362 
SOUTHERN AEBICA. 
were to proceed down the hill into the bed 
of the Blue Krantz river, in which it was 
thought the buffalos might be found drinking. 
It was further agreed that, if the Hottentots 
on the hill saw where the beasts were, one 
was to remain and mark them, whilst the other 
was to come to a spot appointed, near the river 
where we were going, and there to wave his 
cap aloft three times, as a signal for us to join 
them. 
Having settled these preliminaries, we re- 
sumed our headlong course, each in their own 
direction, Ours of course being down the hill- 
side. And downhill it assuredly was, never 
shall we forget that ride ; as to attempt to 
stop the horses, it was madness to expect it, 
and had the buffalos been feeding in our path, 
they and we must, inevitably, have rolled head- 
long together to the bottom, had we accidently 
come in contact. As it was, however, no more 
serious obstacle impeded our course than a few 
" Vyacht-um-bige " thorns, which, coming in 
contact with our clothes and flesh, carried con- 
siderable portions of both away. 
On arriving at the banks and bed of the 
river which flowed through the valley, (and 
which we reached in an incredibly short space 
of time,) we again found the "spoor" of the buf- 
falos. Here, however, they had also been the 
