SOUTHERN AFRICA. 329 
to have left Graaff Reynet eight days before, with a party of 
farmers, who had gone from thence, in order to proceed acrofs 
the Karroo to Zwarteberg. He had probably ftrayed from 
them in the night, the time they generally travel, and by that 
means was left behind. The poor animal, on perceiving us, 
made a faint attempt to advance towards the road, as if to en- 
treat a drop of water, but the exertion was too great. He fell 
exhaufted on the ground, and the only relief that could be given 
to his painful fufferings, was that of bringing them to a fpeedy 
end. A few miles farther, another of thefe poor creatures, that 
had belonged to the fame party, was found by the road fide 
already dead. Such objects were but ill calculated to keep alive 
our hopes in our prefent fituation. We ventured, however, to 
proceed, making the beft of our way to Hottentot's river ; and, 
after a long and very fatiguing day's journey, about nine o'clock 
at night we reached this river, which, to our great grief and 
mortification, we found completely dry; and its clayey bed 
broken and divided, by the heat of the weather, into polygonal 
figures, like the fummits of bafaltic columns. The difappoint- 
ment may more readily be conceived than defcribed ; and we 
now began to be ferioufly afraid for our cattle. To quench 
the thirft of man a fmall quantity of water is fufFicient for a 
length of time; but cattle, after the fatigue of a long day's jour- 
ney, require more than could poflibly be carried for their ufe. 
The little that we had brought upon the waggons was fhared 
among our people, who happened to be numerous enough to 
require our whole flock. 
u u 
A con- 
