330 JOURNEY BEYOND THE GREAT RIVER. [1813. 
to recross it : in doing so, one of our waggons stuck fast 
in the middle of the stream, in consequence of the 
fore wheel sinking into a hole ; however, after great 
exertion by the Hottentots and the oxen, it was happily 
dragged out. About sun-set our people killed a 
quacha. The difference between these animals on 
the north and south sides of the Great River i§ con- 
siderable. Both are striped over the whole body, but 
those on the north side have black and white stripes, 
while those on the south are black and brown ; of the 
cause of so great a difference I cannot hazard a con- 
jecture. After several hours travelling there was no 
appearance of our friendly river, and we began to fear 
we should not soon find it ; however, at ten, P.M. we 
reached it. 
Thermometer at sun-rise 38 — at noon 60, when we 
departed, and passed the end of Hammes' Hills, oh 
the west side of the river. We soon got into a place 
of deep mud, concealed by tall withered grass, in 
which the oxen beginning to sink almost to their 
knees, like vessels in a storm trying to make the 
nearest port, each waggon made haste to the nearest 
point of firm ground. During this bustle we shot a 
wild peacock, which measured six feet from the tip 
of one wing to that of the other. At two, P.M. we 
crossed to the east side of the riyer, on which we 
entered a beautiful level plain, which we named 
Kingsland Plain, where an affecting incident occurred. 
A poor knoo had its hind leg broken by a shot a little 
above the foot, when it ran towards our waggons about 
