94 THE MONKEYFOLK OF SOUTH AFRICA 



the bush one by one and given a drink. You see, if water 

 had been taken amongst the oxen, they would have smelt 

 it and there would have been a stampede towards it, and 

 the water would have been spilled, and many of the cattle 

 would have been gored in their frantic fight to be first. 



Many a time after this I found water for my master 

 and his live stock. Whenever he went trading into the 

 far interior of Africa, he always took me with him. I not 

 only found water when it was scarce, but I located the 

 wholesome water-laden roots and bulbs, and showed my 

 master the kinds of berries, seeds, fruits, and shoots of 

 plants which were good to eat. 



When a baboon isn't very tame, it is best to attach a 

 long rope to his collar, and let him range around like a 

 pointer dog. If he should smell water, or roots and tubers, 

 he will instantly stop, and begin digging with his nails. 

 Then you must be ready to come along with a pick and 

 spade. 



WONDERFUL POWERS 



The power to find water isn't entirely due to smell. It 

 is mostly a sort of instinct. We feel a sort of mysterious 

 power which impels us to go in a certain direction or do 

 certain things. God has given us this wonderful power, 

 as well as the faculty for finding our way about. All the 

 folk of mountain, veld, and forest have different kinds of 

 instincts or powers given to them by God, who is our God 

 as well as yours, for there is only one great ruling Intelligence, 

 who is the creator and master of all the universe. 



When you humanfolk begin to reason out things, you 

 lose these wonderful instincts which God has given us. 

 I suppose it is because they are no longer necessary to you. 

 They are very necessary to us because nature hasn't developed 

 the reasoning and other higher parts of our brains, so our 



