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THE AFRICAN ELEPHANT. 
 

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THE OKATAIJGO MVEK 
 
 A N ARRAT IVE 
 
 OF 
 
 TRAVEL, EXPLORATION, AND ADVENTURE. 
 
 BY 
 
 CHARLES JOHN ANDERSSON, 
 
 AUTHOR OP 
 
 “LAKE NGAMI.” 
 
 WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS 
 AND A MAP OF SOUTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 NEW YORK: 
 
 HARPER & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS, 
 
 FRANKLIN SQUARE. 
 
 1861 . 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 The traveler in Africa had formerly a very simple task 
 to perform when he came before the public to give an ac- 
 count of his adventurous inroads into that most repulsive 
 and least accessible quarter of the globe. Readers were 
 then satisfied with a few details of mere discovery — with a 
 few latitudes and longitudes as correctly set down as might 
 be. At present they demand much more. He is now ex- 
 pected to be competently versed in many sciences, and in 
 much knowledge out of the beat of ordinary accomplish- 
 ment. He is supposed to understand meteorology, hygrom- 
 etry, and hydrogeny; to collect geological specimens, to 
 gather political and commercial information, to advance 
 the infant study of ethnology, to sketch, to write a copious 
 journal, to shoot and stuff* birds and beasts, to collect gram- 
 mars and vocabularies, and frequently to forward long re- 
 ports to the Royal Geographical Society. Now, without 
 pretending to have reached, or to have at all closely ap- 
 proached this standard of an explorer’s qualifications, I 
 have certainly touched, in the following pages, on several 
 of the topics just enumerated. My humbler object, how- 
 ever, has been merely, by a plain narrative of my adven- 
 tures, accompanied by the remarks they have suggested, so 
 to mingle information with amusement as to make a pleas- 
 ant and somewhat instructive book. 
 
 Five years have now elapsed since my former work on 
 South Africa was published. I have, since then, become 
 much better acquainted with that country than I was at 
 that time. The denizens of its wilds and deserts have es- 
 
VI 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 pecially, as a sportsman, engaged my attention, and I think 
 the parts of this volume devoted to my hunting excursions 
 will be found particularly interesting and exciting. Africa, 
 in fact, may be said, even up to the present day, to be prin- 
 cipally inhabited by wild beasts. Its savage human natives 
 only afford a study of rational life on so low a scale as 
 hardly to justify the epithet I have just made use of, where- 
 as one may, in the regions I have frequented, luxuriate in 
 the contemplation of pure animal existence in its fullest and 
 freest developments. To do so has been to me a great 
 source of enjoyment. Living pictures of the ferae naturae in 
 multitudes, in endless variety, oftentimes, too, of beauty and 
 of happiness, have a wonderful attraction to the reasoning 
 intellect looking down upon them, yet mightily humbled by 
 its sense of superiority ! In brief, Africa is a vast zoologi- 
 cal garden and a vast hunting-field at the same time. Let 
 us visit it, reader, and let us hunt over it together. Our 
 drier explorations, and our companionship through them, 
 will be all the pleasanter for this recreation. 
 
 A word more before I conclude. As I have found it cur- 
 rently believed, both on the Continent and at home, that 
 the Eoyal Geographical Society or that the British govern- 
 ment has paid the costs of my several explorations in the 
 interior of Africa, I must, in justice to myself, contradict 
 this statement in the most unqualified manner. The ex- 
 penses of all my African expeditions have been defrayed 
 entirely by myself. 
 
 In this volume I have seen reason to alter the spelling of 
 a few places mentioned in Lake Ngami. 
 
CONTENTS, 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Project of an Expedition into the Interior with Mr. Green. — 
 Mr. Green’s Expedition to Libebe. — Professor Wahlberg 
 killed by an Elephant. — Another Expedition of Mr. Green 
 in search of the River Cunene. — Two Rhenish Missionaries, 
 Messrs. Hahn and Rath, join Mr. Green. — .Visit to the 
 Ovambo. — Treachery of King Hangoro. — The exploring 
 Party attacked by his Orders by a large Body of Natives. 
 — The Victory of the Europeans. — Six hundred fighting 
 Men beaten by thirteen. — The accidental Discovery of a 
 Fresh-water Lake called Onondova. — The farther Prosecu- 
 tion of the Expedition renounced. — I determine on resum- 
 ing it in Person. — Difficulties to be overcome. — Traveling 
 Equipment and Suite. — Particular Objects of the Expedi- 
 tion. — Motives for choosing my Route through Western 
 Damara Land Page 21 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Departure. — Leave-taking. — Slow Progress. — Live-stock. — 
 Omaruru River. — Scenery. — Cutting a Way through the 
 Bush. — Escape and Capture of my Horse. — A serious Ac- 
 cident. — A Forest of Trees without Thorns . — A delightful 
 Surprise. — The Damara Parent-tree. — Tracks of Elephants. 
 — Magnificent Range of Hills. — Periodical Water-course. — 
 A Mountain Gorge. — Difficulty of finding a Route. — The 
 Passage for the Wagon impracticable. — The Wagon smash- 
 ed to Pieces. — Harrow Escape of the Oxen-driver. — Wagon 
 repaired and reladen. — Route in a new Direction. — En- 
 campment. — Country densely bushed 32 
 
Vlll 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Another Limestone Range of Hills. — Passage through it at 
 last found. — Clearing a Road through Rocks. — The Wagon 
 like a Ship in a heavy Cross-sea. — The Fountains of Otji- 
 dambi. — Traces of human Habitation. — The Ovaherero and 
 the Namaquas. — The Hottentots and Damaras. — Cattle and 
 Sheep stealing. — Guides at a Loss. — Two Natives captured. 
 — One of them forced to become a Guide. — The Natives of 
 a Village flee away in alarm. — A few Presents reconcile 
 some of them to become Guides. — An Accident: a Dog 
 killed instead of a Hyena. — A grand Illumination: Fields 
 on Fire. — A Hurricane. — The Passage of a Defile. — Game 
 rare. — Long Shots. — The Guide escapes. — Several Werfts 
 (Hamlets) and Vleys (Wells). — Scarcity of Water. — Quest 
 of Water. — Kind-heartedness of Damara Women. — No 
 Guides. — No Water, and Country parched and desolate. — 
 One more Attempt to go forward Page 52 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 The Guides lose their Way. — The Lives of the whole Party 
 at stake. — A search for Water in all Directions. — In vain. — 
 Necessity of returning without Delay. — Two Men explor- 
 ing the Country for Water left behind. — The Sufferings of 
 the Men and Animals from Thirst. — Retreat resolved upon. 
 — A grand and appalling Conflagration. — The Magnificence 
 of the Spectacle. — The Cattle one hundred and fifty Hours 
 without a single Drop of Water. — The two Men left behind 
 make their Appearance. — The Water so long searched for 
 found. — Ol^aoa reached in Safety. — Ondjuona the favorite 
 Resort of Elephants. — The annual Pilgrimage of these An- 
 imals to another Station. — The Damara Mode of Elephant- 
 hunting. — View from the Summit of Okonyenya. — Country 
 surveyed. — A Thunder-storm under Foot 68 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 ix 
 
 CHAPTER Y. 
 
 A singular Mirage. — Arrival on the Omaruru. — I resolve on 
 crossing over to the Omuramba, via Matako, while the Wag- 
 on is undergoing a complete Reparation. — Two Lions attack 
 the Dogs. — Wild Beasts abundant. — Lion Man-eaters.— 
 Their stealthy Mode of Attack. — A horrid Dream. — The 
 physical Features of Damara Land. — Granite, Limestone, 
 and Sandstone. — Carboniferous Formations. — Scented and 
 aromatic Plants and Trees. — Scenery. — Mines Page 84 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 My traveling Stud. — Game plentiful. — Giraffes, Zebras, Gnus, 
 and Koodoos. — Two Giraffes killed. — Lions, Hyenas, Jack- 
 als, and other Beasts of Prey. — Great Numbers of Natives. 
 — Honey in great Quantities. — Visitors from the civilized 
 World. — A Night Watch for Game. — Elephants descried. 
 — An Elephant Hunt. — Two Elephants killed. — The Re- 
 joicings of the Damaras on the Prospect of a Gorge. — A 
 Breakfast on an Elephant Foot and a Dish of Honey. . . 95 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Night Watches and Day Trackings. — A great English Sports- 
 man and a great English Traveler’s Opinion of Dr. Living- 
 stone. — A Moonlight Ambush. — Living Pictures of Animal 
 Life. — Nature’s Menagerie. — Two more Elephants killed. — 
 A Night Assemblage of a large Herd of one hundred and 
 fifty Elephants at a drinking Tank. — The furious Trumpet- 
 ings of the Herd when fired at. — Female Elephants partic- 
 ularly vicious. — A Cow Elephant-hunt. — The Hunter hunt- 
 ed. — Narrow Escape.— Following the Spoors of a Herd. — 
 The Emigration of Elephants. — Paterfamilias, or General of 
 Division. — An unsatisfactory Shot. — A Tree torn up.— A 
 Picture of Rage and Grandeur 109 
 
