A SECRET OF THE ORANGE RIVER. 183 



smooth by the passage of elephants, rhinoceroses, 

 and other mighty game, in past ages ; and then there 

 fell upon our sight the most refreshing prospect that 

 man ever gazed upon. Thirty yards down the 

 opening, there lay a great pool of water, about 200 

 feet across at its narrowest point, and apparently of 

 immense depth ; the pool was circular, its sides 

 were of rock and quartz, and completely inaccessible 

 from every approach save that by which we had 

 reached it. It was indeed completely encompassed 

 by precipitous walls about thirty feet in height, which 

 defied the advent of any other living thing than a 

 lizard or a rock-rabbit. Upon these rocky walls 

 grew lichens of various colours — blood-red, yellow, 

 and purple, imparting a most wonderful beauty to 

 the place. The avenue to the brink of this delicious 

 water was of smooth rock somewhat sloping, and in 

 the rush to drink we had the greatest difhculty in 

 preventing the half-mad oxen from plunging or being 

 pushed in, in which case we should have had much 

 trouble to rescue them. 



" How the poor beasts drank of that cool pellucid 

 flood, and how we human beings drank too ; I 

 thought we should never have finished. The oxen 

 drank and drank till the water literally ran out of 

 their mouths as they at last turned away. Then I 

 cast off my clothes and plunged into the water ; it 

 was icy cold and most invigorating, and I swam and 

 splashed to my heart's content. After my swim and 

 a rest, I directed my men to fill the four buckets we 

 had brought, and then, leaving the horses in charge 

 of one of their number, we drove the cattle, loth 

 though they were to leave the water, back to the 

 waggon, going very carefully so as not to spill the 



