CHAP. IV.] START FOR ERONGO. 97- 



to the air. Hans had therefore saved the hide of 

 every ox that had been slaughtered, and had either 

 dressed it to make reims and such like things,, or else 

 twisted it up raw to make into a trek-tow. We still 

 wanted one hide, which a gnu was kind enough to 

 afford us. Hans wounded him after a long stalk ; but 

 though the animal got off for the time, he was steadily 

 followed by Hans and Jolin Allen for hours, tUl night- 

 fall ; they then slept on the track and took it up 

 again the next morning; in a couple of hours they 

 found the beast on three legs, at bay, under a stone, 

 where he was shot and flayed. Gnu is Hterally the 

 only hide, besides that of oxen and koodoos, that is 

 fit for a trek-tow ; almost all other animals have either 

 too small and too thin skins, or else the opposite 

 extreme, while gemsbok and zebra hides, which are of 

 the right thickness, are the worst of leather. 



I stopped a day at Otjimbingue, and then rode off 

 with Hans, John St. Helena, and Gabriel, to the 

 mountain Erongo ; it was partly an excursion to buy 

 oxen and sheep for my journey, and partly to see the 

 country, and that remarkable stronghold of the Ghou 

 Damup. The drought was so great, no constant rain 

 having fallen, that troops of Damaras were flocking in 

 from all sides to the comparatively abundant water of 

 the Mission station. One of the captains, who was in 

 advance of the rest of his people, offered to go back 

 with me as guide. He said he would take us to 

 different werfts on our road, where we might barter as 

 much as we liked, but that he dare not take us to 

 Erongo, as his people and the Ghou Damup who lived 