X 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 A Herd of Camelopards or Giraffes. — One Shot. — A comic 
 Scene. — A Lion wounded. — The Antelope. — The Eland. — 
 The Numerousness of this ruminant Tribe. — The Springbok, 
 its extraordinary Agility. — A Damara trading Caravan des- 
 tined for Ovambo Land. — Retainers of Afrikander. — I re- 
 fuse to join the Caravan. — Dearth of Water. — Rejoined by 
 the Wagon. — Start again to the Eastward. — Lion Man- 
 eaters, a Native carried off by one of them. — Mr. Green’s 
 Narrative. — Lion Chase. — Fragments and Bones of the Na- 
 tive discovered. — Another Visit from a Lion. — Dismay in 
 the Encampment. — Wild Boars. — Dogs no Match for them. 
 — I overtake the Caravan, and determine to accompany it 
 for a while Page 128 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 A Retrospect. — Omanbonde a Sheet of Water. — Rhinoce- 
 roses, Hippopotami, and other large Game in Abundance. 
 — A beautiful Landscape. — Elephants numerous. — Fatigues 
 and Dangers of Elephant-hunting. — Hints to Elephant- 
 hunters. — Extreme Thirst. — Extreme Exhaustion. — A Man 
 killed by a Rhinoceros. — A Creeping Stalk of a Rhinoceros. 
 — Attack of a Rhinoceros.— An adventurous Chase. — Dis- 
 covery of the Man killed. — Accidental Death. — Damara 
 Grave, and Rites of Sepulture. — The Feast after the Fu- 
 neral. — Lions attack a crippled Rhinoceros 145 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 A Troop of Lions. — A Watch by Night. — Wild Animals at a 
 Vley. — A Duel between a Lion and Lion-hunter. — Dogs 
 and Damaras. — An exciting hunting Scene. — One hundred 
 Damaras in the Field. — Another wounded Lion. — Dinner 
 on Beefsteak au Lion and Hump de Rhinoceros. — Lion’s 
 Flesh very palatable. — The Ovambo Caravan still in the 
 Neighborhood. — The Feeding-time of the Ovambos after a 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 XI 
 
 Day’s successful Sport. — A disgusting Spectacle. — Change 
 of Route. — A Bevy of black Damsels. — Advice about Mar- 
 riage. — A Road practicable for the Wagon. — News from 
 Europe. — How I dispose of my Ivory. — A Collection of 
 Insects and Birds. — Swifts and Swallows. — Tremendous 
 Storms of Thunder and Lightning. — The peculiar Beauty 
 of the Sunsets Page 160 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 The Damara Caravan forbidden by Chipanga, the successor of 
 Nangoro, to enter Ondonga. — The Ovambo’s superstitious 
 Dread of Fire-arms. — The Party belonging to the Caravan 
 steal the Cattle and Property of the Ovambo. — A Descent 
 made upon the Ovambuenge by the Makololo. — A Guide 
 with a Harem of Wives. — A Battle between two Bushmen 
 Werfts. — Dr. Livingstone’s Opinion that Bushmen never 
 quarrel about Women. — A Native Woman wounded by 
 poisoned Arrows. — I endeavor to capture the Offenders. — 
 Two of their Party made Prisoners. — Not guilty. — Effect 
 their Escape 175 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 The Rate of Absorption and Evaporation of Moisture in the 
 dry Season. — The Return of the Party sent to Otjimbingue. 
 — Preparations for a fresh Start. — We make for the Omu- 
 ramba U’Ovambo. — Reasons for this Choice. — Bid Fare- 
 well to Omanbonde. — Description of my Suite. — The Guide 
 ignorant of the Route. — A Passage through a Forest. — The 
 Guide allowed to depart. — Difficulty of finding Water. — In- 
 dications of Bushmen Villages. — A small Well discovered. — 
 Bushmen make their Appearance. — ’Their contradictory De- 
 scriptions of the Omuramba, supposed by Travelers to be a 
 Branch of the Cunene 182 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 Comparatively good Road. — Pretty Scenery. — Fruit and 
 Forest Trees. — A sandy Soil. — Thorn Jungles. — Scarcity 
 
Xll 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 of Water. — Yleys dried up. — The Heat intense. — Guides 
 declare there is no Possibility of proceeding farther. — De- 
 light on finding Water. — An Accident happens to the 
 Wagon. — The Axle-tree renewed six Times. — The Acacia 
 Giraffe and the White Ant. — Monotony of Toil, Anxiety, 
 and Hardship Page 189 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 Gadflies. — Another Elephant Hunt : interrupted by a Storm 
 of Rain. — A very jeopard ous Position. — An arduous Chase. 
 - — An Elephant charges his Pursuer. — Wounded severely. 
 —-Brought down after a long Hunt. — Another Elephant 
 bagged. — Plenty of Provision. — The Natives flock together 
 to devour the Carcasses. — Jerking and Drying. — Slow Prog- 
 ress. — The Number of Bushes and Trees cut down to clear 
 a Passage. — One hundred and seventy Bushes felled every 
 three hundred Yards. — The incredible amount of Labor to 
 advance one Mile. — Description of the Country. — Variation 
 of the Compass. — Some Alteration in my Course 196 
 
 CHAPTER XY. 
 
 All Hope of finding the Omuramba described by Travelers re- 
 nounced. — Doubts about its being a Branch of the Cunene. 
 — The River pointed out by the Bushmen quite distinct from 
 the Cunene. — A sandy Country, a continuous Forest.— -An 
 unexpected Yisit from a Bushman, an old Acquaintance of 
 Messrs. Green and Hahn. — He consents to be our Guide for 
 some Distance. — I promise to kill an Elephant for him and 
 his People. — Encampment by a fine Yley of Water. — A be- 
 nevolent Bushman. — An Elephant struck dead by Lightning. 
 — Fruit-trees and Forest-trees. — Their Description. — A For- 
 est-tree of huge Dimensions and spreading Foliage. — An- 
 other Elephant-hunt. — Elephants in Herds as numerous as 
 Cattle, like a large Army. — Their shrill Trumpetings at 
 Night 204 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 xiii 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 The Difficulty of finding Way and Water increased. — Guides 
 decamp. — Conflicting Opinions about the Road to the River. 
 — I leave the Wagon to explore the Country. — The Capture 
 of a whole Werft of Bushmen. — Two of them compelled to 
 be Guides. — Tied together as Prisoners. — A Native Woman 
 captured. — A Werft of twenty or thirty Huts. — Conversa- 
 tion with the Chief of the Hamlet. — Reach Ombongo. — A 
 periodical Water-course. — Great Anxiety as I approach the 
 Water, Bushmen have often so contradictorily described. — 
 Was it merely a Valley periodically filled with Water, or a 
 mighty River ? — Our Guides hide their Arrows in the Trees 
 from fear of Robbery by the Ovaquangari. — I perceive on 
 the far-away Horizon a distinct dark blue Line. — I recognize 
 at once a great River. — This River called by the Natives the 
 Okavango. — Reflections, Description, Conjectures. . .P. 214 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 The Terror of the Ovaquangari on our Approach. — The Na- 
 tives cross the River in several Canoes, armed to the Teeth. 
 — Ordered to lay aside their Weapons and talk peaceably. 
 — The Difficulty of communicating with them in the Ovam- 
 bo Language. — They are made to understand the Object 
 of our Visit. — The Chief sends us Food. — I make known 
 my Intention to visit the paramount Chief, Chikongo by 
 name. — Dispatch a Messenger to him. — He intimates a Wish 
 to see me. — A suitable Conveyance refused. — Procured at 
 last by threatening to leave the Country. — A Sail on the 
 Okavango. — The Boatman a great Blackguard. — Shows the 
 white Man as a wild Beast to crowds of Natives. — The 
 Women exceedingly ugly. — The River described. — Hippo- 
 potami and Alligators. — Picturesque Landscape. — Modes 
 of catching Fish. — Bivouac under a Tree, with the Wind for 
 a Bedfellow. — Description of a Werft. — All the Chiefs of 
 the Nation assemble to meet me. — Portrait of Chikongo. — 
 
