120 
such things as we had no further use for. The faithful 
Sara melted into tears at the idea of leaving Missis," 
and wanted to go on with us to England, but that was out 
of the question ; so we found a situation for her in Pieter- 
Maritzburg, where we left her happy and comfortable. 
Previously to packing the heads and skins, they had to be 
taken to one of the establishments, where all hides are 
sent intended for exportation, to be dipped in large vats 
containing a solution for getting rid of the black jack, 
which otherwise would inevitably destroy them. The 
night before the sale of our things the grey mare had 
disappeared from the wagons where she had been tied up, 
and though the Caffres searched in all directions she never 
turned up again, and this was the end of the last of the 
five horses and five donkeys ; we could only suppose she 
was stolen in the night, and yet the Caffres were sleeping 
at the wagons. Two ex-army men, who were going up 
country to the gold fields, bought our travelling wagon 
and one span of oxen, giving a good price for the latter, 
oxen being luckily for me exceedingly dear and scarce. 
The next day the other wagon and oxen, with the camp traps 
and sundries, were put up to auction and all were disposed 
of except the wagon, which I left in the auctioneer's hands. 
It sold about six months after we left. We felt a little 
sorry to part with some of the things that had been in 
daily and hourly use, but of course one couldn't drag 
them back to England. Made two or three calls in the 
town upon people we had met when we arrived, and did a 
little shopping, as we were in want of a good many odds 
and ends in the way of clothes, &c. As we hoped the 
heads and skins would be ready to pack in time for us to 
catch the steamer, advertised to leave Natal on the 26th, 
we chartered the omnibus for the 23rd to take us down to 
Durban. 
October 19tL Sunday, We were very glad once more 
