02 ME. OSWELL'S BUNTING. Chap IV. 



more eastern route through the Bamaugwato town and by 

 Letloche. 



Parting at the ford with Sechele, who was eager to visit 

 Lechulatebe, we went along the northern woody bank of the 

 Zouga. We had to cut down many trees to allow the waggons 

 to pass, and our losses by oxen falling into pitfalls were heavy. 

 The Bayeiye kindly opened the pits when they knew of 

 our approach. On drawing near to the confluence of the 

 Tamunak'le we were informed that the fly called tsetse * 

 abounded on its banks. This was a barrier we did not expect ; 

 and as it might have brought our waggons to a complete 

 standstill in a wilderness, where no supplies for the children 

 could be obtained, we were reluctantly compelled to recross 

 the Zouga. 



From the Bayeiye we learned that a party of Englishmen, 

 who had come to the lake in search of ivory, were ill with 

 fever. We hastily travelled about sixty miles to render what 

 aid was in our power, and found that Mr. Alfred Eider, an 

 enterprising young artist who had come to make sketches of 

 the country, had died before our arrival. By the aid of medi- 

 cines and such comforts as could be provided by the only 

 English lady who ever visited the lake, the others happily 

 recovered. 



When I was ready to set out on my road to visit Sebituane 

 our little boy and girl were seized with fever. On the day 

 following all our servants were down with the same complaint. 

 I was now forced to give up my journey for that year. On 

 our return we met Mr. Oswell on the Zouga. He devoted the 

 rest of this season to the chase of the elephant, in which the 

 natives declare he is the greatest adept that ever came into 

 the country. He performed the feat of hunting without dogs. 

 A few yelping curs distract the attention of the elephant and 

 make him quite incapable of attending to man. He endea- 

 vours to crush them by falling on his knees ; and sometimes 

 places his forehead against a tree ten inches in diameter, and 

 pushes it down before him. The only danger the hunts- 

 man has to apprehend is that the dogs may run towards him, 

 and bring the elephant along with them. The inhabitants 



* Glossina morsitans ; the first specimens of which were brought to EiHand 

 in 1848 by my friend Major Vardon, from the banks of the Limpopo 