XIV 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 His Hospitality. — The Makololo. — - Dr. Livingstone’s At- 
 tempts to civilize this People unsuccessful Page 222 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 The Mambari. — Traders from the Confines of the Kingdom 
 of Benguela. — Visit the Ovaquangari every Year. — Peddler 
 Expeditions as far as Libebe. — Much valuable Information, 
 especially respecting the North and its Natives, to be de- 
 rived from these Traders. — They convey a Letter for me to 
 the Governor of Benguela.— They also forward one to the 
 R. G. S. of London. — I think of returning to my Men left 
 with the Wagon. — Chikongo objects to this Proposal, as 
 his People have not yet “ had time to stare at me.” — The 
 Savages quite on a Par, in Point of Intelligence, with the 
 Ovambos. — Agricultural Pursuits. — Trades of the Ovaquan- 
 gari. — Various Tribes to the Northeast of this People. — No 
 permanently settled Nations. — Only Bushmen. — Rejoin my 
 Wagon. — Tremendous Penalty for my successful Enter- 
 prise. — Attacked by a malignant Fever. — Five of my Men 
 prostrated by the same Disease. — Anticipate a like Fate for 
 the Remainder of my Party. — I hesitate about incurring the 
 Responsibility of persisting in my Enterprise. — Determine, 
 on Reflection, to do so 236 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 A Leopard hunted by Dogs. — An extraordinary Leap. — Leop- 
 ards and Panthers. — Their stealthy, fawning Mode of attack- 
 ing their Prey. — The Chetah. — An Antelope Hunt. — Among 
 the Elephants again. — A Presentiment and a Prophecy. — 
 An exciting Chase. — A Night Hunt. — A pastoral Picture of 
 Elephants enjoying themselves. — A dangerous Position. — 
 A Mistake. — Two Elephants shot instead of one. — A glori- 
 ous Day’s Sport. — Three Elephants bagged. — A new Attack 
 of Fever 243 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 XV 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 On the Okavango again. — The Numbers on our Sick-list in- 
 crease. — Partial Recoveries and Relapses. — The numerous 
 Species of Fish in the River all edible, and some delicious. 
 — Fishing. — Singular Contrivances for catching Fish. — Al- 
 ligators and Hippopotami, Otters. — My original Project of 
 proceeding northward. — Generosity of Chikongo. — Pereira 
 and Mortar take the Fever. — Obliged to abandon my long- 
 cherished Scheme. — A precipitate Retreat. — The Okavango 
 perfectly unknown to Europeans. — An Excursion toward its 
 Source recommended. — The native Portuguese not aware 
 of the River’s Existence. — The Unhealthiness of the Climate 
 confined probably to the Spring Season. — Malaria from the 
 Lagoons Page 255 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 Departure from the Okavango. — Very slow Progress. — The 
 Country retraced devoid of natural Springs. — No Water to 
 be procured for Cattle on our Retreat. — Obliged to halt till 
 the rainy Season set in. — A Return to Ombongo in prospect. 
 — Live-stock getting very low. — Too ill for Elephant-hunt- 
 ing. — Pereira recovers. — He is dispatched with an Attend- 
 ant or two to Otjimbingue, to inform Friends of my awk- 
 ward Position, and to procure Provisions. — Visit from Bush- 
 men sent by a Party of the Ovambo encamped about two 
 Days’ J ourney from us. — Suspicions of the Intentions of this 
 Party. — Spies in the Camp. — Dangers threaten. — The Camp 
 fortified. — Description of fortified Camp in the Desert. 262 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 Tidings of Pereira. — He falls in with a suspicious-looking Party 
 of Ovambo. — The Country all around on Fire. — Suspect the 
 Ovambo wish to burn me out. — Visit from Chikongo, an 
 Ovambo Chief, Brother of the Chief of the same Name be- 
 fore mentioned. — The whole Neighborhood again in a Blaze 
 
XVI 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 within a hundred Yards of the Camp. — Interview with Chi- 
 kongo, escorted by sixty Attendants fully armed. — The 
 Chiefs Professions most friendly. — On my Guard against 
 Treachery. — Showed him I had nothing to fear from him, but 
 he had much to fear from me. — Chikongo’s Invitation. — • 
 Presents interchanged. — My Illness continues. — Study of 
 Natural History. — A Collection of Birds and Insects. — Par- 
 tridges. — Antelopes. — Another Elephant shot. — Anticipa- 
 tion of a Feast Page 270 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 Anxiety about Pereira. — His safe Return. — Rejoicings. — He 
 brings Intelligence that Mr. Frederick Green is on his Way 
 to join me. — The extreme Precariousness of my Situation. — 
 Native Politics. — A “ Commando” with a numerous Escort 
 dispatched from Ondonga to destroy me. — This fearful In- 
 telligence brings Mr. Green to my Rescue. — An heroic Act 
 of Friendship. — The Expedition sent against me arrives. — 
 The murderous Project abandoned. — The Dangers escaped 
 by Pereira. — Green’s Difficulties in advancing. — I go to 
 meet him. — A rather arduous Enterprise. — The joyful Meet- 
 ing. — Prospects not much mended by it. — Resolved, after 
 much Hesitation on my Part, to proceed to Mr. Green’s En- 
 campment on the Omuramba. — Singular Hardships and Fa- 
 tigues of this Journey. — Scarcity of Water. — Thirst. — Suf- 
 fering from excessive Heat 280 
 
 CHAPTER XXIY. 
 
 Homeward Course pursued. — The Omuramba Water-course. 
 — Whence, being sometimes dry, does it derive its frequent 
 Flood of Water ? — The rainy Season. — Sufferings from Wet- 
 ness and Wind. — A Bushman devoured by a Lion Man-eater. 
 — A Lion Hunt. — A marvelous Shot in the Dark. — A Duel 
 in the Desert. — A Lion killed. — A perilous Position. — A 
 wonderful Escape. — A Lion’s Grief for the Loss of his 
 Friend. — The History of two Lions, the Terror of the Dis- 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 XVII 
 
 trict. — Three Men carried off in the Night from a Village 
 by the Man-eaters. — A hundred human Beings fall a Prey 
 to them. — The Country thereabouts abandoned by human 
 Beings Page 289 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 More Lion Adventures. — A Cow' carried off. — -An Ambush, 
 baited by a Goat, laid for the Thief. — A Lion Hunt. — Beat- 
 ing up the Country. — Retreat of the Enemy in a Brake. — 
 Courage of a Hog. — The Animal driven out of the Brake by 
 setting it on fire. — Cowardice of most of the Party in run- 
 ning away as soon as the Lion appears. — The Lion attacks 
 his Assailant. — A Shot takes no Effect. — Bodily Encounter 
 with the Lion. — He receives a Shot in the Shoulder while 
 struggling with his human Antagonist, who escapes. — Is 
 precipitated to the Ground by an Occident. — Tussle with 
 the Lion while on the Ground. — Terribly mutilated. — The 
 Lion shot by D > while mangling his Victim. — The Nar- 
 rator’s Account confirmed by his runaway Party 304 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 e _ 
 
 Introduction. — Saldanha Bay. — St. Helen’s Bay. — The Berg 
 River. — Lambert’s Cove. — Cape Honkin and Donkin’s' Bay. 
 — The Oliphant River. — Mitchell’s Bay. — Hondeklipp Bay. 
 — The Koussie River. — Cape Voltas. — Homewood and Pea- 
 cock Harbors. — Alexander Bay. — The Orange River: De- 
 scription, Scenery, precious Stones ; central Course unknown. 
 — Boundary of British Dominions. — Angras Juntas. — Pos- 
 session Island. — Elizabeth Bay. — Angra Pequena. — Pedes- 
 tal Point. — Robert Harbor. — Ichaboe. — Hottentot Bay.— - 
 Rae’s Bay. — Spencer’s Bay. — Mercury Island. — Hollam’s 
 Bird Isle. — Sandwich Harbor 318 
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 The Swakop River. — Half-moon Bay. — The Omaruru River. 
 — Cape Cross. — The wrecked Vessel. — Mount Messum. — 
 
