meantime conceived a violent 

 attachment for the brass buttons of my jacket — pointing to 

 them, and repeatedly exclaiming with dry mouths, " Tullana, 

 Tullana /"* Upon my presenting these, together with a 

 knife with which their amputation had been performed, they 

 became perfectly insane, and declared their intention of ac- 

 companying me in person for the purpose of receiving fur- 

 ther presents. Placing myself under the willing guidance of 

 this savage party, I struck across the plain, and in the course 

 of another hour was within sight of the waggons. Jaded 

 and wayworn, it was with profound gratitude to a protecting 

 Providence that I thus found myself restored to the ccifila, 

 after three days of anxious wanderings, over an unexplored 

 and inhospitable wilderness. 



Great was the anxiety, and many were the dismal fore- 

 bodings to which my mysterious absence had given birth. 

 A general gloom had pervaded the camp, and it was con- 

 jectured that I had reached "that bourne whence no traveller 

 returns." There being no fuel with which to kindle a beacon 

 fire, whips had been cracked, and muskets discharged at in- 

 tervals, both during the day and night ) and my horse's 

 spoor having been completely effaced by the rain, three 

 separate parties had gone out in search of me, in different 

 directions. Those only who have experienced the warm 



* Anglice, Buttons, buttons ! 



