76 
MR. OSWELL’S HUNTING. 
Chap. IV . 
delivered it to him. All being ready for our departure, I took 
Mrs. Lndngstone about six mdes from the town that she might 
have a peep at the broad part of the Lake. Next morning we 
had other work to do than part, for our Httle boy and girl were 
seized with fever. On the day following all our servants were 
down too with the same complaint. As nothing is better in 
these cases than change of place, I was forced to give up the 
hope of seeing Sebituane that year; so, leaving my gun as part 
payment for guides next year, we started for the pure air of the 
Desert. 
Some mistake had happened in the arrangement with Mr. 
OsweU, for we met him on the Zouga on our return, and he 
devoted the rest of tliis season to elephant-hunting, at which the 
natives universally declare he is the greatest adept that ever 
came into the country. He hunted without dogs. It is remark¬ 
able that this lordly animal is so completely harassed by the 
presence of a few yelping curs as to be quite incapable of attend¬ 
ing to man. He makes awkward attempts to crush them by 
falling on his knees; and sometimes places his forehead against a 
tree ten inches in diameter; glancing on one side of the tree and 
then on the other, he pushes it down before him, as if he thought 
thereby to catch his enemies. The only danger the huntsman has 
to apprehend is the dogs running towards him, and thereby leading 
the elephant to their master. Mr. OsweU has been known to kiU 
four large old male elephants a day. The value of the ivory in 
these cases would be one hundred guineas. We had reason to 
be proud of his success, for the inhabitants conceived from it a 
very high idea of EngUsh courage, and when they wished to 
flatter me would say, ‘‘ If you were not a missionary you would 
just be Uke OsweU; you would not hunt with dogs either.” "V^Uien 
in 1852 we came to the Cape, my black coat eleven years out of 
fashion, and without a penny of salary to draw, we found that 
Mr. OsweU had most generously ordered an outfit for the half- 
naked chUdren, which cost about 200/., and presented it to us, 
saying he thought Mrs. Livingstone had a right to the game of 
her own preserves. 
EoUed in this second attempt to reach Sebituane, we returned 
again to Kolobeng, whither we were soon foUowed by a number 
of messengers from that chief himself. When he heard of our 
