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AFRICAN HUNTING. 
I expect to-night, having despatched yesterday 
about two dozen Kaffirs with axes to cut them out. 
Elephants are very scarce this year, and bad to find, 
or else I doubt not but we should give a pretty 
good account of them; my oxen are still fresh and 
well, only poor old Freeman must be left behind to 
die, as he is utterly exhausted from age and poor 
condition. All the party are in good health and 
spirits, and looking forward to having good sport 
about the Guia river. 
July 3rd .—We have heard so many contradictory 
reports lately that I have been quite at a loss what 
to do. The Masaras say that Swartz’s wagons, and 
two others just arrived, are in charge of Mosilikatse’s 
people, who will not give them leave to hunt at 
any price; and he is only waiting for the first rains 
to send them back to Merico. What foundation 
there is for these reports I cannot say, but it is 
certain that there are very few elephants here this 
year, and I have resolved to go in search of them 
elsewhere, and began to retrace my spoor yesterday, 
after having ridden to every vley and ascertained 
that the elephants had changed their quarters. The 
want of water presents an insuperable barrier to our 
further progress due north. The bush is also very 
thick, and the sand-hills very heavy. I am now 
going due west for two or three days, where the 
Masaras tell me that we shall fall in with more salt 
pans and large vleys of water where elephants drink, 
and there is a chance of getting, at all events, one 
battue at them. 
