252 
AFRICA AND ITS EXPLORATION 
We must have marched for rather more than three 
hours altogether, when I brought down a koodoo with 
my polygonal rifle. We were then close to the Sacha, 
about twelve nautical miles below the spot where we 
had crossed this periodic stream with our waggons. 
The Bushmen selected a resting-place on a gentle 
slope between twp large trees, and after carefully 
examining the ground to see that there were no snake 
holes about, they set fire to the underwood with wisps 
of grass, spread a layer of loose grass over the charred 
remains, and laid my sleeping rug upon it. 
In everything they did they manifested the greatest 
caution. A fire was lighted to protect us on the side 
of the river, but it was kept of a moderate size, to 
prevent the flames from rising to any great height. 
In front of us lay the yellow sandy bed of the Sacha, 
and some five hundred yards to the left was a pool of 
water, the borders covered with the footprints of wild 
animals, which we avoided approaching, lest we should 
frighten the game when they came to drink at night. 
The fire for making our coffee and cooking our 
supper was between our camp and the bed of the river, 
but as soon as we had finished with it we smothered 
it, leaving only a glimmer visible. When the necessary 
preparations for the night were made, my companions 
went back to the koodoo I had shot, and having cut 
it up they hung the joints in a tree, to be out of the 
reach of beasts of prey, bringing however one leg, with 
the liver and kidneys, to the camp for supper. After 
that meal I gave them some tobacco for them to have 
a smoke, and then lay down to rest. Beside me, under 
a rug, to protect them from the dew, lay five loaded 
rifles, ready for use at a moments notice. 
The way a Bushman prepares a pipe is very simple 
and effective. He kneads earth mixed with water into 
a paste, moulds it into the shape required, makes an 
oblong hole in the top, bums the hole dry with a coal, 
takes a reed or grass stem, and with it bores through 
the stem of the pipe till the oblong hole is reached, 
clears the reed or stem from the bits of earth which 
