234 
AFEICAN HUNTING. 
twelvemonth, at least; add to these a dozen of 
brandy and a cask of good Cape Madeira. I have 
not much to wish for that I know of, as there is a 
goodly supply of eland and giraffe bell-tong hang¬ 
ing up to dry. I am now twenty-one days from 
Swartz’s house, in Merico, and have thus far had 
far more company than was desirable; eleven wagons, 
including two of Sechele’s, which we parted company 
with three days ago, he going to Machin, a new 
Kaffir chief, who has succeeded Sicomo. The latter 
has had to retire, as he was not the rightful chief. 
It is a great change to find myself entirely alone 
after the row and racket of inspanning eleven wagons 
daily, but it is my own doing, and from my own 
choice. I hear to-day that Swartz must turn back 
immediately to Machin, or take the consequences; in 
case of refusal, he, his wife and children, are all to be 
killed then and there. This is the beginning of the 
new chief s reign ; he is talking very largely, and has 
succeeded in frightening my Hottentots pretty consi¬ 
derably, and they come to me with long faces to 
know what I will do. My answer is, c Inspan at 
once, and get through his country as quick as pos¬ 
sible.’ A full complement of elands and giraffes have 
fallen to our rifles, and a lion killed one of Sechele’s 
oxen one pitch dark night, and escaped unhurt. I 
saw a small troop of five elands from the wagon, 
and, I grieve to say, we killed them all; but, as some 
excuse for such wholesale butchery, I may say that 
with our own and Sechele’s retinue there were about 
