158 ARRIVE AT A WERFT. [chap. v. 



As we continued en route next day, the water-course 

 still befriended us : its bed was never sand, but hard 

 ground, covered with sward, and here and there 

 holding a pool of rain-water; and the thick bushes 

 were crowded on either side. It seemed as though we 

 were travelling along " a ride," cut through a thick 

 cover. We now, for the first time, came upon elephant 

 spoors, — huge tilings, indeed. There were about 

 twenty tracks made where the ground was soft ; but 

 it now was hardened, and the waggon jolted heavily 

 over them. 



April 2nd. — We came upon ox-tracks, and other 

 indications of a Damara werft, and following a path, 

 came upon it. The men dispersed in great consternation, 

 but we caught some women, who were too heavily 

 laden with anklets to run fast, and pacified them with 

 tobacco. In a short time the men came back, and we 

 were soon excellent friends. A fine tall Damara, about 

 six feet seven inches in height, offered, in the course of 

 conversation, to guide us to Omanbonde. He said that 

 we should arrive there in three days. We still were 

 perfectly unable to understand how large the water 

 was, as no two people said the same thing. 



April 3rd. — Six hours took us to another werft. 

 After the first two hours we left our old friend, the 

 Vley Eiver, as we called it ; and the bushes being 

 more open, and fewer thorn-trees among them, we 

 followed our guide across country. The captain of this 

 werft was a very shrewd fellow, and a jolly, humorous 

 sort of man. He was convinced that we were Hotten- 

 tot spies ; but for all that, we became great friends. 



