34 PURCHASES OF OXEN. [chap. n. 



liaK its length. Neither the oxen nor the horses 

 showed that dread of his smell, which they generally 

 do. I even rolled up his hide like a valisse, and carried 

 it behind my saddle, without my steed showing any 

 objection. I cannot to this day imagine why we dis- 

 mounted and climbed up the sand-hill ; but I put 

 myself under the orders of my more experienced friends. 

 It would have been much easier and much safer to 

 have given the animal his finishing wound fi'om horse- 

 back. 



The next day I had the skin dressed ; it was neces- 

 sary that the load which the cart had to carry up the 

 coimtry should be lessened, and I therefore was driven 

 to pack-oxen, and wanted a hide to cover my saddle- 

 bags ; Stewartson was to make them for me, and the 

 lion's skin came as a godsend, for I had only one 

 other. I bought two oxen, a black and a red one, 

 from Stewartson, both of which he engaged to break 

 in, so fai' as to carry such tilings as would not injure 

 if kicked off. He also hired out to me another ox, 

 and I bought a yellow ride ox, by name Ceylon, fi-om 

 Johannis, the interpreter. Groceries and a gown for 

 his wife settled my account with Stewartson, and a 

 common gun that with Johannis. The four oxen were 

 to carry five or six cwt. between them, which would 

 materially lighten the cart, but still leave it a load of 

 about lOOOlbs. I heard constantly from Andersson, 

 who remained at Sand Fountain with most of my men, 

 guarding the boxes till Mr. Barn's oxen were fresh 

 enough to go down and take them. They had a mono- 

 tonous time of it. A hyena paid them two visits at 



