12 
AFRICAN HUNTING. 
the mosquitoes, or almost stifled with heat and 
smoke in the wagon. I believe we all preferred 
the latter, and, as sleep was altogether out of the 
question, the general wish of all the party was 
for daylight, when the mosquitoes vanish. White- 
leaded and varnished the boat and made a sail, and 
tried a lot of iron bullets I brought out with me; 
however, they did not answer at all, and I eventually 
threw them all away, as they were much too light and 
flew high, though they penetrated to a great depth. 
Uth .—Launched the first boat ever seen in the 
Black Umveloose, and tried sleeping in a Kaffir hut, 
but I believe it was out of the frying-pan into the 
fire ; heat and mosquitoes intolerable, sour milk and 
Kaffir beer our fare, without meat of any kind. 
25 th .— Tried a bath, to refresh us; three went 
in with a plunge, keeping, however, close to the 
bank, whilst the two on shore shouted, threw in 
big stones, and fired a shot or two to scare the 
crocodiles. Though numerous, they are very timid, 
and I don’t think there is much cause for fear when 
the above precautions are taken ; but although the 
bath refreshed us, none of us could be said to 
thoroughly enjoy it. 
2Qth .—Having drawn lots who was to accompany 
Monies in the boat, he put the walkers across the 
river, on account of its height, and then returned 
and packed the boat with Gibson, to whose lot it fell 
to accompany him. Arbuthnot, Price, and myself 
walked across country with our Kaffirs and a guide 