 B 
 
xviii 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 Berg Damaras. — Hogden’s Harbor. — Cock’s Comb and 
 Sugar Loaf. — Supposed permanent Stream. — Fort Rock 
 Point. — Cape Frio. — The Cunene, or bourse River. — Great 
 Fish Bay. — Formation and Disappearance of Bays, etc. — 
 Excursion inland from Great Fish Bay. — The Nourse River 
 again. — Bembarougi. — Port Alexander. — The River Flamin- 
 gos. — The Natives. — Fossil Shells. — Summary. — Concluding 
 Remarks : Rivers, Harbors, Islands, etc. ; Winds, Tempera- 
 ture, Rollers ; Scarcity of Rain Page 341 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 A Contrast. — Discouragement with respect to Settlement in 
 one Part of Africa counterbalanced by the Encouragement 
 it meets with at 250 miles from Table Bay. — Establishment 
 on the River Knysna. — Dangerous Entrance to the Harbor. 
 — A tremendous Surf. — Perils incurred in getting into safe 
 Water. — Description. — Fine Scenery. — A fatal Act of Dar- 
 ing. — A noble and diversified Prospect. — Delicious Climate. 
 — Description of Landscape. — Salt Marshes. — Government 
 Dock-yard. — A Night Scene. — European Visitors. — An 
 English Gentleman-Farmer. — Plattenburg’s Bay. — Forest 
 Scenery. — Birds of gorgeous Plumage not Vocalists. — Gen- 
 eral Prospects of the Settlement 373 
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 The Guano Trade. — When Guano was first used in Agriculture. 
 — Its Discovery in Africa. — The Island of Ichaboe : its An- 
 chorage ; Rollers. — The Treasures of Ichaboe made known 
 by Mr. Livingstone. — First Attempt to reach the Island a 
 Failure; a second succeeds. — Vessels arrive in Numbers. — 
 Immense Deposits of Guano. — The Penguin. — The Pen- 
 guin’s Lament. — Stages for loading Vessels. — The “Flying 
 Railway.” — Committee of Safety. — Guano Pits. — Squab- 
 bles among the Captains and others. — The Guano Fever ver- 
 sified. — The Island is properly divided. — Ichaboe presents 
 an animated Scene. — Bad Doings on the Island. — Sir J. Mar- 
 shall. — Guano Pits exhausted. — Concluding Remarks. 388 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 1. The African Elephant 
 
 
 2. Portrait of the Author (engraved 
 Steel from a Photograph) 
 
 ON 
 
 . Vignette. 
 
 3. First Progress 
 
 To face page 
 
 35 
 
 4. Crossing a burning Savanna 
 
 a 
 
 a 
 
 75 
 
 5. A well-stocked Shooting-ground . . . 
 
 a 
 
 tt 
 
 96 
 
 6. A Right Royal Front 
 
 a 
 
 a 
 
 116 
 
 7. Furious Charge of a? Paterfamilias 
 
 a 
 
 it 
 
 127 
 
 8. Chase of the Wild Boar 
 
 u 
 
 it 
 
 143 
 
 9. Disappointed Lions 
 
 a 
 
 it 
 
 159 
 
 10. Death of a Lion 
 
 a 
 
 it 
 
 165 
 
 11. Pursuit of an Elephant 
 
 a 
 
 li 
 
 209 
 
 12. The White Man a Show 
 
 it 
 
 it 
 
 229 
 
 13. The Leopard and his Prey 
 
 it 
 
 it 
 
 247 
 
 14. A horrible Surprise 
 
 u 
 
 it 
 
 299 
 
 15. Death-grapple with a Lion 
 
 n 
 
 it 
 
 317 
 
 16. Group of Natives near Great Fish 
 Bay 
 
 a 
 
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 358 
 
 17. Island of Ichaboe 
 
 tt 
 
 li 
 
 399 
 
 Map of Southern Africa 
 
 a 
 
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 XX. 
 
NOTE TO THE AMERICAN EDITION. 
 
 The English edition of the Okavango River contains no 
 Map or Table of Distances. The American Publishers have 
 endeavored to supply this deficiency by inserting the accom- 
 panying map, originally prepared for Livingstone’s Travels. 
 The principal points ascertained by Mr. Andersson having been 
 added, this is the best accessible map of Southern Africa. 
 
 Mr. Andersson furnishes few dates or distances. The follow- 
 ing summary will enable the reader to follow him on his jour- 
 neys toward the Okavango. 
 
 He left Otjimbingue (about lat. 22° S., long. 15 ° W.) March 
 22, 1858 , reaching the Omaruru River in a fortnight; thence 
 set off through the Kaoko, by way of Okoa, which place was - 
 reached early in May. After trying different routes for three 
 weeks, he was compelled to turn back by the want of water, 
 reaching Okoa May 25 , and the Omaruru July 1. Here he re- 
 mained till the 20th; then set off to the northeast, by way of 
 the Omuramba, having sent his wagon to Otjimbingue to be re- 
 paired. He remained on the Omuramba till August 29 , when, 
 the wagon having returned, he set out northward, reaching 
 Lake Omanbonde September 16 . He remained in the region 
 of the lake till January, 1859 , when he started for a river which 
 the Ovambo call the Mukuru-Mukovanga. 
 
 Reaching it, he found that instead of running west to the 
 sea, it flowed east, directly into the heart of the continent. The 
 natives call this river the Okavango. He does not give the 
 date of his reaching the river, but it must have been in March, 
 1859 , a year after he started on his journey. He remained in 
 the neighborhood of the river nearly three months, but was un- 
 able to make any extensive explorations, on account of-the sick- 
 ness of himself and his men. He started homeward June 6, 
 1859 , but, it being the dry season, was detained for months in 
 the country of the hostile Ovambo. Having dispatched a mes- 
 senger setting forth his peril, his former traveling companion, 
 Mr. Green, set out for his relief, and reached him toward the 
 end of November. They arrived at the missionary stations 
 in the spring of 1860 , the journey to and from the Okavango 
 thus occupying two years. 
 
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THE OKAVANGO RIVER. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Project of an Expedition into the Interior with Mr. Green.— 
 Mr. Green’s Expedition to Libebe. — Professor Wahlberg 
 killed by an Elephant. — Another Expedition of Mr. Green 
 in search of the River Cunene. — Two Rhenish Missionaries, 
 Messrs. Hahn and Rath, join Mr. Green. — Visit to the 
 Ovambo. — Treachery of King Nangoro. — The exploring 
 Party attacked by his Orders by a large Body of Natives. 
 — The Victory of the Europeans. — Six hundred fighting 
 Men beaten by thirteen. — The accidental Discovery of a 
 Fresh-water Lake called Onondova. — The farther Prosecu- 
 tion of the Expedition renounced. — I determine on resum- 
 ing it in Person. — Difficulties to be overcome. — Traveling 
 Equipment and Suite. — Particular Objects of the Expedi- 
 tion. — Motives for choosing my Route through Western 
 Damara Land. 
 
 Toward the end of 1856 I found myself once 
 more back at the Cape, having, in the interim be- 
 tween this period and my last exploring expedi- 
 tion, been on a visit to Europe, partly with a view 
 to see my relations, friends, and acquaintances, 
 and partly in order to publish my travels (“Lake 
 Ngami’ 1 ). I had no fixed plan for the future ; but, 
 previous to my departure from the Cape, I had 
 promised a friend — Mr. Frederick Green — to join 
 
22 
 
 EXPEDITION TO LIB^IBE. 
 
 him on an exploring and hunting tour into the 
 distant interior. Mr. Green, who had in the mean 
 time undertaken an expedition to some extent on 
 his own account, had not yet returned to the Cape 
 on my arrival at that place, nor could I hear of his 
 movements or exact whereabouts. This left me 
 rather in a fix. For two months I waited pa- 
 tiently, but with no better result. At the end of 
 this period I was offered the management of cer- 
 tain mines on the borders of Great Namaqua and 
 Dai nar a Land, and as I could ill afford to idle 
 away my time, Mr. Green’s return seeming so un- 
 certain, I accepted, after some little hesitation, the 
 proffered post, which was one of considerable dif- 
 ficulty and responsibility. Scarcely was this ar- 
 rangement concluded when my friend suddenly 
 made his appearance at the Cape. On hearing of 
 my new engagement he was naturally disappoint- 
 ed ; the regret was mutual. 
 
 In company with a Mr. Wilson, Mr. Green had, 
 on the expedition above alluded to, penetrated from 
 the Lake regions to Libebe, up to that time an al- 
 most terra incognita. They had accomplished this 
 exploration partly by water and partly by land, 
 but the undertaking encountered the most serious 
 obstacles and terrible hardships. Mr. Green has 
 published a short account of it in the Cape “East- 
 ern Province Magazine, 11 for which narrative I beg 
 to refer the curious to the June and July numbers 
 of that periodical for 1857. 
 
