SEPT.] 
CONTINENT OF AFRICA. 
411 
with an awl, while the other young Hottentot kept 
off the Bushmen with his musket, which he fired 
towards the place from whence he thought the arrow 
proceeded. They then left the oxen, that they might 
bring their wounded companion to the waggons. 
When at a considerable distance they fired two shots, 
which no doubt were those we supposed we heard. 
Perhaps the Bushmen did not know that the oxen 
were completely given up to them, but might suppose 
the men were concealincy themselves amon^ the bushes 
for their protection, and that the shots fired by them 
at a distance, as they advanced towards the waggons, 
were from people coming to their assistance. This is 
the only way by which we could account for none of 
the oxen being carried off. 
We did every thing for the poor wounded man in 
our power, by cutting out the flesh all round the 
wound, administering eau de luce, and laudanum to 
mitigate the pain ; but he lay groaning the whole night. 
The five Bastard Hottentots to vvhom we had sent 
an account of our situation, came to our assistance at 
five o'clock in the morning, to whom we expressed our 
gratitude. There being no water for our oxen, we were 
obliged to depart at ten, A.M. moving slowly for the 
sake of our wounded man. At half past one his pain 
was so great, that we were obliged to halt at the foot 
of a mountain composed of black loose stones, and to 
lay him down under a bush from which he was never 
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