CHAP. IX.] LEAVE WAGGON AND HIDE TO THE EAST. 263 



and to wait for the culminating of one star after 

 another. 



We were detained longer than we ought to have 

 been at Elephant Fovuitain, by a break-down of 

 Amiral's waggon, just as he was starting, but, as it 

 was a light vehicle and the roads were level, a piece 

 of green wood was made into an axletree, and we were 

 ready to proceed in two days. Our dates were, left 

 Jonker, August 30th ; arrived at Elephant Fountain, 

 September 14th ; proceeded, September 19th. 



Hardly a Hottentot lived at Elephant Fountain, 

 but there were large werfts of Berg Damaras there, 

 who of course belonged to Amiral. I therefore felt 

 no fear whatever at leaving my two men, for there 

 is security of life in the country of the Hottentots, 

 and we parted in high spirits for a six weeks' tour, 

 my time being limited by the expected arnval of the 

 ship at "VValfisch Bay, from which I was now distant 

 156 hours (390 miles), or, with a single span of oxen, 

 at least a month's journey off. 



We rode over to 'Twas in eleven hours, following 

 the track of Amiral's waggon, and there we found a 

 large werft. I engaged a Dutchman, by name Saul, 

 whom I found there. He was to take two or three 

 pack-oxen, and to pack them himself, and to help my 

 party in everything. He was a well-known shot, spoke 

 Hottentot perfectly, and was just the man I wanted. 



It seemed to me that, small as Amii-al's tribe was, 

 it was infinitely the most civilised of all I had seen, 

 and seemed possessed of more resources by far than 

 either Swartboy's or Cornelius'. I mean that, with 



