

i!! 



288 



GIRAFFE HUNTING, 



eastward, to the country where the Massara's people 

 resided. There I was promised plenty of g^ame, an 

 abundance of water, and, better than all, a hearty 

 welcon^e. There is always lots to do when a fresh 

 start is contemplated, such as greasinj^ axles, fitting 

 new lashes to the whips, and providing yoke-keys 

 in the place of those that may have been lost or 

 broken. The sun was just appearing in the east, 

 when I was awoke by the well-known cry **feusack" 

 "■ feusackl' uttered and re- uttered with constantly 

 increasing energy, to drive the dogs from under the 

 waggons. I expect the true translation of the word 

 is "get out." Then William's voice was heard, 

 " Amba ! amba ! amaga ! trcck ! " and crack goes the 

 big whip at tb.e instant that the last word was pro- 

 nounced, and, eastward ho ! moved the ships of the 

 desert for fresli pastures that might almost be said 

 to be unexplored. 



With regret I bid good-bye to the scene of my 

 late home ; never before, or since, or in years to 

 come, will I again see its like, for it was in every 

 respect the beau ideal of a camping-ground. It had 

 but one fault, and that was being in the Macalaca 

 country. The next European that visited it no 

 doubt wondered who preceeded him, and had lively 

 memories of home brought back, for I left an assort- 

 ment of Crosse and Blackwell's, as well as Lazenby's 

 tins and bottles behind, that, had they been refilled, 

 would almost have sufficed to stock a country store. 

 The front kist of the leading waggon afforded me a 

 seat throughout the first treck ; small buck were 

 exceedingly numerous close at hand, while larger 

 antelopes were seldom not to be seen where suffi- 

 cient grass existed to be an attraction. The second 

 treck brought us to pits about sunset. There was 

 an abundance of water in them, but exceedingly 

 difficult to get at. As every drop of the precious 

 fluid required — and that as may be known was not 



