ATTACK OF RHEUMATIC FEVER. 173 



in warm, calm, and still, with a good moonlight. Ele- 

 phants, sea-cows, and panthers kept up a continued 

 music above and below us along the river until I fell 



On the 15th I felt very ill, but in the forenoon I went 

 down to the river, where I shot two sea-cows. In the 

 evening, feeling worse, I bled myself, but strong fever 

 was on me all night. 



Next morning I marched, halting at sundown on the 

 Mokojay, a gravelly-bedded periodical river, where ele- 

 phants occasionally drank. 



On the 18th, at dawn of day, I took leave of MoU- 

 yeon and Kapain of Bamangwato, as they would not 

 follow me further. We then inspanned, and held down 

 the Limpopo. I regretted to observe that the spoor 

 of elephants did not seem to increase in the same ratio 

 as I had allowed myself to imagine. We were in an 

 extremely remote and secluded corner of the world, 

 quite uninhabited ; yet the elephants, though frequent- 

 ing it, were decidedly scarce. I felt extremely weak 

 and nervous from the fever and the quantity of blood 

 which I had lost, in so much that I started at my own 

 shadow, and several times sprang to one side when the 

 leaves rustled in the bushes. I walked along the bank 

 of the river with my gun loaded with small shot, in- 

 tending to shoot a partridge for my breakfast. Pres- 

 ently I came upon the fresh dung of bull elephants, 

 and at the same moment my people at the wagons saw 

 two old bull elephants within two hundred yards of 

 them ; and the wind being favorable, they walked un- 

 suspiciously. After a very short chase I succeeded in 

 killing both. 



My fever still continuing on me, and the natives hav- 

 ing deserted, I determined upon turning my face home- 



