344 
AFRICAN HUNTING. 
a glorious hunt, had killed ninety-three elephants, 
and had ridden forward to Merico. They are 
hunters of great experience, and know where ele¬ 
phants are to be found. They came across them in 
great numbers, and got some splendid bulls, con¬ 
siderably north of my farthest point, where I was 
prevented from going by the positive assurance of all 
the Kaffirs, that I should not find a drop of water. 
The most mortifying part of it is that I was in 
the right direction, had surmounted almost all 
difficulties, and was within three or four days, 
at most, from their stronghold. They tell me 
that it is a splendid open country, with plenty of 
stone fountains, and that the elephants have never 
before been fired at, and are perfectly tame and in 
great numbers. I have no cause to complain, how¬ 
ever ; I must have nearly 5,000 lbs. of ivory in the 
two wagons, and some splendid teeth. I killed two 
eland cows yesterday, close to the wagon-road, after 
a long, very fast chevy; they both fell from exhaus¬ 
tion, without a shot, when I gave them a pill to pre¬ 
vent their rising. 
I am myself better and worse, sometimes able to 
take field, and at others sick, weak, and helpless ; 
altogether in a poor way. Some of us are obliged 
to be out constantly, as we have such an immense 
party to feed; we have been treking all night, the 
last three or four nights, and have done wonders. I 
have been too generous with my stores. The Boers 
had left all their drivers without coffee, tea, sugar, or 
