148 CRUET/fY OF HUNTERS. 



alum, vitriol, boiling, &c. &c, to convince yourself that 

 you are not more stupid than travellers you will meet at 

 home, but the ammonia and other salts are there still ; 

 and the only remedy is to get away as quickly as possible 

 to the north. 



We dug out several wells ; and as we had on each 

 occasion to wait till the water flowed in again, and then 

 allow our cattle to feed a day or two and slake their thirst 

 thoroughly, as far as that could be done, before starting, 

 our progress was but 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 only by 

 great labour could we get a space cleared at one side, for 

 the water to ooze tlirough and collect in for the oxen. 

 Should the rhinoceros come back, a single roll in the great 

 mass we had thrown on one side would have rendered all 

 our labour vain. It was therefore necessary for us to 

 guard the spot by night. On these great flats all around 

 we saw in the white sultry glare herds of zebras, gnus, 

 and occasionally buffaloes, standing for days, looking 

 wistfully towards the wells for a share of the nasty water. 

 It is mere wanton cruelty to take advantage of the neces- 

 sities of these poor animals, and shoot them down one 

 after another, without intending to make the smallest use 

 of either the flesh, skins, or horns. In shooting by night, 

 animals are more frequently wounded than killed ; the 

 flowing life-stream increases the thirst, so that in despera- 

 tion they come slowly up to drink in spite of the danger, 

 — " I must drink, though I die." The ostrich, even when 

 not wounded, cannot with all its wariness resist the 

 excessive desire to slake his burning thirst. It is Bush- 

 man-like practice to take advantage of its piteous neces- 

 sities ; for most of the feathers they obtain are procured 

 in this way, but they* eat the flesh, and are so far jus- 

 tifiable. 



I could not order my men to do what I would not do 

 myself ; but, though I tried to justify myself on the plea 

 of necessity, I could not adopt this mode of hunting. If 

 your object is to secure the best specimens for a museum 

 it may be allowable, and even deserving of commendation, 

 as evincing a desire to kill only those really wanted ; but 

 if, as has been practised by some Griquas and others who 

 came into the country after Mr. Cumming, and fired away 

 indiscriminately, great numbers of animals are wounded 



