PLAIN OF GURGUDDEE. 157 



from each other. In a direction nearly due north- 

 west, I was shown the high hills across which I was 

 told one road to Owssa passed. 



Having doubled the southern extremity of the 

 lake, or marsh, more properly speaking, we passed 

 across a level plain of the finest marl, in which 

 scarcely a stone the size of a pea could be seen, and 

 traversed in every direction by little narrow cracks, 

 which told of the very recent evaporation of a still 

 greater extent of water than that which had pre- 

 sented an obstacle to our direct progress. Upon 

 this plain I saw for the first time those vast herds of 

 antelopes, which I had all along looked forward to, 

 as likely to afford me the exciting sport that has 

 recently tempted so many adventurous Nimrods to 

 follow up "war's dim image" in the wilds of South- 

 ern Africa. In one herd I saw on the plain of 

 Gurguddee, there were at least from four to five 

 hundred antelopes ; but they were so alarmed at 

 the appearance and noise of the camels and people, 

 that it was impossible to get within shot of them, 

 so after two or three unsuccessful attempts, I 

 resolved to husband my powers for the fatigues of 

 the long walk that Ohmed Medina was anxious 

 I should understand lay before me. 



We were seven hours reaching our halting-place, 

 the latter two hours of the march, having been 

 along the shady bottom of the dry bed of a stream 

 that sometimes flowed into the plain we had just 

 crossed. Here were some large mimosa trees, under 



