SOUTHERN AFRICA, 287 
our Hottentots to have left GraafF Reynet eight days before, 
with a party of farmers, who had gone from thence, in order 
to proceed across the Karroo to Zwarteberg. He had pro- 
bably strayed from them in the night, the time they generally 
travel, and by that means was left behind. The poor animal, 
on perceiving us, made a faint attempt to advance towards 
the road, as if to intreat a drop of water, but the exertion 
was too great. He fell exhaust,ed on the ground, and the 
only relief that could be given to his painful sufferings, was 
that of bringing them to a speedy end. A few miles farther, 
another of these poor creatures, which had belonged to the 
same party, was found by the road side already dead. Such 
objects were but ill calculated to inspire sanguine hopes in 
our present situation. We ventured, however, to proceed^ 
and to make the best of our way to Hottentot's river; which, 
after a long and very fatiguing day's journey, we reached 
about nine o'clock at night; but, to our great grief and 
mortification, we found it completely dry; and its clayey 
bed broken and divided, by the heat of the weather, into 
polygonal figures, like the summits of basaltic columns. The 
disappointment may more readily be conceived than de- 
scribed ; and we now began to be seriously alarmed at the 
situation of our cattle. To quench the thirst of man a small 
quantity of water is sufficient for a length of time ; but 
cattle, after the fatigue of a long day's journey, require more 
than can easily be carried for their use. The little that we 
had brought upon the waggons was shared among our 
people, who happened to b^ numerous enough to require our 
whole stock. 
