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trouble in getting tlie poor beast across tbe river. In the 
afternoon I bunted again over tbe old ground, but without 
success, as I saw nothing but two old buffalo bulls, and 
owing to a badly planted bullet failed in getting either. 
Dubois again unwell and obliged to remain in camp, and 
is evidently unfit for much exertion. I am glad to say 
Kemp keeps in excellent health and spirits, and being 
extremely handy and willing has contributed immensely 
to our comfort, seeing after all the camp arrangements 
and taking care of everything, and, more than all, by his 
being always at hand in case E. requires assistance either in 
camp or travelling, I am enabled to go out hunting without 
feeling uneasy on her account. Our camp furniture is not 
extensive, and of the commonest- description, consisting of 
a few plates, mugs, knives and forks, with a frying pan, 
kettle, and a little tin dish for baking scones in ; our table 
cloth is a piece of canvas sacking, and has lately become 
hardly distinguishable in its colour from the ground, but 
it serves to keep the plates, &c., out of the sand at our 
meals. Our china consists of an old jam pot, which is 
kept for E.'s especial benefit, as she objects to the metal 
cups for drinking out of. We have been let down by such 
gradual stages to our present life in the bush that it now 
seems quite natural to us. First the African,'' then the 
coasting steamer to Natal, and then the wagon travelling; 
and in the same way I suppose we shall ascend the scale 
until, in our home life, the present trip will appear more 
like a dream than the reality it is now. 
The sun has now become so hot that I have made the 
Caffres rig up an arbour of reeds from the river for E. to 
sit in during the day, as the tent is almost unbearable in 
the blazing sun. The new Caffre bearers seem most 
satisfactory, and less cantankerous than our old hands, 
and have made no difficulty about carrying the loads 
assigned to them. This is our first step homewards after 
