156 SPORT AND TRAVEL PAPERS 



continuously on the next day, and the roads became, if possible, 

 worse than ever, and our canvas roof and curtains proved any- 

 thing but waterproof. The rain beat in everywhere and ran in 

 little streams down our backs, but all attempts to dodge them 

 proved futile. Towards night it became more unpleasant still, 

 one of the horses broke down, making his fellow useless ; it was 

 pitch dark and impossible to see or find the way through the 

 bush. We therefore pulled up near a tree and remained there 

 for hours while it thundered and lightened, and rained in 

 torrents. How miserable everything looked when momentarily 

 lit up by the frequent flashes of lightning revealing the inky 

 puddles and dripping grass, the shiny trees and miserable, 

 shivering team ! A scene of desolation everywhere. There 

 was no getting away, so we also shivered and smoked and 

 slumbered. 



At daybreak another start was made, all of us very glad to 

 get away, and about noon we outspanned at Molopolole, the 

 capital of Sechele, chief of the Backwena. The rain continued, 

 but cheered and refreshed by a good meal we drove on without 

 loss of time and presently came to a river, which, owing to the 

 heavy storm, had become a torrent, carrying with it trees and 

 bush as it rushed madly along. As these rivers go down almost 

 as quickly as they rise we waited patiently on the bank, watch- 

 ing the rapid fall of the water, until disturbed in our meditations 

 by the proposal of the driver to attempt the passage. With 

 grave misgivings as to the result, in we drove and got as far 

 as the middle of the river, when, without a moment's notice, 

 the leading mules were carried off their legs, then dragged the 

 centre pair with them and turned the wheelers down-stream. 

 Luckily, the latter kept their feet, and with the cart now 

 offered less resistance to the rushing water; but for this the 

 whole outfit would probably have been lost. We jumped out 

 behind, and although hardly able to stand in the torrent, went 

 to the assistance of the rapidly drowning mules which were 

 hopelessly entangled in the harness. After some hard work 

 everything was fished out, but landed, unfortunately, on the 

 bank from which we had started. Taught by this damp lesson 

 to be more patient and careful in the future, we made a big fire 

 and some tea and dried ourselves and all our belongings. The 

 poor mules were in a bad state, brimful of water, but they all 



