414 SCARCITY OF FOOD. — THE HUNTERS' ATTENDANTS. 17 July, 
at Litakun. Having barely enough for their own necessities, the 
inhabitants were very unwilHng to part with any ; and the fact is 
remarkable that, during the whole of my residence at this town, and 
of my travels in the country of the Bichuanas, I never once could 
purchase of the natives, corn enough for my party, for a single 
meal. We could procure nothing but milk ; and this not in so large 
a quantity as we required. The cow which was presented to me by 
Mattivi for slaughter, was totally eaten up in three days ; the greater 
portion having been consumed by his own servants and other inhabi- 
tants, who, by incessant begging, compelled my men to give them 
meat, both for themselves while they sat with us, and for their 
families when they went home. 
The hunters returned with a paala and a springbuck ; a part of 
which was given to some natives who accompanied them. Juli had 
shot one paala and was pursuing another ; but during the short time 
he was absent on this pursuit, and while employed in skinning and 
cutting up the second into loads for each of the Bachapiji^ who 
attended them, the vultures, which were found to be excessively 
numerous about Litakun, had discovered the first, and had devoured 
all the best part of the meat and so much lacerated the rest, that 
nothing remained worth the trouble of bringing home. 
Their attendants, when the animal was shot, were exceedingly 
delighted at seeing it fall : they admired the power of the musket, 
that it could bring down the game at so great a distance, when com- 
pared with their own hassagay ; and expressed their pleasure in the 
most animated manner. On such occasions, these people were always 
most ready to lend their assistance ; but it is to be regretted that 
their conduct would not suffer us to believe that they did so from the 
pure motive of obliging us : their willingness was far from being 
disinterested ; for they often laid claim to a larger share of the game 
than we thought proper to allow them. They were, however, always 
so well paid for their trouble, that we were never in want of 
attendants. 
At sunset when all the cattle of the town came home, the Chief 
called me to look at two oxen which he offered for the purchase of 
