A DRUNKEN TOTTIE. 
377 
knew nothing about the country, and, after waiting 
in vain for the wagons, were obliged to follow our 
steps all the way back. Got on the wagon-tracks 
a little before sunset, and made great play to 
catch the wagons before it was too dark to see 
the spoor. 
29i th .—-This is a festival of some kind or other in 
England, it strikes me, but in the centre of South 
Africa all days are much alike. I have been coming 
in the right direction, at all events, since my last 
entry. Early on Sunday we reached by a forced 
march, on account of water, a pretty little river, 
which we call Mesa or Nesa—the Kaffirs speak so 
indistinctly I cannot get at the right pronunciation— 
clear good water, and some hills in the neighbour¬ 
hood. The lions had killed two zebras close to 
where we outspanned, and we made a strong kraal, 
expecting a visit from them, and I set a stell (a 
spring gun) for them by the remains of one of the 
zebras. The oxen rushed pell mell into the large 
vley here, and seemed to enjoy, not a little, a vigorous 
pull of good rain water ; the day had been hot, and 
we had come a long distance. 
Adonis has just interrupted me by saying his gun 
had burst. I expected something serious, but on 
examination find it is only the stock, and an ele¬ 
phant’s ear put on wet, and dried in the sun, will 
make it all right. One of my Totties has got drunk, 
and is playing old Harry with the Masaras, chasing 
them in all directions, and, if I do not at once 
