CHAP. IX.] NUMEROUS PITFALLS. 259 



shooting excursion Amiral's men had " bagged " forty 

 of them. 



Elephant Fountain is a rather copious spring on the 

 side of a black thorny hill, above a narrow river-bed. 

 Herds of animals come here to drink ; and the ground 

 at the principal place is bored full of pit-falls. By 

 arranging the bushes in different ways, different sets of 

 paths and pitfalls can be used at pleasure, and the 

 animals are unscared by the smell of the blood of 

 their companions, who may have been caught and 

 slaughtered the preceding evening. No less than 

 thirty-four zebras were entrapped in one night. We 

 could not of course shoot here, as it might frighten the 

 game away, and there was no great temptation, as only 

 zebras and roebucks came to drink. There were a 

 great many lions about, some of whom had lately taken 

 two men, who had sat up watching for game ; but none 

 troubled us. In the day-time, while we were waiting 

 for Amiral, a few animals were shot, and jerked as food 

 for the party that was to stay with the waggon, for 

 I intended to let it stop here, and to ride on with 

 Andersson, Eybrett, and Timboo, leaving Jolm Morta 

 and Phlebus behind. 



Elephant Fountain acquii'ed its name from the 

 enormous number of tusks that were found in the 

 water of this place. When the Hottentots settled 

 there, the pool into which the water runs was over- 

 grown with reeds, and harboured lions and hyenas, and 

 all kinds of wild beasts. So the reeds were burnt 

 down, and the pool cleared out : it was not at all a 

 large one, perhaps twenty-five paces across ; but in 



