l6o THE JUDGMENT DAY. 



he meant to indulge in a mud bath. Several buffaloes, 

 with their dark visages, stood under the trees on the side 

 opposite to the pallahs. It being Sunday, all was peace, 

 and, from the circumstances in which our party was placed, 

 we could not but reflect on that second stage of our exist- 

 ence which we hope will lead us into scenes of perfect 

 beauty. If pardoned in that free way the Bible promises, 

 death will be a glorious thing ; but to be consigned to wait 

 for the Judgment-day, with nothing else to ponder on but 

 sins we would rather forget, is a cheerless prospect. 



Our Bushmen wished to leave us, and, as there was no 

 use in trying to thwart these independent gentlemen, 

 I paid them, and allowed them to go. The payment, how- 

 ever, acted as a charm on some strangers who happened 

 to be present, and induced them to volunteer their aid. 



The game hereabouts is very tame. Koodoos and 

 giraffes stood gazing at me as a strange apparition when 

 I went out with the Bushmen. On one occasion a lion 

 came at daybreak, and went round and round the oxen. 

 I could only get a glimpse of him occasionally from the 

 waggon-box ; but, though barely thirty yards off, I could 

 not get a shot. He then began to roar at the top of his 

 voice ; but the oxen continuing to stand still, he was so 

 disgusted that he went off, and continued to use his voice 

 for a long time in the distance. I could not see that he 

 had a mane ; if he had not, then even the maneless variety 

 can use their tongues. We heard others also roar ; and, 

 when they found they could not frighten the oxen, they 

 became equally angry. This we could observe, in their 

 tones. 



As we went north the country became very lovely ; 

 many new trees appeared ; the grass was green, and 

 often higher than the waggons ; the vines festooned the 

 trees, among which appeared the real banian (Ficus indica), 

 with its drop -shoots, and the wild date and palmyra, and 

 several other trees which were new to me ; the hollows 

 contained large patches of water. Next came water- 

 courses, now resembling small rivers, twenty yards broad 

 and four feet deep. The further we went, the broader 

 and deeper these became ; their bottoms contained great 

 numbers of deep holes, made by elephants wading in them ; 

 in these the oxen floundered desperately, so that our 

 waggon-pole broke, compelling us to work up to the breast 

 in water for three hours and a half ; yet I suffered no harm. 



