SECONDJOURNEY. 65 
tlie banks of the river, about ten feet diameter, and fome of ^ '778- 
bcptember. 
them about ten feet deep. In the bottom of thefe pits they ' — 
place pieces of wood fliarpened at the points, and then cover 
the cavity with branches of trees and turf. When the hippo- 
potami come out of the river in the night to graze, they often 
fall into thefe fnares, and very frequently receive wounds 
which occalion their immediate death. 
As the feafon was too far advanced to admit of our pro- 
ceeding farther to the north, and as there was no other path 
than that we had already taken, we returned by the fame 
route. In our way we were vihted by two peafants of the 
Nimiqua Land, who were fent out on a comxmiffion to the 
Boflimen, in fearch of cattle which they had perloined from 
the inhabitants of that country. 
The twenty-fourth, we diredled our courfe wefterly. At 
night we came to a fmall fountain, called Zebras Fountain. 
There was but little water ; but we were, neverthelefs, under 
the neceffity of {laying all night, having an extenfive plain to 
crofs, where there was not a drop of water to be feen for 
about fifty miles. 
On the twenty-fifth, at funfet, we left this fmall fountain, 
and proceeded fouthward, intending to travel through the dry 
defart. After travelling about eight miles, feveral of our cat- 
tle began to drop down under the yoak, which obliged us to 
flay the remaining part of the night without a drop of water. 
In the morning we miffed our oxen, and fent a Hottentot out 
K 
