WATCHING THE WATER. 
405 
The nipple of my gun broke short off in the worm 
the other day, and I tried every means to get it 
out for some time without effect, only making 
matters worse by breaking a plug short off that I 
had been hardening and shaping to lit all day. At 
last I made a drill bore, and succeeded beyond my 
most sanguine expectations, and she is now none the 
worse. I also put 3 lbs. of lead in the stock, as my right 
cheek and bone are nearly cut to pieces, and the blood 
at every shot runs into my mouth. We are obliged 
to load heavily for South African game ; six drachms 
are my smallest dose, and my powder this year is 
excellent. I only wish my nerves were as good. 
\ith. — Juvea .—I think it hardly possible for the 
country to be or look worse than now, and my poor 
oxen and horses have fallen off fearfully. All the 
vleys are dried up, and we only get a small quantity 
of water at the fountains after hard digging, and 
the little grass there is terribly dry. In the early 
mornings, evenings and night, it is so cold that there is 
ice in all the water-vessels, while the days are intensely 
hot; from ten to four it is hardly possible to trek; we 
sometimes have high, and often hot winds; game of 
all sorts is as thin as deal boards, and the fare, con¬ 
sequently, very indifferent. 
Last night I watched the w T ater, more out ot 
bravado than with any hopes of shooting anything, 
as Boccas got a fright the previous night that nearly 
drove him out of his wits. He had made a hole and 
covered it in with strong branches, and lots of grass and 
