CHAP. IV.] RETURN TO WAGGONS. 105 



over the hill, as his men dare not travel about it. I 

 was obliged to return, for I had my time limited in 

 many ways ; else I should have liked to have fully 

 explored the place. The fever that was on me 

 increased hourly, and I was anxious to return. The 

 night was bitterly cold, but I curled myself in my 

 thin plaid round the fire, and got through the long 

 hours somehow or other. The chief and I inter- 

 changed presents ; we bought a few goats, and 

 returned as we came. The rocky slabs looked more 

 dangerous and slippery than ever, but no accident 

 occurred. The next evening we slept at the werft, 

 where Gabriel had distinguished himself. I felt 

 wandering, and was delirious during most of the 

 night, but could sit on ox-back well enough the next 

 day — it was Christmas day, but I dared not stop to do 

 it honour. We rode on five hours. Hans shot four 

 zebras. The Damaras gave us milk in exchange for 

 their meat, and that was our dinner. The next night 

 I was again ill, but less so than before ; and the 

 ensuing day I rode through to Otjimbingue : the 

 distance between it and Erongo is about twenty hours' 

 travel. The result of my journey was, that I bought 

 twenty-five oxen and thirty or forty sheep (four 

 common guns had been bartered for twenty oxen), 

 which was a material addition to my stock. 



Andersson, who had had a slight fever like myself, was 

 there in full vigour ; he had been in an almost hand- 

 to-hand combat with a lion, for the beast was on one 

 side of a small bush, growling at him, whilst he was 

 on the other. He shot the lion. A stirring night 



F 3 



