110 
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faithfully to remain with us. In the afternoon Dubois 
went out to forage amongst the farms in the valley, and 
succeeded in buying a tolerably good sheep for a sovereign. 
Next morning we inspanned, and ascended the really 
tremendous hill out of the valley without any difficulty 
with the oxen, who were now working capitally ; conse- 
quently we do a great deal more distance in the same 
number of hours than we did coming up, besides saving 
the oxen from doing double work at each steep hill. 
With the assistance of Bravo," who works very well 
and steadily, I got some partridges for the pot, which 
were acceptable. Our poultry yard still travels on, and 
the hens lay every day; one always comes up into our 
wagon directly we stop, after the early trek, and will 
persist in laying her eggs on our bed, and another has 
chosen the orange box for the same purpose — drive 
them out as often as we will, they always keep coming 
back till they have laid. The weather looks very 
threatening, but we hope the rain wiU now keep off till 
we get over the worst of the high veldt, as the early rains 
here are always bitterly cold. 
Septemler 20th, Grossed the Cromartie river where I 
killed some wild duck, and we managed to get a bottle of 
milk which is unusual, though we pass many farms, and 
try at nearly all for butter, &c. 
September 2\st, To-day being the Sabbath we did not 
trek, and E., as usual on Sunday morning, much occupied 
with preparations for our plum pudding. We have found 
tolerable grass as yet, in spite of Dubois' forebodings. A 
slight shower this afternoon, but it soon cleared again. 
Next morning off again over these interminable plains, 
and as we are now in a country without a stick of timber, 
we are again dependent on the dried ox dung for fuel, 
which old Slangey '' diligently collects in a sack or even 
his hat whenever we stop. We saw such swarms of the 
