Chap. YIII. 
BEAUTY OF THE COUNTRY. 
173 
on the peculiar air of displeasure which these animals sometimes 
assume before they resolve on flight. A large white rhinoceros 
came along the bottom of the valley with his slow sauntering gait 
without noticing us; he looked as if he meant to indulge in a 
mud bath. Several buffaloes, with their dark visages, stood under 
the trees on the side opposite to the pallahs. It being Sunday, 
all was peace, and, from the circumstances in which our party 
was placed, we could not but reflect on that second stage of our 
existence which we hope will lead us into scenes of perfect beauty. 
If pardoned in that free way the Bible promises, death will be a 
glorious thing; but to be consigned to wait for the Judgment- 
day, with nothing else to ponder on but sins we would rather 
forget, is a cheerless prospect. 
Our Bushmen wished to leave us, and, as there was no use in 
trying to thwart these independent gentlemen, I paid them, and 
allowed them to go. The payment, however, acted as a charm on 
some strangers who happened to be present, and induced them to 
volunteer their aid. 
The game hereabouts is very tame. Koodoos and giraffes stood 
gazing at me as a strange apparition when I went out with the 
Bushmen. On one occasion a lion came at daybreak, and went 
round and round the oxen. I could only get a ghmpse of him 
occasionally from the waggon-box; but, though barely thirty 
yards off, I could not get a shot. He then began to roar at the 
top of his voice; but the oxen continuing to stand still, he was so 
disgusted that he went off, and continued to use his voice for a 
long time in the distance. I could not see that he had a mane; 
if he had not, then even'the maneless variety can use their 
tongues. We heard others also roar; and, when they found they 
could not frighten the oxen, they became equally angry. Tliis 
we could observe in theu tones. 
As we went north the country became very lovely; many new 
trees appeared; the grass was green, and often liigher than the 
waggons; the vines festooned the trees, among which appeared 
the real banian (Ficus indie cl), with its drop-shoots, and the wild 
date and palmyra, and several other trees which were new to 
me; the hollows contained large patches of water. Next came 
watercourses, now resembling small rivers, twenty yards broad 
and four feet deep. The fiuther we went, the broader and deeper 