THE RIVER CUNENE. 
 
 23 
 
 Subsequently Mr. Green joined the late esteemed 
 and much lamented Professor Wahlberg in an ex- 
 cursion to the eastward of Lake Ngami, chiefly 
 with a view to hunting. This proved a most dis- 
 astrous expedition, for it ended in the death of 
 the professor, who was killed by an enraged and 
 wounded elephant. 
 
 Nothing daunted, however, by his friend’s fright- 
 ful fate, or by his own sufferings and hardships, 
 Mr. Green determined once more to take the field, 
 this time in a direction totally different to his for- 
 mer wanderings, viz., in search of the Biver Cunene, 
 a point that Mr. Galton and myself had failed in 
 reaching in the year IB 50. 
 
 Our arrangements were soon completed, and in 
 the course of a week or so we found ourselves on 
 our way to Walwich Bay; I for the purpose of 
 undertaking the management of the mines above 
 mentioned, and Mr. Green to prosecute his journey 
 into the interior. This journey had a threefold 
 object — -exploring, hunting, and bartering. It was, 
 however, not until some months had elapsed after 
 our arrival at Walwich Bay that Mr. Green was 
 able to take, in the month of April, 1857, his final 
 departure. The route he intended to pursue was 
 somewhat doubtful ; but for a certain distance he 
 purposed following the course of the Omuramba 
 Ua’ Matako, taking en route Otjimbingue, Barmen, 
 Schmelens Hope, etc. 
 
 At this period two Bhenish missionaries — the 
 
24 TREACHERY OF KING NANGORO. 
 
 Rev. Messrs. Hahn and Rath, residing respectively 
 at Barmen and Otjimbingue — also proposed visit- 
 ing the Ovambo, whence, if practicable, to penetrate 
 to the Cunene. They left some weeks after Mr. 
 Green had passed their stations, but, owing to 
 various delays, overtook my friend (after about a 
 month’s journeying) at a fountain called Otjituo, 
 situated on a branch of the Omuramba IJa 1 Matako. 
 Previous to their arrival here Mr. Green had made 
 a short exploring tour to the eastward, but, not 
 finding a sufficiency of water, he deemed the road 
 in that direction impracticable for attaining his ob- 
 ject. In consequence of this failure, it was agreed 
 that they should all form one party, and first visit 
 the Ovambo, with the intention of proceeding 
 thence on to the Cunene. 
 
 To shorten a long story, I will merely say that 
 the travelers arrived in safety in the Ovambo 
 country, and were at first exceedingly well received 
 by King Nangoro. This good reception, however, 
 turned out at last to be but treacherous ; for, as 
 the party were one morning about to retrace their 
 steps from Ondonga, they were suddenly attacked 
 by his orders. Fortunately they were not alto- 
 gether unprepared, having received frequent hints 
 of the kind intentions of their friends , as they called 
 themselves. By a most determined and judicious 
 resistance, they not only secured their own safety, 
 but completely defeated the Ovambo, with the loss 
 of but one native attendant, who was stabbed by 
 
DEATH BY BRIGHT. BATTLE AND VICTORY. 25 
 
 the side of Mr. Hahn’s wagon previous to the 
 commencement of the affray. The Ovambo, on 
 the other hand, had many killed and wounded. 
 Among the former was one of Nangoro’s sons. 
 Indeed, the king himself met his death on this 
 memorable occasion ; for, on hearing the repeated 
 discharges of fire-arms, he became so terrified that 
 his bowels burst asunder, and he fell down dead on 
 the spot. It was supposed, at the lowest calcula- 
 tion, that at one time the assailants of the English 
 party must have amounted to six hundred fighting 
 men, all well armed with kieries, assegais, bows and 
 arrows, while the travelers could only muster thir- 
 teen men capable of bearing arms, some of whom, 
 moreover, had other duties to attend to, such as 
 driving wagons, cattle, etc. In short, their victory 
 was most wonderful, and deserves to be chronicled 
 among heroic deeds. Shortly after I heard of it I 
 sent an account of the event to the Cape “Month- 
 ly Magazine,” to which I beg to refer the readers, 
 should they feel interested in its details. 
 
 After such a tremendous lesson, my friends, as 
 may be well imagined, gave up all farther hopes 
 of reaching the Cunene, and forthwith retraced 
 their steps to their respective homes, Mr. Green 
 lingering somewhat behind his fellow-travelers. 
 
 I have omitted to mention one interesting fact 
 connected with this expedition, and which, in some 
 measure, redeems the credit of the undertaking. 
 This was the discovery of a fresh-water lake, called 
 
26 ACCIDENTAL DISCOVERY OP A LAKE. 
 
 Onondova, which the explorers actually stumbled 
 upon ; for, though they had people with them per- 
 fectly well acquainted with the country, they were 
 not aware of its existence until they actually and 
 accidentally caught sight of the water . This lake, 
 as far as it is possible to judge either from the west 
 or east — and I have been within a couple of days 1 
 journey of it — is situated in about lat. 21°, and 
 long. 19°. The travelers did not go round it, they 
 merely saw it at its eastern extremity; but water 
 appeared as far as the eye could reach all round, 
 and they estimated its circumference at from twen- 
 ty-five to thirty English miles. Mr. Galt on and 
 myself, in the year 1850, actually passed within 
 one day’s march of this superb inland sea without 
 —such is the difiiculty of obtaining information 
 from the natives — having the slightest suspicion 
 of its existence. 
 
 By the time Mr. Green had returned to Otjim- 
 bingue my engagement with the Walwich Bay 
 Mining Company had nearly expired, and as it 
 had given but little satisfaction to either party, we 
 were neither of us willing to renew it. 
 
 On this expiration of my contract it was my 
 original intention to have returned forthwith to 
 the Cape, but I felt so disappointed at my friend’s 
 failure in not reaching the Cunene (to which enter- 
 prise, besides, I had devoted considerable pecuniary 
 assistance) that, after some little hesitation, I de- 
 termined to solve, if possible, the difficult problem 
 
OUTFIT. TRAVELING ESTABLISHMENT. 
 
 27 
 
 in person. There was, however, considerable diffi- 
 culty in realizing my plan without first visiting the 
 Cape, for I was totally destitute of the necessary 
 outfit, even down to my personal wearing apparel. 
 On the other hand, a journey to the Cape would in 
 all probability have involved so much loss of time 
 that I might thereby have run the risk of losing 
 the season , i. e ., a whole year, a consideration of 
 no small importance to a poor fellow like myself. 
 Yet I did not remain long undecided. After care- 
 fully considering all the pros and cons , I determ- 
 ined to proceed on the journey without delay ; and 
 as there is always a way where there is a will, 
 I succeeded, by dint of patience and perseverance, 
 in collecting a fair assortment of the most need- 
 ful and important prerequisites, begging or buying 
 some article of clothing here, borrowing a gun 
 there, and so on, till, after five weeks of incessant 
 application, working, so to speak, night and day, I 
 was ready to take my departure. But here let me 
 pause for a moment, that I may return my sincere 
 thanks to the kind friends who aided me in my 
 equipment. I will not mention individual names, 
 since each and all of those to whom I allude vied 
 with each other in rendering assistance to the sol- 
 itary traveler. Without their cordial co-operation 
 my plan must have failed. 
 
 Now for a few words before I proceed with my 
 narrative about my traveling establishment. My 
 servants were as follows : one cook, acting as con- 
 
28 
 
 FOLLOWERS. 
 
 fidential servant ; one general attendant, who also 
 superintended my native “ personnel one wagon- 
 driver, one leader, one guide, two herds, two inter- 
 preters, and one or two lads whose duty consisted 
 in making themselves generally useful — that is, 
 eleven men in toto; no great force, certainly, to en- 
 ter upon the exploration of a wild and unknown 
 region. Of all this little band of followers, John 
 Mortar and J ohn Pereira, the first two on my list, 
 were the only persons on whom, in a case of emer- 
 gency, I could rely. Those who have perused 
 “ Tropical South Africa” and “Lake Ngami” will 
 at once recognize in the first of these names Mr. 
 Galton’s cook, who, through a difficult and harass- 
 ing expedition, proved himself so faithful and trust- 
 worthy. Mortar had, when he entered mine, just 
 left Mr. Green’s service, where he had earned for 
 himself a similarly good character. I considered 
 myself most fortunate in securing so tried and val- 
 uable a servant. It will be remembered that this 
 man was a native of Madeira, and consequently 
 well acquainted with the Portuguese language. 
 John Pereira was of Malabar descent. He had 
 received a most liberal, and, for his station in life, 
 unusual education. He wrote a fair hand, spoke 
 and wrote English, Dutch, and Portuguese fluently, 
 understood Chinese and several Hindostanee dia- 
 lects, and could translate Latin, which is more than 
 I can do myself. 
 
