SEARCH FOR WATER, 
45 
full of game, such as knoos, quachas, springboks, 
&c. At one time I counted thirteen flocks, some 
of which were very numerous. These animals 
are instinctively taught to prefer such open parts 
of the country, where they can see their enemy at 
a distance, and have time to escape. Though we 
were in great need of their flesh, and all our 
shooters out, yet not one of this multitude of ani- 
mals was slain ; I do not remember having seen 
any so very shy. Many footsteps of cameleopards 
appeared, but none of the animals themselves 
were visible. 
At two p. M., various collections of trees began 
to appear in different directions, which gave us 
hopes of finding water, about which we were 
beginning to feel anxious ; but after examining 
several of those little woods, where the lively 
foliage both of trees and bushes seemed to indi- 
cate the presence of water, we were obliged to 
turn away disappointed, and search in some other 
direction ; at length, at four p.m., we found three 
holes behind a small wood, containing water suffi- 
cient for ourselves and our oxen till the morning. 
Such a discovery, in a sultry climate and a 
parched soil, excites^ the most pleasurable sen- 
sations, and peculiarly so when it happens a short 
time before the darkness of approaching night 
must inevitably prevent all farther search. We 
should have been still better pleased had there 
