RECAPTURE OF RUNAWAY CATTLE 155 



He managed the oxen, while I attended to the wants of 

 the patients, and went out occasionally with the Bushmen 

 to get a zebra or buffalo, so as to induce them to remain 

 with us. 



Here, for the first time, I had leisure to follow the instruc- 

 tions of my kind teacher, Mr. Maclear, and calculated 

 several longitudes from lunar distances. The hearty 

 manner in which that eminent astronomer and frank 

 friendly man had promised to aid me in calculating and 

 verifying my work, conduced more than anything else to 

 inspire me with perseverance in making astronomical 

 observations throughout the journey. 



The grass here was so tall that the oxen became uneasy, 

 and one night the sight of a hyaena made them rush away 

 into the forest to the east of us. On rising on the morning 

 of the 19th I found that my Bakwain lad had run away 

 with them. This I have often seen with persons of this 

 tribe, even when the cattle are startled by a lion. Away 

 go the young men in company with them, and dash through 

 bush and brake for miles, till they think the panic is a little 

 subsided ; they then commence whistling to the cattle 

 in the manner they do when milking the cows : having 

 calmed them, they remain as a guard till the morning. 

 The men generally return with their shins well peeled 

 by the thorns. Each comrade of the Mopato would 

 expect his fellow to act thus, without looking for any 

 other reward than the brief praise of the chief. Our lad 

 Kibopechoe had gone after the oxen, but had lost them 

 in the rush through the flat trackless forest. He remained 

 on their trail all the next day and all the next night. On 

 Sunday morning, as I was setting off in search of him, 

 I found him near the waggon. He had found the oxen 

 late in the afternoon of Saturday, and had been obliged 

 to stand by them all night. It was wonderful how he man- 

 aged without a compass, and in such a country, to find his 

 way home at all, bringing about forty oxen with him. 



The Bechuanas will keep on the sick-list as long as they 

 feel any weakness ; so I at last began to be anxious that 

 they should make a little exertion to get forward on our 

 way. One of them, however, happening to move a hun- 

 dred yards from the waggon, fell down ; and, being un- 

 observed, remained the whole night in the pouring rain 

 totally insensible ; another was subjected to frequent 

 swooning : but making beds in the waggons for these 