 The rest of my servants being all native attend- 
 
OBJECT IN VIEW. 
 
 29 
 
 ants, and distinguished for no remarkable quality 
 (except Kamapjie and Tom, both capital “trackers” 
 and interpreters), I pass them over in silence. I 
 have only to add, that besides several other barbar- 
 ous tongues, my men spoke Damara, Hottentot, 
 Sichuana, and Portuguese, languages most likely to 
 come into requisition. 
 
 The remainder of my establishment consisted of 
 one wagon, thirty first-rate trek oxen, five draught 
 and carriage oxen, eleven young oxen, four donkeys, 
 one old horse, seventy sheep and goats, chiefly for 
 slaughter, and, lastly, but not the least important, 
 about a dozen dogs of a somewhat mongrel descrip- 
 tion, though good enough as watch-dogs, for which 
 service they were principally required. 
 
 The chief object of the expedition was, as already 
 stated, to penetrate to the Cunene ; and farther, 
 supposing a safe arrival on the banks of that river, 
 to explore it either toward its source or toward its 
 embouchure, according to the point where I might 
 happen to strike it. Moreover, if time and means 
 admitted, I intended thence to make an excursion 
 to some Portuguese settlement on the west coast, 
 such as Mossamedos, Benguela, etc. 
 
 If I succeeded in accomplishing these purposes 
 the following results would be obtained, viz. : the 
 great blanks in the maps between Damara and 
 Ovambo Land, and in Dr. Livingstone’s remarka- 
 ble journey from the banks of Sesheke to St. Paul 
 de Loanda, wquld be filled up, while vast, and prob- 
 
30 
 
 CHOICE OF ROUTE. 
 
 ably rich regions would be opened to the influence 
 of commerce and civilization. 
 
 It was only a few days previous to my departure 
 from Otjimbingue that I could make up my mind 
 as to what route to select in order to reach the 
 Cunene River. I had the choice of two: either 
 through the Kaoko (Western Damara Land), or 
 via Omuramba Ua’ Matako, the track pursued for 
 a considerable distance by Mr. Green. The first 
 of these routes was unquestionably the most direct, 
 but then the country to be traversed was entirely 
 unknown. Moreover, should I choose it, I should 
 have to pass through tribes akin to the Ovambo — 
 a by no means agreeable prospect, since it was im- 
 possible to know in what mood these people might 
 be found, or, rather, what influence the disastrous 
 encounter of the Ovambo a few months before, al- 
 ready alluded to, might have had upon them. The 
 Omuramba Ua’ Matako, on the other hand, Though 
 a more circuitous route, afforded for a long distance 
 a safe passage, yielding during two thirds of the 
 year an abundant supply of water and game — con- 
 siderations of the most vital importance. Besides, 
 having reached Mr. Green’s farthest easterly point, 
 I should, in all probability, not have above a fort- 
 night’s journey to the Cunene, or at least some 
 river connected with it. I was, therefore, strongly 
 urged to select this route. We generally, however, 
 prefer our own counsel to that of disinterested 
 
REASONS FOR IT. 
 
 31 
 
 friends, so I at last determined on striking through 
 Western Damara Land. 
 
 I had some strong reasons for adopting this 
 course. I had been given to understand that the 
 Kaoko abounded in elephants and other large 
 game, and that of water there was there no posi- 
 tive dearth. I reasoned in this way : it is now the 
 very best part of the rainy season, consequently 
 drought can not prove a hinderance ; a couple of 
 months 1 traveling or less will in all probability 
 bring me to the borders of the different Ovambo 
 territories, and if I then find the country imprac- 
 ticable in that direction, I shall still have sufficient 
 time to try my luck in ..another quarter before the 
 dry season sets in. On the other hand, if I succeed 
 in getting through in safety (after having ascended 
 the Cunene toward its source), the Omuramba Ua 1 
 Matako will afford a convenient and safe route by 
 which a weary traveler may retrace his steps to 
 Damara Land. I was sadly disappointed in all 
 my anticipations, as the sequel will show. 
 
32 
 
 DEPARTURE. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Departure. — Leave-taking. — Slow Progress. — Live-stock. — 
 Omaruru River. — Scenery. — Cutting a Way through the 
 Bush. — Escape and Capture of my Horse. — A serious Ac- 
 cident. — A Forest of Trees without Thorns. — A delightful 
 Surprise. — The Damara Parent-tree. — Tracks of Elephants. 
 — Magnificent Range of Hills. — Periodical Water-course. — 
 A Mountain Gorge. — Difficulty of finding a Route. — The 
 Passage for the Wagon impracticable. — The Wagon smash- 
 ed to Pieces. — Narrow Escape of the Oxen-driver. — Wagon 
 repaired and reladen. — Route in a new Direction. — En- 
 campment. — Country densely bushed. 
 
 On the 2 2d of March I left Otjimbingue, accom- 
 panied by the good wishes of an assemblage of 
 numerous friends and acquaintances. There was 
 much shaking of hands, many a “God speed you,” 
 many a “God bless you” uttered. The women 
 wiped their eyes — 
 
 “ The April’s in her eyes ; 
 
 Her tongue will not obey her heart, nor can 
 Her heart inform her tongue ” 
 
 The children cried because ma did so ; the little 
 urchins shouted, and the men greeted me with 
 tremendous and repeated volleys of fire-arms; in 
 short, it was a complete “scene;” my departure oc- 
 casioned as much noise and bustle as a visit from the 
 Queen of England to this country would have done. 
 
FIRST PROGRESS. 
 
LEAVE-TAKING. 
 
 35 
 
 Taking leave of a place which has been one’s 
 abode for some time, though neither one’s home, 
 nor associated with any particular or fond recollec- 
 tion, is always a sad and solemn incident in life. 
 In the present instance I felt the woman more than 
 once rise to my eyes, and why not ? How was I to 
 know that this was not my last farewell ? my last 
 link of connection with a people capable of sympa- 
 thizing with, and caring for the stranger? while an 
 unknown, inhospitable region of indefinite extent 
 lay before me, inhabited by savage beasts and still 
 more savage men. 
 
 At first our progress was exceedingly slow, being 
 sometimes delayed for days by deluging rains. The 
 soil became by these torrents in places so soft and 
 yielding that the wheels of our wagon frequently 
 sank into it above their naves, whence they could 
 only be extricated by immense exertions, and, what 
 was worse, at the cost of some important part of 
 the vehicle. Indeed, I had some serious wheel- 
 wright work to perform. The wagon, being very 
 heavily laden, yielded but slowly to our efforts. 
 The draught oxen, too, though of the very best de- 
 scription, sometimes got discouraged by the excess- 
 ive badness of the country. After the lapse of 
 nearly a fortnight, however, I found myself on the 
 banks of the Omaruru River, or about seventy 
 English miles, as the crow flies, from my starting- 
 point. 
 
 Up to this period nothing worth recording had 
 
36 
 
 VORACITY OF NATIVES. 
 
 occurred, if I except an accident jto myself. I was 
 stalking some giraffes, and, while pushing a heavy 
 elephant rifle before me, something caught the trig- 
 ger and caused the piece to explode. Unfortunate- 
 ly, the full force of its recoil struck the inside of 
 my naked right arm near the elbow, and occasioned 
 a severe jagged wound. 
 
 Of game, contrary to my expectation, we had 
 seen little or nothing, and I began to have the most 
 serious forebodings for the future. A person not 
 acquainted with the voracity of native attendants 
 can scarcely understand why I should so early have 
 felt uncomfortable on this head, as I have mention- 
 ed that I started with about seventy sheep and 
 goats ; but this would scarcely afford provision for 
 a hundred days to my party, and, for aught we 
 knew, the expedition might extend over a period 
 of twelve, eighteen, or even twenty-four months. 
 The reader will now perhaps better understand my 
 anxiety. 
 
