332 
LOSS BY LIONS. 
[1820. 
that it went to the river, and seeing a lion he 
was afraid to go after it. On another evening 
three oxen were missing ; when Muliaily was 
examined concerning their absence, he made a 
long speech about the matter, half Dutch and 
half Bootchuana, accompanied with various draw- 
ings on the ground ; but it was impossible to 
understand him, only it became evident that 
one of the oxen had been left at least twenty- 
five miles behind. This information depressed 
all our spirits, hardly a word was spoken 
around the fire the whole evening, having the 
prospect of being long detained in searching for 
the cattle ; but they were recovered in a few days. 
On the evening of the 16th we arrived at Mr. 
Nelds, the farmer, with whom we had left three 
oxen on our going up the country. He said that 
since that time the lions on the Gamka had killed 
one man, two horses, and three oxen. Hearing 
that both water and grass were at this time very 
scarce on' the Karroo road, I resolved to return 
by what was called the Blood River Road, which 
lay more to the westward, where I was informed 
water and grass would be found every day. I 
left Neld's place at three p.m. to pursue this 
course, and on the 17th crossed the Gamka, and 
travelled over a barren waste till six p. m., when 
we passed a farmer's place, who kindly directed 
us how to proceed " forward to obtain water; but 
