JUNE.] JOURNEY TO LATTAKOO. 231 
About sun- set our horsemen arrived, with the tid- 
ings that they had killed one buffalo, and wounded 
two. The Buffalo is often extremely furious when 
wounded and not disabled. Should the person climb 
a tree, in order to escape, he is far from being out of 
danger, for the buffalo will run with violence and strike 
the tree with his massy horns, which cover as with a 
helmet the crown of his head ; the stroke of which will 
so shake the largest trees, as to require a firm hold in- 
deed to prevent the person from falling to the ground, 
and being consequently tossed into the air by the 
horns of the enraged animal. Our two additional 
waggons from Klaar Water joined us about seven, 
P.M. so that now we were a considerable body, having 
five waggons and four horses. 
The Fountain being at a little distance fi^om the 
place at which we halted, our people brought water 
from a hole at hand, which tasted tolerably well, 
though it had a more foul appearance than any I had 
seen thrown away in England. To find this hole 
readily after dark, one of our people lighted up a fire 
among the tall reeds where it was. Contrary to his 
intention the fire spread over the whole plain as far as 
the rushes extended, and produced one of the grandest 
objects I ever beheld, like the burning of a city ; but 
^and as it was, hardly one of our people looked ovef 
their shoulders to observe it : there was a reason, 
however, for they were hungry, and were either eating 
or expecting soon to eat, with which nothing must 
inteifere; yet they often ifest long without uttering 
