to6 TRAVELS IN 
in the evening. It was not neceflary to fend 
my horfes ; for a fpecies of reed grew In fome 
parts of the river, the tops and young fhoots of 
which they ate greedily. I alfo found fome 
little thorny cucumbers, about the fize of a 
hen's egg, which were excellent food for us, 
and their leaves as pleafmg to them. In a very 
fliort time they were able to find thefe without 
my affiftance. My goats and fheep were well 
fatisfied with the leaves and bark of the fhrubs 
which grew under the fhadow of the large trees. 
My cows and oxen were the only animals that 
1 could not prevent from fuTering by the fea- 
fon, and thefe were the moft neceflary to me 
of all. 
With regard to ourfelves, the neighbour- 
hood of the river attraded to the plain a con- 
fiderable quantity of game, which promifed 
us an abundant fupply of food. We had 
plenty of fpring-bock antelopes, zebras, koe- 
does, oftriches, and birds of every kind : and in 
the fifh of the river we had another refource. 
Having angled with the rod and line only, 
we caught but two forts of fifh : one fimilar 
to the carp of the Rhine; the other ♦black, 
without fcales, fifteen or eighteen inches long, 
and 
