ASSISTANCE ARRIVES. 231 



which I so earnestly yet fearfully prayed for was at 

 hand. 



On the morning of the 16th, as I was preparing my 

 breakfast, I suddenly beheld a civilized-looking native 

 approach me : he wore a shirt, a pair of leather trow- 

 sers, and a sailor's red night-cap, and carried a gun 

 and shooting-belt. The instant I beheld him I said 

 aloud, " Natives from Sichely — the oxen are at hand." 

 It was even so : my messengers had found Mr. Living- 

 stone at home, who, on hearing of my distress, had at 

 once, in the noblest manner, dispatched men with his 

 whole stock of trek-oxen to my assistance. These I 

 had now the inexpressible satisfaction to behold reach 

 me in safety. "We inspanned at once, and commenced 

 our march and continued to make good way for sev- 

 eral days ; and on the 26th we reached Kolubeng, the' 

 new residence of Sichely. In the morning that chief 

 brought me two young oxen, which I all but purchased 

 for an old saddle and two pounds of powder ; but we 

 split upon the cup of powder being level and not piled. 



A day or two after, I ascended the rocky hill above 

 the town with Mr. Livingstone, to obtain a view of the 

 surrounding country. I came upon a very high heap 

 of well-bleached moldering bones of many varieties of 

 game, amassed and piled here by a mighty Nimrod; 

 now no more, who had in days of yore chosen this hill 

 for his habitation. Mr. Livingstone pointed out to me 

 a range of tabular ^ hills to the southeast, near the 

 sources of the Kolubeng;, throughout which he informed 

 me the sable antelope was to be met with. In the 

 evening Sichely came to trade with me, when I obtained 

 several young oxen in barter from him. 



On arriving at Sichely's I dispatched natives to Bak- 

 atla to fetch two spans of oxen which I had left on my 



