START ON THE LAST EXPEDITION. 241 



ony. On the 20th of February I crossed the Great Or- 

 inge River at AUeman's Drift, and entered Colesberg 

 next day. I found most of my old friends still here, 

 and also my redoubtable friend old Murphy, as wild 

 and as jolly as ever. 



I hired the old barracks for my residence during my 

 stay in Colesberg, and immediately set about sev?ing 

 up my trophies in canvas, and stov^ing them away in 

 cases. This was accomplished in about fourteen days. 

 A fortnight more was spent in preparing for another 

 hunting expedition. T purchased a new wagon from a 

 Mr. Emslie for £100, and a fresh stud of sixteen horses, 

 a mule, and a span of oxen from various parties in town, 

 and subsequently I increased my stud to twenty. 



CHAPTER XXXI. 



Start on my fifth and last Expedition into the Interior — Mr. Orpen ac- 

 companies me — Hurried March — Extraordinary Herd of Blesboks— 

 The Hart River — Cattle attacked with Hoof Sickness — Three Lion- 

 esses fearfully mangle my Pack of Dogs — Lion Hunts — HyEenas de- 

 vour my Camp-stools — Meiitsane — Six Buffaloes shot — Another Lion 

 Hunt — Glorious Chase with Elands — Siohely's Kraal — We cross the 

 Iiimpopo — A Lion attacks my Kraal and kills an Ox — A Field of 

 Battle — Seboono — My hundredth Elephant ! — We march down tlje 

 Limpopo and hunt Hippopotami — Attacked by Rheumatic Fever — 

 Mr. Orpen nearly killed by a Leopard. 



On the 19th of March, 1848, I left Colesberg with 

 three wagons "well manned and stored," for my fifth 

 and last cruise in the far interior. I was joined by a 

 Mr. Orpen (a mighty Nimrod), who, notwithstanding 

 my representing to him the dangers and hardships of ' 



Vol. II.— L 



