CROSSING THE 0RA1XGE RIVER. 



299 



trekked on through a most desolate country, on which, 

 together with vast herds of wildebeest, blesbok, and 

 springbok, we found numbers of skeletons scattered 

 over the plains on all sides. _ This great mortality had 

 been caused either by famine or by a horrid mangy 

 disease, called by the Dutch " brunt sickta," which 

 often sweeps. off whole hosts of the plain-frequenting 

 game. 



On the 17th we halted the wagons at Mr. Fossey's 

 farm, within two miles of the Great Orange River. 

 Mr. Fossey informed me that the river was full, and 

 that he did not expect it would be fordable for several 

 months. Nerval's Punt had been smashed when the 

 troops crossed over to fight the Boers at Boom Plaats 

 some months before, and the new one constructed in 

 the colony had not yet arrived. I was detained on the 

 banks of this stream, much against my will, for several 

 weeks ; but, a,t length, on the 8th of March, hearing 

 that the Boers had constructed a float above AUeman's 

 Drift, I inspanned and proceeded down the river to 

 view it. The float was rather a dangerous affair — I 

 mean for property — the stream being very rapid and 

 deep. It was calculated to ferry over light wagons, 

 but heavily-laden ones required to be off-loaded. At 

 sundown I had taken over one wagon and a span of 

 twelve oxen, which I ferried across in two trips, taking 

 six at a time. 



Next morning when I awoke and looked to the river, 

 I found that it had grown greatly during the night, and 

 was still increasing rapidly. Having off-loaded the 

 greater part of the cargo of old Adonis's wagon, I 

 managed to ferry it across the river, having narrowly 

 escaped losing the whole in the middle of the stream. 

 By this time the flood had increased so much that we 



