A WILD BOAR CHARGES 
75 
to obtain blankets, brass wire, etc., from George Westbeech, as 
previously arranged. It appears that the time allowed to 
reach various points on the route had been much under¬ 
estimated owing to the overflow of the river, necessitating a 
good deal of going round through bush and jungle, and that 
we were to suffer for it. Our only hope was to keep Jan 
Veyers in good humour to stay with us, for without him we 
doubted whether they would risk the return journey, and Jan 
was engaged to see us as far as Matambanja’s. Jan’s introduc¬ 
tion was to procure us bearers from there on to the Portuguese 
boundary, from whence we would have found our way to 
Mossammedes on the west coast. After considerable haggling, 
and more promises, they at last consented to go on. But the 
annoyances of these episodes caused us many bitter moments, 
especially as we noticed a kind of lawlessness, common to people 
in the Veldt, gradually developing amongst them. It must be 
borne in mind that our carriers were not of the regular bearer 
class, like those composing caravans on the east coast of Central 
Africa, where this means of transport is a recognised regular 
institution, while here it is the exception, natives only accom¬ 
panying hunters here on their short flights from a given centre, 
to carry back the ivory and skins obtained, with the primary 
object of gorging themselves on the meat shot. The cause 
of our troubles was aggravated by bidding farewell to Blockley’s 
coloured hunter, who turned off here with his boys to look for 
ostriches, hunting in the desert away from the river on his 
way back home. 
To avoid further palaver, we marched on some eleven miles, 
and the bearers quietly followed. Next day Hammar, who had 
been rather unlucky with game of late, Jan, and myself were 
walking just in front of the bearers, when we came upon a 
large troop of quagga grazing amongst the trees some eighty 
yards ahead, with whom several wart hogs had associated 
themselves. Hammar, who was accorded first shot, bowled 
over a fine stallion. The game, evidently mistaking the 
direction of their danger, charged down on us, headed by an 
