144 THE CULPRITS ARE PUXISHED. [chap. v. 



Of the two that escaped one was hrought to me a few 

 days after, when I was on the road ; he was hrought in 

 tlie evening, and I did not lilie punishing and letting him 

 go then, as he might revenge himself in the night. It 

 is not easy to secure a powerful supple-limbed negro, 

 so that he cannot slip loose, but in this case I hand- 

 cuffed his wrists, one on each side of the stem of a tree, 

 and made my fire near him that he might not be too 

 much chilled during the night, and in the morning I 

 gave him a most severe flogging and let him go. One 

 of the four culprits who had been left for dead we also 

 found. He was fearfully bruised with the clubs, and 

 perfectly stripped, but had crawled to the same water- 

 ing place — a vley — that I was encamped at. His 

 punishment had been, I thought,' amply sufficient, 

 and I gave him a meal, and let him go, but I sadly 

 fear, from what I heard long subsequently, that some of 

 mv Damaras followed and assegaied him. 



Kahikene's men had in the meantime frightened 

 mine about Omagunde's people, and they were quite 

 panic-struck and mutinous, and fairly refused to go 

 any further. Andersson here was of the greatest 

 assistance to me. He would have accompanied me 

 alone, and Timboo I think would not have failed us. 

 The waggon-men knew I was in their power. If the 

 cattle had been moderately tame, and the country at 

 aU open, Andersson and I could ourselves have taken 

 the waggons back to Barmen, and, leaving them there, 

 ridden on ; but the character of the expedition and of 

 the country made us as dependent on a large body of 

 men as a frigate is upon a large crew. Hans had not 



