CHAP. VI.] METHOD OF SEAECHING FOR WATER. 175 



April 26th. — After some hours' travel the guide 

 confessed that he had no idea where we were ; so we 

 separated to look for tracks, some climbing one hill 

 and some another. The day was hazy, but Andersson 

 made out something like green grass, five or six miles 

 to the north-west, and the guide found a bushman who 

 directed him in that very course ; so we went there, and 

 found not only dry rushes but also a troof) of baboons. 

 This was a sure sign of there being water somewhere 

 near, and after looking about a little we came upon wells. 

 We generally found water by observing geese, ducks, 

 baboons, parrots, doves, and httle birds (not linnets) 

 in flocks. Guinea fowl are seldom more than three 

 hours from water. Plovers I have seen much further. 

 Fresh converging tracks of men or animals of course 

 indicate it, but old paths only mislead ; these generally 

 are made when the ground is soft dm'ing the rainy 

 season, and lead to some vley which is dry at all other 

 times. In practice, when looking out for water, the 

 fii'st sign that gives hope is a flock of Guinea fowls, 

 then following the lay of the country every distant 

 tree is carefully scanned until a parrot is seen, which, 

 as the bird is fond of perching on the very topmost 

 branches, is, even at great distances, a conspicuous 

 object. A parrot is seldom more than half an hour 

 from water, nor baboons either. Continuing a sharp 

 look-out, and taking a likely course doves are seen 

 flying about, and little birds are found in aU the bushes, 

 and they are close upon it. 



The well and fountain that we were at was called 

 Otchikango ; a bold range of hills bounded it on one 



