THE RAMAKWEBANI. 43 



' Donker' and ' Wildeman,' too (the little red wild 

 ox), are getting tired. This is miserable work, and 

 I wish I had brought more bullocks from Mung- 

 wato, as I could so well have done, and a far lighter 

 waggon. It is a mild, pleasant, breezy night, and 

 as we outspan, and ' Rail ' and ' Rock ' come up in 

 their couples, I am reminded of our first trekking on 

 the high veldt, when we were together in force, start- 

 ing with a good equipment and high hopes. This 

 is an open space where we outspan, with long grass. 

 " September \st. — Mild, cloudy morning. ... I 

 had been much discouraged by the oxen being so 

 tired last night, and this morning was pleased to find 

 ourselves arrive at the Ramakwebani River at least 

 an hour sooner than I had hoped. Petersen's wag- 

 gon was on the opposite side. 1 However, we stuck 

 in the drift. Poor ' Weiman,' with his blind eye, was 

 in front and proved awkward, and little ' Vinal ' lay 

 down. Petersen, however, sent his driver and two 

 good oxen, and we came out easily and had break- 

 fast. Here some Dutchmen squatted last season to 

 hunt, and took the fever — men, women, and children. 

 Petersen says about half a dozen of them died. He 

 thinks it was in January. The trees along the 

 river's bed show a faint budding of green, as I have 

 now seen for some time. The girl who came with 

 us to Tati was travelling on with Petersen, and her 

 brother had come on with us last night to join her. 

 The cool breeze to-day was very pleasant. Peter- 

 sen's boys had dug for water. Petersen went on, 



1 Mr. Petersen was a trader whom Frank Oates had met at Tati. 



