SCARCITY OF ELEPHANTS. 
235 
150 Kaffirs to provide for, and not a particle was 
wasted. 
19^A.—I bought yesterday for beads about 600 lbs. 
of Kaffir corn, and the wagon is very heavy. The 
poor oxen are much to be pitied, having to drag it 
through deep, heavy sand, under a broiling sun, with¬ 
out one drop of water to cool their throats for two 
days. We must trek most of the night, too, as in 
the heat of the day they cannot move. A drop of 
cold, clear, sparkling water would be the greatest 
luxury that could be set before me just now ; what 
we do get is stagnant, muddy stuff from pits made by 
the Kaffirs, which they carefully fence round with 
hack thorns to keep the game from drinking them 
dry. Two stately giraffes walked yesterday parallel 
with the wagon, not more than 400 yards off, for 
nearly half an hour, and we did not molest them, 
as we had a superabundance of flesh for men and 
dogs. 
Elephants are, indeed, hard to come at now. I 
am very much farther to the north and west than 
Gordon Gumming ever went, and have only seen one 
spoor, and expect that I shall not be fairly amongst 
them for another three weeks. This has been almost 
the driest season ever known, and travelling in this 
thirst land is no easy matter; you must undergo 
great hardships, and much anxiety for your poor live 
stock. If possible, I wish this year to get to Sebi- 
tuane’s, on the Chobe Kiver, NW. from Mosilikatse’s, 
. and far north by east from Lake Ngami, if I can 
