CHAP. IX.] EHINOCEROS SKULLS. 267 



above a wide plain, which stretched far away to the 

 east, and was covered with timber trees ; — this was the 

 margin of the great desert. I was tokl that we should 

 continue journeying along this ridge till we reached 

 the furthest point that Amiral's men had yet travelled 

 to, and thence our course would, if we intended to go 

 to 'Tounobis, lie aci'oss this plain. 



The news of our shooting expedition had spread far 

 and wide, and Damaras flocked like crows from all 

 quarters to share in the food. The place where we 

 slept on the 26th was a charming spot, among black- 

 thorn trees, lighted up by fires in all directions, round 

 each of which were grouped parties of our guests. We 

 steadily rode on, keeping ahead of Amiral's party, 

 and on the evening of the second day we arrived at the 

 first great shooting place. It was a picturesque 

 gorge in the ridge which led down to the plain, and in 

 which was a succession of small springs. Rhinoceros 

 skiills were lying in everj^ direction, but strangely 

 enough only one spoor could be seen. The whole of 

 that night did Saul and I watch without seeing any- 

 thing but a jackal. It was very disappointing, but the 

 animals clearly were not there. We therefore pushed 

 on. Saul had told us that the rhinoceroses would 

 begin trooping in at nightfall, and that we should 

 continue firing at them till daybreak, and I had believed 

 him. Forty were killed here about a month since ; I 

 could not doubt it, for I counted in a small space 

 upwards of twenty heads ; but I suppose that a vast 

 number were also wounded, and that the whole game 

 was fairly scared from the place. Amiral's men were 



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