HORRORS OF THE DESERT. 
419 
simply impossible to move in the day-time across 
these heavy sands in the hot, parching winds. The 
water here gets more and more salt daily, it is 
nauseous both to taste and smell; and the game has 
been so persecuted that it has entirely left this part, 
and nothing is now to be seen. I have reduced the 
ducks to a couple, with a vast amount of perseverance, 
and have slain this morning, I verily believe, the last 
rabbit within a circle of eight miles ; the Kaffirs 
have lately had nothing but these to live on. JSTo 
rain comes, and all appearance of rain has vanished. 
I started at dawn of day to shoot a giraffe, a weary 
way across the desert, to some makolani trees ; found 
eight, and shot one, a cow, when Ferus got away from 
me, and never let me come within gunshot of him 
till he made the wagon. I was never so exhausted 
in my life ; the heat was beyond all description, and 
I was sore afraid I should be sun-struck, as my 
leathern cap was as hot as an oven. I could not rest, 
or even stoop down to tie my shoe, which came un¬ 
done, as the sands were burning hot, and there was 
no shade for a good twelve miles of desert. The 
dogs remained behind, and did not come back till 
near midnight; and I should have been wise to 
follow their example, but I could not bear up so 
long against thirst; it gave me the greatest pain to 
swallow, and I suffered much, but after two hours in 
the shade I was all right again. To-morrow I fully 
expect to hear some tidings of the wagon, and I shall 
bless the day I get out of this, though the Kaffirs 
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