294 RETURN TO EIKHAMS. [chap. x. 



and whom I paid off. Travelling on we managed to 

 take tlie remaining oxen to Elej^hant Fountain, which 

 we reached 22nd of October ; we had left 'Tounobis 

 10th of October ; the entire distance between the places 

 is 53 hours, or 146 miles, which gives our pace 

 of travelling as usual, viz. ten and a half miles a 

 day. It is very remarkable how steady the pace of 

 travelling is. I minuted with great care all our 

 journeys from Omanbonde to Ovampo-land, and the 

 whole way from Ovampo-land to 'Tounobis, and thence 

 again to Eikliams, invariably registering the time of 

 every stoppage. The going and returning journeys 

 seldom differed one hour in thirty. Thus, from 

 Okomavaka to 'Tomiobis we were twenty-one and a 

 half hours going, and twenty-one and a quarter return- 

 ing, and so on ; but when the hours are reduced into 

 miles, much less accuracy must be expected. I allow 

 two and three -quarter miles an hour, which is near 

 enough to give general ideas of distance ; indeed, if a 

 traveller has the geographical positions of the main 

 points of his journey laid down, and also knows how 

 long in actual travelling it will take him to get from 

 one point to another, he is furnished with all the 

 information he can require. 



I had by this time reduced my method of travelling 

 over unknown ground to a princijile wliich I will 

 mention here, for want of a better opportunity. When 

 a given direction has to be followed, which is learnt 

 by the pointing of the natives, the compass is of course 

 the guide by day, but it is very important to have 

 one that is not too dehcate, or when you rein up to 