 The Omaruru River is the second in size and 
 importance of the great arteries which intersect 
 Damara Land. It drains a considerable extent of 
 country, and is nearly as large as the Swakop, but 
 inferior to that stream in the quality of its water, 
 especially for pasturage purposes. Where I crossed 
 it its bed is nearly a quarter of a mile broad, and 
 its banks are studded with fine groups and groves 
 of various acacias and mimosas, plants indigenous 
 to the soil. The river commands, moreover, at this 
 
THE OMARURU RIVER. 
 
 37 
 
 point, some of the finest hill-scenery in Damara 
 Land. Its periodical flow had just ceased, but lit- 
 tle rills were seen still meandering here and there 
 through its extensive channel. As the Omaruru 
 approaches the sea, its aspect, however, greatly 
 changes for the worse. At about this time on the 
 preceding year I had occasion to journey up its 
 course as far as two days’ distance from its embou- 
 chure, and a more desolate and sterile expanse than 
 the country presented can scarcely be conceived. 
 The river had forced a passage through low broken 
 ranges of primary rock of a very dark color, with 
 occasional streaks and dikes of white quartz and 
 granite. This greatly -increased the general hide- 
 ousness of the scene, while outside these rocky de- 
 files immense barren flats extended as far as the 
 eye could reach. 
 
 I find the following note in my journal descrip- 
 tive of this tract: “When a heavy sea-fog rests 
 on these uncouth and rugged surfaces — and it does 
 so very often — a place fitter to represent the infer- 
 nal regions could scarcely, in searching the world 
 round, be found. A shudder, amounting almost 
 to fear, came over me when its frightful desolation 
 first suddenly broke upon my view. “Death,” I 
 exclaimed, “would be preferable to banishment to 
 such a country.” 
 
 After a few days’ stay on the Omaruru River we 
 took our departure again for the north. The rains 
 had now ceased to annoy us, or, at least, fell only in 
 
38 
 
 THORN JUNGLES. 
 
 such limited quantities as not to impede our prog- 
 ress. But this was only changing one evil for an- 
 other, for harassing thorn jungles at present beset 
 us on every side. Hitherto we had, by chopping 
 away an occasional bush or two, managed to get 
 through comfortably enough, but now the country 
 had become densely wooded, and continued to be so 
 for a very considerable distance. Indeed, for up- 
 ward of one hundred miles we had literally to cut 
 our ivay step by step; it was not mere bushes either 
 that we had to clear away, but trees also, varying 
 from a few inches to as much as two feet in diameter. 
 Pick and crowbar [for fortunately I had taken the 
 precaution to be pretty well provided with road- 
 making implements] were, besides, frequently put 
 into requisition — in short, it was chop, pick, and 
 heave the livelong day, from sunrise to sunset. It 
 was most severe and harassing work. The wagon 
 sail, which was made of the best ship’s canvas, was 
 torn to shreds — a good criterion of the terrible un- 
 couthness of the country. For fear of being with- 
 out a roof altogether, we were obliged to patch up, 
 as we went along, the ragged sail with the skins of 
 the slaughtered sheep and goats. 
 
 A few days after leaving the Omaruru Piver an 
 accident occurred that put me to some inconven- 
 ience. I was riding leisurely along in advance of 
 the wagon, hoping to fall in with some game, when, 
 while passing through a thick brake, I espied a gi- 
 raffe. I at once gave the spurs to my steed, but 
 
A RUNAWAY HORSE, AND HYENAS. 39 
 
 the quarry was almost immediately lost to view. 
 Pulling up at the nearest tree, I sprang to the 
 ground, leaving the horse standing with the reins 
 on his neck, as I had often left him before. I then 
 began climbing the tree, that I might have a good 
 roundabout view ; but, when half way up, to my 
 surprise and extreme annoyance, I saw the horse 
 coolly turn on his heels and canter off. I could 
 not help exclaiming to myselfj “A fig for my gun 
 now!” for, as ill luck would have it, a valuable 
 double-barreled smooth-bore Westly Richard was 
 in the gun-bag on the horse's back. It was, in fact, 
 the only gun (barring a large elephant rifle) that I 
 could depend upon ; the mischief therefore done 
 was very great. Once before the horse had made 
 off, but then fortunately without any thing but his 
 saddle. However, taking for granted that the brute 
 would make for the nearest water, which we had 
 only just left, I put the best face I could on the 
 matter, and forthwith rejoined the wagon, whence 
 I dispatched several men in pursuit of the fugitive, 
 the wagon in the mean time proceeding slowly on 
 its way. It was not until the third day that the 
 runaway was secured, when his capture was purely 
 accidental. He had evidently meant to return to 
 Otjimbingue, but had been met and attacked by a 
 troop of hyenas, which he had, it appeared, after a 
 desperate struggle, succeeded in beating off. In 
 the scuffle the saddle had got under his belly ; one 
 of his fore legs, too, had got afterward entangled in 
 
40 
 
 A SEVERE FALL. 
 
 the girths, and this had fortunately brought him to 
 a stand-still. The gun was recovered, but broken 
 short off in the stock, and otherwise most seriously 
 injured. With considerable difficulty I succeeded 
 in repairing the damage, but never quite to my sat- 
 isfaction. 
 
 u Misfortune, ” says the adage, u never comes 
 alone, ” and it was strikingly verified in my case ; 
 for, on the very day after the mishap just alluded 
 to had occurred, another accident of even a more 
 serious character befell me. 
 
 We had encamped for the night in the neighbor- 
 hood of a place called Ongarivanda, and I had pro- 
 ceeded on foot to the hamlet to ascertain whether 
 water was to be had for the cattle. On my return, 
 passing at a rapid pace over a large mass of rug- 
 ged granite, my foot slipped, and I was precipitated 
 headlong to the ground. When suddenly and se- 
 verely hurt, a person is often all but insensible to 
 the pain — at least such is my experience ; but in 
 this instance I felt at the instant an agonizing chil- 
 liness creep over my body as the warm blood kept 
 oozing through my linen and trowsers. On recov- 
 ering from the shock, I discovered that large pieces 
 of flesh had been literally torn away from both my 
 arms, while my left knee (the right was also slight- 
 ly hurt) was most severely lacerated. The sun was 
 just setting, and I was three or four miles from 
 camp. I knew perfectly well that unless I got 
 back while the wounds were still moist and warm, 
 
AN OLD DRESSING-GOWN A TREASURE. 
 
 41 
 
 I should have to bunk it out on the cold naked 
 rock. With an effort, therefore, I rose and made 
 the best I could of my way to the wagon, which I 
 at last reached, somewhat after dark, the wound in 
 my knee being by no means improved by the exer- 
 tion. 
 
 This accident was a most unfortunate one: it 
 was not the pain, though severe enough, that I 
 dreaded, but the inconveniences attending it, for at 
 no period of my travels were my strength and en- 
 ergy more needed. I could not afford to wait until 
 my wounds were healed, nor had I the slightest 
 idea of returning by the route in which we were 
 now traveling. Consequently, it was of the utmost 
 importance to me to make all my observations as 
 I went along. There were astronomical observa- 
 tions to be made, bearings to be obtained, and a 
 knowledge to be acquired of the physical features 
 of the country, to say nothing of a host of duties 
 of a secondary importance, such as providing for 
 the larder, frequently repairing the wagon, and look- 
 ing out for and making roads, etc., etc. These 
 things were , however, all attended to. 
 
 Here I may as well mention that while, owing 
 to the injuries I had received, I could not bear any 
 tight-fitting garment, an old dressing-gown that I 
 happened to have by me proved quite a treasure. 
 At night it served as a blanket ; in a raw, chilly 
 morning it made a comfortable wrapper ; while in 
 cases of sickness it is to a traveler circumstanced as 
 
42 A DELIGHTFUL SURPRISE. THORNLESS TREES. 
 
 I was a luxury and comfort which can not be too 
 highly appreciated. 
 
 On the 14th of April, shortly after leaving the 
 fountain of Otjongoro, we suddenly found ourselves 
 traveling in a forest of tall, handsome trees, with- 
 out thorns ! I do not think that I was ever more 
 agreeably surprised in my life — not even on my 
 first entrance on the plains of Ondonga. The 
 change was so unexpected — a wood of beautiful fo- 
 liage is so rare in this wretched country — that for 
 a moment I hesitated to trust my senses. Even 
 the dull faces of my native attendants seemed for a 
 few seconds to relax from their usual heavy unin- 
 telligent cast, and to express joy at the novel scene. 
 
