262 
AFRICA AND ITS EXPLORATION. 
tlien some old bulls with mighty horns, which seemed 
to act as a rear-guard, stopped and looked back over 
the road they had traversed. When we reached the 
bed of the Sacha I fired off my weapon, without taking 
aim, just to frighten them. Clouds of dust and a great 
uproar ensued, that was all. 
The Bushmen thought from the movements of the 
animals that they were pursued by lions. We did not, 
however, catch sight of any ; probably the noise of the 
firing drove them away. 
We were only some thousand paces from our camp 
when I succeeded in bringing down a fine Impallah-bok. 
Arrived at the site of our fire I found, according to 
agreement, a buck-waggon belonging to the miners, 
some of my own people, and my big greyhound Jack, 
waiting for me. The bastard eland and the koodoo of 
yesterday were already packed in the cart, but as it 
was so late my servants remained with me for the 
night, starting very early the next morning. 
The next day I again went hunting with the Bush¬ 
men, who were very anxious that I should shoot a 
zebra, as they, together with the Makalakas and Mata- 
beles, consider the flesh of that animal a delicacy. I 
found its sweet taste repulsive, except in soup, with 
plenty of pepper, but I have known Boers and even 
Englishmen who prefer it to every other game. 
A few hours’ march, during which I shot one quagga, 
a blue gnu, and two Impallah-boks, brought us close to 
the huts of the Bushmen, and I then directed my course 
back towards the settlement on the Tati. 
In this day’s hunting the Bushmen, by following the 
flight of some bees, had discovered a nest full of honey, 
of which they took possession. These bees are scarcely 
so large as common house-flies, and they have dark 
bodies with dingy brown stripes. They are stingless, 
and build their nests in the ground. The honey is 
clear and has a pleasant taste. It is not stored in cells, 
but in loose grey bags, some of which are as large as a 
grape, or even a walnut. 
We probed the nest with a flexible stick to see if it 
