telPARTUKB FOR THE LAND OF ELEPHANTS. 193 



light, I did not permit them to outspan until after mid- 

 night. I held a westerly course, steering for the Salt- 

 pan's Drift, about four days' journey iayjn^ the Orange 

 River, where I intended crossing. By adopting this 

 course I avoided the hostile Boers, who were scouring 

 the country across the river imniediately opposite to 

 Colesberg. 



On the fourth day I reached Salt-pan's Drift, wliioli 

 I crossed with considerable difficulty, the wagons re- 

 peatedly sticking fast in the deep sajad. The opposite 

 bank was extremely steep, and required an hour's cut- 

 ting with our pickaxes and Novels. We passed the 

 farms of several Boers, from whom I purchased three 

 excellent dogs, named "Wolf," "Prince," and "Bonte- 

 bergi" On one of these farms were half a dozen os- 

 triches, wjiioh IJhe Boer endeavored to persuade me to 

 purchase. Continuing our march, on the 28th we 

 passed through, .the (Sriqua kraal named Biama. In 

 the morning, on proceeding to rouse my mep, I .discov- 

 ered Kleifttboy very coolly sDjoking his pipe over my 

 loose, dilapidated powder-casks; upon which I seized 

 the culprit, and handled him rather roughly. This so 

 disgusted my friend that he dashed Ixis pipe on the 

 ground with true Hottentot action, and swqre he would 

 go no further with me. TJie a^ppearanee, however, of 

 a fine fat sheep, which I purchased a few minutes after 

 from a Grigua, induced Mr. Kleinboy to alter his mind 

 on the subject, and he sulkily returned to his.daty. .On 

 the 4th of May we made the fair Vaal Eiver, which 

 we crossed at my old drift. Here a party of Korannas 

 rode up to the .wagons, mounted on pack-oxen. The 

 bridles consisted of thongs attached to sticks passed 

 ithrough a hole in the animals' noses, and the saddle 

 Mfas a sheep-skin secured with a thong across the hack. 

 Vol. I.— I 



