Chap. VIII. CRUELTY OF HUNTLIcs. 109 



not to bo mistaken of having passed through animal systems 

 before. It contained nitrates, which stimulated the kidneys 

 and increased the thirst. The fresh supplies required from time 

 to time in cookiug, each imparting its own portion of salt to 

 the meat, made us grumble at the cook for putting too much 

 seasoning, when in fact he had put none. Of disgusting 

 water I have drunk not a few nauseous draughts ; you may 

 try what remedy you please, but the ammonia and other 

 salts remain there still ; and the only resource is to push 

 forward as quickly as possible to the north. 



We dug out several wells ; and on each occasion we had to 

 wait a day or two till sufficient water flowed in to allow our 

 cattle to slake their thirst. Our progress was therefore slow. 

 At Koobe there was such a mass of mud in the pond, worked 

 up by the wallowing rhinoceros to the consistency of mortar, 

 that it was only by great exertion we could get a space 

 cleared at one side for the water to ooze through. If the 

 rhinoceros had come back, a single roll would have rendered 

 all our labour vain, and we were consequently obliged to 

 guard the spot by night. Herds of zebras, gnus, and occa- 

 sionally buffaloes, stood for days on the wide-spread flats 

 around us, looking wistfully towards the wells for a share of 

 the nasty water. It is wanton cruelty to take advantage of 

 the needs of these poor creatures to destroy them, without 

 intending to make the smallest use of flesh, skins, or homs. 

 Those who commit such havoc for the mere love of destruction 

 must be far gone in the hunting form of insanity. In shoot- 

 ing by night, animals are more frequently wounded than 

 killed ; the flowing life-stream increases the craving for 

 water, and they seek it in desperation regardless of danger, — 

 " I must drink, though I die." The ostrich, even when not 

 hurt, cannot with all his wariness resist the excessive desire 

 to slake his burning thirst. The Bushmen may be excused 

 for profiting by its piteous necessities ; for they eat the flesh 

 and wear or sell the feathers. 



We passed over the immense saltpan Ktwetwe, and about 

 two miles beyond its northern bank we unyoked under a fine 

 specimen of the baobab, here called, in the language of 

 Bechuanas, Mowana. It consisted of six branches united into 

 one trunk, and at three feet from the ground it was eighty- 



