44 EXHAUSTION. Tchap. ii. 



and far beyond them, we could clearly see long reaches 

 of another barren plain, the counterpart of the one we 

 were travelling over. 



The fact is, we were in -RTetched travelling con- 

 dition. An indolent life of high feeding and perfect 

 rest on board ship, is a bad preparation for a journey 

 like ours. Now, on a sudden, we had begnin to live 

 without stimulants of any sort, to work hard, and to 

 endure a sun which exhausted what little nervous 

 energy was left us. We went down to the water, 

 leaving the packs as before, at the top of the descent, 

 which here is only two miles long, and drank ex- 

 cessively. The water seemed to do us some good ; but 

 as soon as we had walked a short distance from it, 

 the thirst, and hunger, and faintness, came on again, 

 and we went back to drink, time after time. AVe could 

 not see a sign of game, except the same buffalo tracks, 

 which spoke of the beasts having passed by, and 

 migrated to the mouth of the river some days since. 

 There was no spoor of wild beasts, or any signs of life, 

 except a few doves, that we tried in vain to shoot, 

 by cutting up a bullet into slugs : they were too wary 

 for us. 



After sundown, the cart came : the men had left 

 three mules behind, that had lain down, and would go 

 no further. Andersson, Timboo, and John St. Helena, 

 took a hasty meal, and very pluckily went after them. 

 They were absent two hours, but retiu-ned without the 

 mules : who it seemed had got up again as the evening 

 became cool, and had strayed, and were nowhere 

 to be found. There were many old zebra tracks 



