370 
JOURNEY ACROSS THE 
[1813. 
if unable to contain as much water as they felt they 
required. The mountains, which bounded Duncan 
Desert to the westward, we named Teignmouth 
Mountains. 
18th. When every thing seemed almost ready 
for crossing the Great River, behold our spare 
oxen were missing. The day before they were sent 
forward under the care of three of our men, but 
towards evening some Elks appearing, the men 
left the oxen and pursued them, and the oxen, 
they said, having smelled the river, proceeded 
with such haste towards it, that they lost sight of 
them, and could not afterwards trace them out. 
These men went in search of them early in the 
morning, and were expected every hour. In the 
afternoon about twenty people from Griqua land 
joined us, who intended to visit some of their relatives 
farther down the river, and to travel with us for the 
sake of protection. They observed no traces in 
crossing the desert either of our men or oxen. Of 
course we began to fear our oxen had fallen into the 
hands of wild Bushmen, for they are generally blamed 
for all the mischief that is done. About nine P.M. I 
found there were no tidings of our oxen, for our men 
had returned without finding them, but some people 
from Griqua land, who had just arrived on ox 
back, had observed the foot marks of ours, and some 
were appointed to go in search of them early in the 
morning. 
