40 
Seven Years in Central Africa. 
[Aug. 
NO WATER. 
August 2?id. — Made a good start this morning, and walked a 
long way; the sand was very heavy, but we pushed on hard, 
expecting to get water at a placed called Caucon. Arriving at 
the pan we were disappointed to find that elephants had been 
there before us, and drunk up all the water. This is rather a 
serious fix, as the donkeys, being almost done up with carrying 
heavy loads, refuse to eat, and drag along painfully; besides, 
our drinking water is exhausted, and we are fully sixty miles 
from the River Chobe. Two of the men set to work digging 
a well at the foot of the pan, but, after going through a little 
damp mud, turned up nothing but dry white sand. After pro- 
longed consultation (and, I assure you, I earnestly consulted 
the Lord in the matter), I decided not to go on further, but 
the next morning to send the men out in all directions in search 
of water. The lives of the whole party depended, humanly speak- 
ing, on our finding water on the morrow, as already most of us 
were much exhausted, having gone over seventy miles of rough, 
weary country in the last three days. 
August T^rd. — Early this morning I sent Setobi with six men 
and the donkeys in the direction of the Sambuti River, hoping to 
find water thereabouts. Another party set out in the direction of 
the Caucon Hill to dig a well in a hollow there, while I " remained 
by the stuff" with a Basubia ; we had only about half a pint 
of water, which at the present moment is worth more to me than 
half a ton of gold. I am hopeful that Setobi will find water ; if 
he does not he need not return ; but all is well, for it is in my 
Lord's hands. As yet I have lacked no good thing, and am 
persuaded He will not leave me now. His presence and His 
promises are better than water. 
Afternoon. — Those who had gone out to dig for water returned 
without finding any, and, looking very downcast, they all began 
sucking away at the damp mud close by. I tried to suck some 
water out of the mud, but it was something like the dregs of a 
farmyard ; so I gave up, and returning to the kotla, fell asleep. I 
had not slept long when one of the men awoke me with Monare, 
loot, loot!" and I saw at some Uttle distance a string of men 
coming, each with a calabash full of water over his shoulder. 
Setobi had met a party of Tinka's Bushmen hunters who were 
