CHAP. vin.J FIND THE WAGGONS SAFE. 239 



satisfied that no great mishap coukl have befallen the 

 party, and that Hans had trekked on, either for better 

 pasturage or for some other good reason. It was clear, 

 from what the Damaras said, that the waggons were 

 not very far off ; and as the news of our arrival would 

 reach them the same night, I offpacked the tired 

 beasts and intended to give them a good feed in the 

 morning— waiting till Hans either sent me some 

 Damaras or came himself to take me on. As we were 

 offpacking, to my dismay I found that we were one 

 pack ox short, and he was the aniuial that earned my 

 MSS., nautical almanac, gun tools, buUet moulds, 

 and nvunberless nick-nacks, that were particularly 

 necessary to me. One never counts oxen on the road ; 

 they are so gregarious, that, as a general rule, it is quite 

 unnecessary. In this case w^e had all been pressing 

 forwards and riding in front of the drove, and none 

 of us could tell whether we had seen the lost one 

 since our first start. It was a very awkwai'd case, for 

 the coimtry was stony in part, and, where not stony, 

 ploughed up with the spoors of the lately migrating 

 Damara oxen. Tired as they were, two of my men 

 and tlu-ee Damaras went back after him, and, strangely 

 enough, at Namboshua, and by one of those chances 

 that travellers are so often indebted to, one of these 

 Damaras came right upon him as he was lying down, 

 tired, among some thick trees ; he was, of course, 

 brought back in triumph. 



The next morning a posse of my Damaras came 

 running joyfully to me ; they had heard of my arrival at 

 the waggons the previous night, and came to tell me the 



