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and thought we might get into a row ; but anyhow I had 
got them, which was the great point. 
October ^th. Started at the unpleasant hour of 5 a.m., 
and after breakfast went on again, and passing through 
Colenso, got across the Tugela, which, like the Clip 
river we crossed yesterday, was fortunately not too much 
swollen to ford. Some wagons caught us up here, having 
left Leydenburg about a day after us. We breakfasted 
at a lively spot called Murder spruit," from three white 
men having been killed here by Oaffres. Next day we 
passed through Estcourt, and crossed the Bushman's river 
by a bridge. There are a great many wagons on the road, 
going out in all directions, having been waiting, perhaps 
for weeks or months, until the young grass had got up 
sufficiently to provide food for the oxen. We have begun 
to allow ours a little of it by degrees, and they seem to 
enjoy it amazingly. We passed a farmer to-day migrating 
back to the high veldt again for the summer, with all his 
sheep and cattle, and wife and family, but not a single 
Caffre servant, as none of them will work for him, owing 
to his proclivity for thrashing them. It was wonderful to 
see the way his oxen behaved — a very long span, but all 
beautifully trained, especially the two leaders, who went 
from left to right according as they were told, and with no 
foreloper to lead them, taking a sweep at the curves of the 
road as sensibly as possible. Next day cold and miserable, 
with intermittent showers, and no sun between whiles ; all 
our clothes seemed damp, and we were glad to put on the 
warmest we had. We have been lately finding quantities 
of mushrooms by the road side, which have been a great 
addition to our breakfast table. The Caffres assured us 
they were poisonous, and Dubois was half afraid of them. 
One of the unfortunate Caffres went out to see after the 
oxen this evening and got lost in the fog ; old Slangey " 
having the charge of him, as he came from his kraal. 
