62 RIDE TO BARMEN. [chap. iii. 



with me to Barmen on trial, and that, if we suited, I 

 would employ him as head servant. I was strongly 

 urged to make a good enclosure (kraal) for mules and 

 men, as the Lions were extremely numerous about the 

 low gromid, in which I had encamped, for the sake 

 of the shade, though they seldom prowled upon 

 the bare cliff on which Hans and the Damara 

 huts were scattered. I therefore collected all the 

 natives together that I could, and set vigorously to 

 work, cutting down all the bushes I could find, to 

 strengthen my kraal mth, and two days passed very 

 busily. I then left Andersson in charge, and rode on 

 with Stewartson and Hans towards Barmen, in the 

 afternoon of the second day. Our little caravan con- 

 sisted entirely of Hans' animals, for all of mine required 

 rest; besides oui" ride-oxen, we had one ox packed and 

 one loose, three sheep, and two Damaras ; our pace 

 was a jog trot, and the Damaras drove the sheep and 

 two oxen in front, whUe we rode behind and drove on 

 the Damaras. We off-j)acked after three hours, but it 

 was dark when we did so, and the sheep ran loose 

 and we could not drive them in together; one ran 

 quite away, and was eaten, I presume, by the hyenas, 

 who disturbed us a good deal ; one we killed, and the 

 other we tied to a bush. Hans made me a much more 

 comfortable bed than I had previously enjoyed, 

 showing me how to cut the bushes and make a dead 

 hedge of them; then he smoothed the ground, and 

 plucking dry grass, strewed it thickly about; upon 

 that he laid two or three sheepskins, over them my 

 mackintosh, and, lastly, my eider-down quilt. This 



