4o8 A JOURNEY IN 
garioiis ; but, although abundant in every part of the Boo- 
shuana country, it rarely happens that more than three or 
four are seen grazing together in one herd. 
On the 12th December the expedition took its departure 
fronj Leefakoo, not without feeling some regret in bidding 
adieu to this friendly and hospitable people, numbers of 
Avhom accompanied the waggons to a considerable distance, 
and many thousands were collected on the occasion upon the 
neighbouring heights. On the second day of their departure 
they were overtaken by two messengers from Leetakoo,' 
bi inging with them a present of two fat oxen from MooU- 
haban, and two stray oxen belonging to the commission, 
which had been left behind. They were charged, at the 
same time, with a message from the Chief, expressive of the 
great satisfaction he should feel on receiving another visit the 
following 3^ear, when, he observed, the yearlings of their 
cattle would be grown up, and they would be able to spare 
them a greater number than they had now the power of 
doing. 
Returning by the same route, and being in no particular 
haste, the party had now more leisure to observe the face of 
the country. It was well clothed with grass and shrubs and 
trees of various kinds, particularly of the spreading mimosa, 
on which the camelopardalis delights to feed. Some of these 
trees were completely disfigured by the nests of a certain ' 
small bird of the genus Loxia or Grossbeak, Avhich in large 
bodies dwell together, constituting a sort of commonwealth. 
Under one common roof, consisting of the dry stems of a harsh 
