26 
Seven Years in Central Africa. [June, 
were very kind, supplying me with much that I needed in the way 
of food. Kama and his wife were also very kind. He wished 
God to go with me, to save me by the way, and to bring me back 
in peace. His wife said with tears, " May God go with you, and 
remain with us, and fill you with blessing." 
We shall have to work our way across to the Botletle River in 
a zigzag fashion, from water to water. 
HUNGER AND THIRST. 
June -iT^th. — Yesterday we sent the oxen ten miles off to get 
a drink. Poor animals, they suffer much from thirst ! The 
hunters too have suffered from hunger. They have as yet not 
been fortunate in finding game, and have had to go for days 
with only a little corn, although it is the king's special hunting 
party. Because of the famine that threatens Shoshong they 
started with but a small supply of food, counting on getting 
game on the road. 
\Wi. — I am writing in the centre of the north-east part of 
the great Kalahari Desert, hoping to meet some native at the 
Botletle River going down to Shoshong. We are losing no time 
by the way, as we shall not have any water for nearly two days 
and two nights. I have a fair supply of food with me ; for after I 
had laid in, as I thought, a reasonable store, I found on starting 
that a bag of rusks, a large loaf of bread, a small crock of butter, 
some oranges from the Transvaal, a water-melon, etc., had been 
sent to the waggon for me. I am beginning to know my fellow- 
travellers a little now. Tinka is undoubtedly a decent fellow, and 
I think a true Christian. At first, however, I felt a peculiar sense 
of loneliness in finding myself surrounded by black faces, with no 
one near to whom I could speak in my own tongue, but I have 
got over that. Two other companies of hunters going on to the 
Botletle River have joined us. They are a wild lot, and, away 
from their town and chief, seem to enjoy their liberty immensely. 
The camp at night would make a fine picture on canvas — ten or 
twelve fires j round each a crowd of black faces, some of the 
men singing, talking, laughing, scolding, others tearing antelope's 
bones to pieces. All around is pitchy dark, made doubly so by 
the shade of the dense forest and bush, through which we pass 
from time to time. 
