156 



ADVENTURES .W SOUTH AFRICA 



CHAPTER XXVI. 



Seleka's Town among the Rocks — Elephant hunting with Seleka and 

 his Men — Trading with Seleka — A Lion and Lipness with their Cubi 

 — An immense Herd of Hippopotami — Nine of them kiUed — Trap 

 for inflicting poisoned Wounds on Sea-cows — We cross the Limpopo, 

 and a Wagon sticks in the River — We trek down the Stream — Two 

 of my best Horses killed and eaten by Lions — The Chief of the Ba 

 malette visits me — Audacity of the Lions — A Horse killed in a Pit 

 fall — A Chief flogged for catching and consuming a Horse. 



On the 1st of July I inspanned at sunrise and march- 

 ed to the town of the Baseleka, which J reached in about 

 four hours, having crossed the Lepalala on the .way. I 

 outspanned on the bank of the river. Seleka's town 

 is built on the top and sides of a steep and precipitous 

 white quartz rock, which rises abruptly, and forms a 

 very remarkable feature in the green forest scenery 

 which surrounds it. In the evening Seleka brought 

 dovra four fairish bull elephant's teeth, which I bought 

 for four muskets. 



On the morrow I took an early breakfast, and then 

 held east with Seleka and about a hundred and fifty 

 of his men to seek elephants, they having heard from 

 the Bakalahari of the position of a troop of buUs. This 

 day I might reckon as the beginning of my elephant 

 hunting this season. As the country appeared to me 

 well adapted for the sport, and as I regretted not a little 

 that my men and a good stud of horses should be idle 

 at the wagons while they might be bringing me in fifty 

 pounds once or twice a week, I armed and mounted 

 John Stofolus and Carey, both of whom vaunted much 



