104 THE OSTRICH. Chap. VII. 



Kaime, we found them carefully hedged round by the people 

 of a Bakalahari village. There was one sucking-place, around 

 which were congregated great numbers of Bushwomen with 

 their egg-shells and reeds. We had sixty miles in front 

 without water, for the most part through a tract of deep soft 

 sand, very distressing for the oxen. We therefore sent them 

 across the country to the deep well Nkauane, and half wan- 

 dered on the way. When found at last they had been five 

 days without water. Large numbers of elands were met with 

 as usual, though they seldom can get a sip of drink. Many of 

 the plains here have large expanses of grass without trees, but 

 it is rare to find a treeless horizon. 



The ostrich generally feeds on some spot where no one can 

 approach him without being detected by his wary eye, which 

 is placed so high that he can see a great way. As the 

 waggon moves along far to the windward, he thinks there is 

 an intention to circumvent him, and he comes rushing from 

 the distance of perhaps a mile so near to the front oxen that 

 the traveller sometimes gets a shot at the silly bird. When 

 he begins to run all the game in sight follow his example. 

 The natives who come upon him in a valley open at both ends 

 sometimes take advantage of his folly. They commence 

 running, as if to cut off his retreat from the passage through 

 which the wind blows ; and although free to go out at the 

 opposite outlet, he madly rushes forward to get past the men, 

 and is speared. He never swerves from the course he once 

 adopts. Terror only causes him. to increase his speed and run 

 faster into the snare. If pursued by dogs he will turn upon 

 them and inflict a kick which sometimes breaks the back of 

 the animal that receives it. The lion occasionally contrives 

 to catch him. When feeding his pace is from twenty to 

 twenty-two inches ; when walking at other times it is about 

 four inches more ; and when terrified it is from eleven and a 

 half to thirteen and even fourteen feet in length. In general 

 the eye can no more follow the legs than the spokes of a 

 carriage- wheel in rapid motion ; but 1 was once able to count 

 the steps by a stop-watch, and, if I am not mistaken, the bird 

 made thirty strides in ten seconds. Reckoning each stride at 

 twelve feet, we have a speed of twenty-six miles an hour. 

 These rapid runners are sometimes shot by a horseman 



