16 
AFRICAN HUNTING. 
such as are commonly used in Africa for driving 
oxen. They are very tough and supple when pro¬ 
perly dressed and brayed, and punish tremendously. 
The sjambok is the threat which the Dutchman in¬ 
variably holds out to a refractory Kaffir. We saw a 
most amusing chase of a broken-winged golden-goose 
by three crocodiles. He fell pinioned on the water, 
and these fellows immediately gave chase, going very 
fast, and leaving a wake like a ship behind them. 
When very hard pressed the goose dived, to be worse 
off than ever, and came up 6 quack, quack,’ from 
abject fear; he managed to flap a bit along the top 
of the water and get a start, but they came up with 
him again, and he at last took the land. We were 
in a boat watching the fun. The crocodiles did not 
follow him, and the poor thing eventually allowed 
me to catch him on land sooner than face his enemies 
in the water again. 
The sea-cow bacon would not keep, owing to the 
damp weather, and we had many hardships to 
endure from the incessant rain. At last, we made 
what is called a hartebeest house, of very tall reeds, 
stuck close together in a kind of trench dug for 
them in bundles, and meeting over head, and they 
kept off a great deal of bad weather; still we were 
rarely what could be called dry at nights, and spent 
three-fourths of almost every day all depths in the 
water, and exposed to scorching suns, towing sea- 
cows ashore, as we generally provided work for the 
day before we breakfasted, for the tusks had to be 
