122 ADVENTURES IN SOUTH AFRICA. 



nevertheless resolved to pack up and march to Choua. 

 ney. Accordingly, after much trouble and manage- 

 ment in stowing av^ay all my lumber, we got under 

 way about 11 A.M., and reached Sichely's a little after 

 sundown. On the inarch one of my wagon's after- 

 wheels rolled off, but, very fortunately, the axle-tree 

 escaped. I found Mr. Livingstone at his devotions, 

 and he informed me that it was Sunday. 



The next day was deliciously cloudy, with some 

 slight showers of rain. In the evening Sichely came 

 down to see me, bringing my four lost oxen, which he 

 had at length made up his mind to restore. Three of 

 Sichely's men engaged to accompany me to the colony, 

 their wages to be three guns and two cows. 



I now proceeded slowly by way of Lotlokane, Motito, 

 and Campbellsdorp, and encamped on the Vaal River 

 on the 11th of November. Here I was obliged to wait 

 for several days, owing to the great body of water com- 

 ing down rendering a passage impossible. 



On the 16th, however, the river having subsided, I 

 inspanned my two wagons, and took the drift with my 

 heaviest wagon, drawn by fourteen oxen. I led the 

 team on horseback, and, several Griquas assisting us, 

 wo took the drift very highj and got a little more than 

 half way through, when two of the oxen became en- 

 tangled in the gear, and, being dragged along, my driv 

 er foolishly halted the wagon. The result of this fool- 

 ish management was, that the oxen instantly turned 

 right-about-face, and stood with their heads up water, 

 the stream beingtoo powerful for them to stand still 

 otherwise. We spent a fruitless hour of very harassing 

 work, trying to right the oxen, which was, however, 

 impossible, and at length we were obliged to cut away 

 the trek-tow and get the oxen ashore. Here, after 



