55 
luxuries, seemed very small, and I proposed tliat E. should 
return to tlie wagons while I went down for a week or a 
fortnight's hunting, and take my chance of finding 
any game near the Berg ; but no, E. most pluckily ^ 
determined to go on, and though I confess I thought it 
looked awkward, and wondered how we should get on, 
still we could but come back, so again we said we were 
ready. Again the Caffres grumbled, and said they 
wouldn't carry boxes of any kind, as they would hurt 
their heads and shoulders ; it was no use remonstrating, so 
we just huddled our things into some sacks we happened to 
have, and at last the men took up their loads and started. 
Dubois had to return to the wagons to see after the 
oxen, &c., and was to rejoin us next day. "We now had 
to say good-bye to Woodroffe, which we were very sorry 
for, as one felt that if we were to get any shooting at all 
the time had now arrived ; but he did not think it worth 
his while to go down the Berg for a few days only, and he 
could not spare time for a longer stay; so we parted, 
leaving a quantity of our goods in his care lying about 
the camp, and which he kindly promised to see were got 
back somehow to the wagons. So off we set at last : — 
self, E., Kemp, the black girl Sara, who carried a basket 
of E.'s things on her head; two ponies and Jack," the 
donkey, the dog ^^Lion;" eleven men as bearers, and a 
very small boy who led the first pony, and three hunters, 
composing the party. We reached the Oliphant about 
dusk, and prepared for our first night in the ^^fly" 
country. E. accomplished the descent wonderfully, and 
we both felt in first-rate trim for walking, and in really 
exuberant health and spirits, only so sorry to leave behind 
so. much that I had intended to carry with us for our 
comfort. I had brought up goods sufficient to pay nearly 
one hundred men, and here we were with only eleven. 
We had the little tent for E. and me to sleep in, and a 
