19Q 
TRAVELLING IN A TRACKLESS COUNTRY. 
9, 10 May, 
must liowever, beg old Crowhead's pardon, for strongly doubting the 
truth of his declaration ; but as this was no affair of mine, and I 
could do the colonists no actual good by preaching to these people 
against stealing, I thought it more prudent to leave him under the 
supposition that I believed him to be a very honest man. 
At noon we bade these poor creatures farewell ; and took a 
course across the plain in a direction intended to bring us to our 
former resting-place at Quakka Station. There were very few objects 
in the country around, sufficiently remarkable to have guided any 
but men accustomed to traverse pathless deserts ; yet from the cha- 
racter of different parts of these plains, and some distant low moun- 
tains, we were enabled to find our way without deviation, exactly to 
the place we wished ; although there was neither bush, nor hillock, 
to mark its position, nor any thing by which it could be recognised 
at a distance. As we approached the place, we had various opinions 
whether we should find the same spot again, but most of the 
Hottentots felt assured that we should not miss it; and I was as 
much pleased as surprised, when the result proved how direct had 
been the course which we had steered. We found the remains of 
our fires, and the bushes which had formed our shelter two months 
before : but there were evident proofs of much rain having fallen 
here since that time. On the way we fortunately fell in with an 
ostrich's nest containing ten eggs, a prize which always afforded us 
an agreeable and wholesome change of food. 
10^^. Speelman and Juli had yesterday separated from the rest, 
for the purpose of hunting, and had, though on horseback, been 
absent the whole night. But Juli came home this morning with the 
agreeable information, of their having shot a large male kanna (or 
eland), which he had left in the plain at a considerable distance 
northward and a few miles to the right of our course. They had 
also fallen in with two lions, but had wisely declined having any 
dealings with them. 
We therefore immediately packed up our baggage, and departed, 
under his guidance. The day was exceedingly pleasant, and not a 
cloud was to be seen. For a mile or two, we travelled along the 
