108 . HOW TO ENCAMP [chap. iv. 



under th^se, but also for a few paces in advance of 

 them. That completed the task, which only required 

 two hours to execute, for there were plenty of flat 

 stones about, and I had ten or twelve men to carry 

 them. I then inspanned a team, who trotted away 

 with the waggon quite easUy along my pavement. 



The water was all " crow-water," and my herd of 

 oxen and sheep were aU watered by hand. The way 

 we set about choosing our place for encampment, and 

 making it, was this : as the waggon still moved on, we 

 kept a look-out along the river bed, tUl some indications 

 were seen of water, such as holes or small wells dug 

 by Damaras, who had been camping about. If the 

 jdeld of water appeared sufficient, and if there was 

 any show of grass near, the waggons were outspanned. 

 The place chosen was by a tree or at the side of some 

 bush, where the requisites of a smooth ground to sleep 

 upon, shelter from the wind, abundant thorn-bushes 

 to make a sheep's kraal of, and neighbouring firewood, 

 were best combined. The Damaras were then sent 

 with axes to cut thorn-bushes for the kraal ; the white 

 men went with spades to dig a couple of wells out, and 

 make them broad and deep, and the cattle watchers were 

 off with the oxen and sheep to grass — two men to 

 each flock or herd. They often fed a couple of miles 

 away from us. Any idle hand fetched enough firewood 

 to start two cooking fii-es, on one of which the iron 

 pots for the dinners of myself, Andersson, Hans, and 

 John Morta, were placed ; on the other, those of the 

 waggon-men. The Damaras had an iron pot between 

 them, but they never had food given them tiU late, or 



