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35 
at this time of year when the grass is very scant and 
poor. 
May 24ith. E. paid another visit to Mrs. Dubois, who 
gave her some useful hints as to cooking with our menage, 
and kindly started us off with a sheep, pumpkins, bread, 
eggs, a tub of butter, and other comforts. Dubois also 
put his span into one of our wagons, which was a great 
assistance, and took us a clean stretch of fifteen miles to a 
spruit" called ^^Blesbok Lafter," where we camped for 
Sunday. I had a race after a reet buck on the road, 
but found myself nowhere, especially as the buck took to 
some rocky ground. I use the word ^^Buck" as the 
common term out here for any herd of antelope, taken 
from the Dutch word ^^Bok;" but, properly speaking, 
there are no deer in this country. I was fortunate in 
shooting a ^^pau," at about one hundred yards, with a 
bullet, an enormous bird that weighed seventeen pounds^ 
and turned out, after keeping him a week, remarkably 
good eating ; very rich and brown meat. Found one of 
our donkeys dead this morning before leaving Dubois' 
farm ; so a dead moke is not an impossible sight after all. 
May 25th. Sunday. Did not trek, but very busy all 
day, washing, baking, and generally putting things to- 
rights. — A lovely day and very hot. Woodroffe and Kemp 
both rather seedy, and required some of the never- failing 
Cockles." We had a capital dinner off roast lamb and 
plum pudding. The next morning we inspanned, and on 
again. Another ox died. "Wind very high and boisterous. 
Camped at ^'Cafusalem" spruit. I saw several bucks near 
our road, but couldn't get within shot. E. now travels in 
the little Berea cart, tied to the back of the goods wagon, 
as it is on springs, and is more comfortable for her than 
the wagons or riding ; it is also used as the saddle room, 
and for many odd purposes. We saw to-day large 
quantities of red-hot pokers," which blow in the 
