Chap. 1JI. WANT O*' WATER. 43 



of game for them, whatever he may think of himself or of hia 

 achievements, they pride themselves in having turned to good 

 account the folly of an itinerant butcher. 



When we had procured sufficient water we left Serotli. 

 The sun, even in winter, is always powerful, and we could 

 only travel in the mornings and evenings. A single day in 

 the hot sun and heavy sand would have knocked up the oxen. 

 The second night our trocheamer * showed that we had 

 made but twenty-five miles from Serotli. Iiamotobi was 

 angry at the slowness of our progress, and told us that, as the 

 next water was three days in front, we should never get there 

 at all. Cracking of whips, screaming, and beating, got only 

 nineteen miles out of the poor beasts the following day, and 

 they were more exhausted by the sandy ground, and the 

 thirst, than if they had travelled double the distance over a 

 hard road where they could drink. At this season the grass 

 becomes so dry as to crumble to powder in the hands. With- 

 out taking a single fresh mouthful, the oxen stood wearily 

 chewing, and lowed painfully at the smell of the water in our 

 waggons. 



The knowledge retained by Eamotobi of the trackless waste 

 of scrub through which we weie passing was surprising. 

 For sixty or seventy miles beyond Serotli one clump of 

 bushes and trees seemed exactly like another. Yet, as we 

 walked together, he remarked, " When we come to that 

 hollow we shall light upon the highway of Sekomi; and 

 beyond that again lies the river Mokoko." After breakfast 

 some of the men, who had gone forward on a little path which 

 showed upon it footprints of water-loving animals, returned 

 with the joyful tidings of " metse" and exhibited the mud on 

 their knees in confirmation of the news. This pool of rain- 

 water was called Mathuluani. The thirsty oxen rushed in 

 until the delicious drink was nearly level with their throats, 

 when they drew slowly in the long refreshing mouthfuls, 

 until their collapsed sides distended as if they would burst. 

 After giving the cattle a rest at this spot we proceeded down 

 the dry bed of the river Mokoko. There are permanent wells 



* This is an instrument which, when fastened on the waggon-wheel, records the 

 number of revolutions made. By multiplying this number by the circumference 

 of the wheel the actual distance travelled over is at once ascertained. 



E 



