184 RETURlsr TO CHAPUPA'S WERFT. [chap. vi. 



low tone of voice, and if possible aside. They can 

 count, for they explained to me at once the number of 

 Nangoro's wives, 105, using their fingers rapidly to 

 show the number. They also counted my oxen as 

 quickly as I could have done it myself. The next day 

 we returned with them, and on the morrow reached iny 

 werft. The Ovampo traders then separated into bands, 

 and went about the country bartering. Chik alone 

 remained behind and received such oxen as were from 

 time to time sent to him. He spent most of his time 

 with me, and told me a great deal about the Ovampo 

 and Nangoro. We found that it would require more 

 than a fortnight's steady travel to get there. My 

 cattle were becoming very thin, and I could ill spare 

 the three weeks that the Ovampo kept me waiting. 

 The grass on this side of the Omoramba was different 

 to that on the other, and the sheep fell off sadly from 

 the change of food, and were hardly worth eating ; their 

 tails, once so full of luscious fat, as is the case with all 

 African sheep, were now reduced to cords. There was 

 no game about for us to shoot, and the steady con- 

 sumption of an ox in every three days told heavily upon 

 my slaughter-cattle. ChapuiDa would not sell me any- 

 thing. I think he dared not for fear of offending his 

 old customers — the Ovampo — and the market was not 

 extensive enough for all of us. I therefore saw cleai'ly 

 that my head-quarters had no chance of being removed 

 further to the north unless I met with a sufficiency of 

 game in Ovampo land to support my party, or unless 

 my articles of exchange would buy me an abundance 

 of provisions there. I exhibited all that I had to 



