THE RAMA QUE BAN. 43 
' Donker ' and ' Wildeman,' too (the little red wild 
ox), are getting tired. This is miserable work, and 
I wish I had brought more bullocks from Mung- 
wato, as I could so well have done, and a far lighter 
waggon. It is a mild, pleasant, breezy night, and 
as we outspan, and * Rail ' and ' Rock ' come up in 
their couples, I am reminded of our first trekking on 
the high veldt, when we were together in force, start- 
ing with a good equipment and high hopes. This 
is an open space where we outspan, with long grass. 
^^ September \st. — Mild, cloudy morning. ... I 
had been much discouraged by the oxen being so 
tired last night, and this morning was pleased to find 
ourselves arrive at the Ramaqueban River at least 
an hour sooner than I had hoped. Petersen's wag- 
gon was on the opposite side.^ However, we stuck 
in the drift. Poor ' Weiman,' with his blind eye, was 
in front, and proved awkward, and little * Vinal ' lay 
down. Petersen, however, sent his driver and two 
good oxen, and we came out easily and had break- 
fast. Here some Dutchmen squatted last season to 
hunt, and took the fever — men, women, and children. 
Petersen says about half-a-dozen of them died. He 
thinks it was in January. The trees along the 
river's bed show a faint budding of green, as I have 
now seen for some time. The orirl who came with 
us to Tati was travelling on with Petersen, and her 
brother had come on with us last night to join her. 
The cool breeze to-day was very pleasant. Peter- 
sen's boys had dug for water. Petersen went on, 
1 Mr. Petersen was a trader whom Frank Oates had met at Tati. 