 The forest we were now passing through was 
 composed entirely of the tree called, in the Damara 
 language, omutali. This tree has a dark olive- 
 green leaf, in shape like a cloven heart, and emits, 
 when rubbed between the fingers, an agreeable aro- 
 matic scent. On the under surface of its leaves are 
 innumerable little insect-cells, of a sweet, sugary 
 substance. These cells are said to be much relish- 
 ed by the natives, who collect them in great quan- 
 tities as an article of food. The bark of the omu- 
 tali is of a yellowish-white, while its heart is of a 
 light mahogany color, and, as far as I can judge, 
 capable of receiving a very high polish. This part 
 of the tree is very closely grained, and so hard as 
 sometimes to blunt, at a single stroke, the best- 
 tempered tools. When a strain is applied to it 
 
THE DAMARA PARENT-TREE. 
 
 43 
 
 longitudinally it appears exceedingly strong, but a 
 sudden jerk or heavy transverse pressure will shiv- 
 er it in an instant. Being straight and slender, I 
 tried it for disselbooms, but, having demolished 
 three of them in the course of a single day’s jour- 
 ney, I gave the experiment up. For building pur- 
 poses and household utensils it seems that this 
 wood is well adapted ; it is exposed, however, to 
 the attacks of that destructive little insect, the 
 white ant. 
 
 Another tree, the omomborombonga, i. 6., the 
 Damara parent-tree, became also, in a little time, 
 pretty abundant; it is only found along river 
 courses, where it sometimes attains to most gigan- 
 tic proportions. The omomborombonga is very 
 rare in southern Damara Land, but is (as I have 
 already mentioned in my former work) common 
 enough to the eastward, on the direct route to Lake 
 Ngami — a circumstance which led me to believe 
 that the Damaras originally entered their present 
 abodes from that quarter. 
 
 The following rude lines pretty well describe the 
 qualities and peculiarities of this tree : 
 
 My name is omborombonga ; 
 
 I flourish south of Ondonga 
 
 (The country of agricultural Ovampo) ; 
 
 My land of birth is that of the past’ral ’Herero 
 (Better known as the race 
 Called Cattle Damaras), 
 
 Who claim me as their ma and pa, 
 
 And sure I do not know what a’ ; 
 
44 
 
 ELEPHANT TRACKS. 
 
 To me this ’s strange and odd, 
 
 For I yield nothing but wood. 
 
 But why blame people’s fancy ? — 
 
 Their parent I am and must be. 
 
 I am slow of growth, 
 
 Like gnarled oak, 
 
 Which I rival in girth, 
 
 And much outstrip in height, 
 
 Overtopping all forest trees. 
 
 My wood, hard, brittle, and cross, 
 
 Unfriendly to all edge tools, 
 
 Is light yellow at the outer rind, 
 
 But my stout heart is as red 
 As the sand of river-bed 
 By which I best thrive. 
 
 Centuries alfect me but little — 
 
 The elements assail me unavailingly — 
 
 In short, my age is a page 
 In Time’s Being. 
 
 The day after our agreeable surprise we arrived 
 at a very large fountain called Ondjuona (Little 
 Elephant). There I saw, for the first time on this 
 journey, fresh footprints of elephants — another de- 
 lightful surprise ! Cripple as I was, I managed to 
 drag myself to the water on the ensuing night for 
 the purpose of lying in ambush for the mighty 
 game ; but I waited to no purpose. The night 
 turned out cloudy, with a slight drizzling rain, and 
 no elephants visited the place. I could not afford 
 to delay, and so, on the next morning, we proceed- 
 ed on our journey. 
 
 The road, hitherto bad enough, now became ex- 
 
MAGNIFICENT MOUNTAIN SCENERY. 
 
 45 
 
 ecrable. Thom jungles, stones, ruts, ravines, wa- 
 ter-courses, etc., seemed all to unite to hinder our 
 farther progress. The labor, consequently, of find- 
 ing and clearing a passage became extremely severe 
 and harassing, and the risk, moreover, of having 
 the wagon capsized or smashed gave additional 
 anxiety. Fortunately, it was an exceedingly good 
 vehicle. “God,” said Pereira to me one day, 
 “watches over that wagon; 1 ’ and, truly, without 
 speaking irreverently, there seemed something prov- 
 idential in its numerous escapes. However, it did 
 not escape without injuries of various kinds, which 
 I managed, nevertheless, generally to repair in a 
 satisfactory manner. 
 
 On the 19th of April we found ourselves at the 
 base of a magnificent limestone (chalk) range, form- 
 ing part of an extensive mountain system. It pre- 
 sented the finest and most peculiar hill-scenery I 
 have ever seen. For upward of fifty miles it formed 
 a perfect table, with perpendicular side-cliffs many 
 hundred feet high.* Toward its western extremity 
 the range wak broken into detached “tables,” as 
 beauteous and varied in aspect as can possibly be 
 conceived. There were extensive fortifications, with 
 gigantic buttresses exquisitely “worked” in their de- 
 tails ; crumbling pieces of Gothic architecture, with 
 
 * Those of my readers who may have seen those remark- 
 able formations in Sweden called Halle and Hunneberg , may 
 form a tolerably correct notion of the range now alluded to, 
 for they resemble it closely both in aspect and character. 
 
46 
 
 A PERIODICAL WATER-COURSE. 
 
 all the delicate outlines, touches, characteristics, and 
 finish of that beautiful art ; splendid Italian villas, 
 with terrace-like slopes, besprinkled with decaying 
 sculptures, variegated marbles, huge sepulchral-like 
 caverns, stuccoed grottoes, and many other singular 
 and fantastic pageant forms. 
 
 .At the foot of this interesting range a noble peri- 
 odical water-course shaped its way, its banks clothed 
 with a rich verdure of every hue, while here and 
 there sprang up stately groups of acacias, inter- 
 spersed with pleasant shrubs and sweet-smelling 
 plants. Grass, also, of the rankest and most lux- 
 uriant description, fragrant with odors, reached, as 
 they labored along with the huge and cumbersome 
 vehicle behind them, the oxen’s bellies. In the back- 
 ground, and, indeed, almost every where around us, 
 the scene was bounded by extensive and lofty 
 mountain ranges, the magnificent and almost fault- 
 less granite cone Okonyenya rising in a distant 
 corner, in isolated grandeur, to a height of about 
 2200 feet above the neighboring country. Alto- 
 gether it was a striking and imposing spectacle, 
 wanting only a large body of permanent water to 
 make its beauty perfect. 
 
 On the ensuing night we bivouacked on the river 
 in question, just at a point where, creating a tre- 
 mendous chasm, it had forced a passage through a 
 projecting angle of the mountain. On one side 
 this mountain or rock rose nearly perpendicularly 
 to a height of at least 1000 feet, enveloping every 
 
LOCKED UP AMONG- THE HILLS. 
 
 47 
 
 object in darkness under its vast shadow, and giving 
 to the place an indescribably cheerless and gloomy 
 aspect. This picture, however, soon underwent a 
 change ; for the moon presently shone out in all 
 its brilliancy, diffusing a glorious light throughout 
 the whole gorge, the instant before so drear and 
 dismal. 
 
 The evening was calm and balmy, and the atmos- 
 phere steamed with sweet aromatic scents rising 
 from the grateful earth, just refreshed by heavy 
 thunder-showers. The solemnity of the hour and 
 of the scene, with all the circumstances of my posi- 
 tion, plunged me into a reflective mood ; and reflect 
 I did more than was my wont, for I had ample cause 
 to do so. 
 
 When yet at a distance I had carefully recon- 
 noitred this range through the telescope, and when 
 sufficiently near to scan it with the naked eye had 
 anxiously pried into its every crevice, every cranny, 
 every slight indentation, in the hope of finding some 
 break or opening to get across the mountain — all in 
 vain. To add to my perplexity, I could elicit no 
 satisfactory information from my guide, who had 
 only once, and then on foot, crossed the range be- 
 fore us. He was at all times singularly dull and 
 incommunicative, except when women and cattle 
 were spoken of, when he was talkative enough and 
 quite at home. He had previously assured me that 
 we should come to a place where it would take at 
 least “ten days to find a passage for the wagon.'” 
 
48 
 
 THE PASSAGE THROUGH THEM. 
 
 Now whether this was the spot or not I could not 
 ascertain. Patience, consequently, was my only stay 
 just at this time, though the morrow’s sun would 
 probably put an end to my doubts. It was, I own, 
 then, with a heavy heart that I betook myself to 
 rest that night. I had a vague presentiment of 
 some difficulty or danger, but was determined, come 
 in what shape it might, to brave it out. 
 
 The next day, at an early hour, we again moved 
 forward. The guide led us at first down the river 
 in a westerly direction, but, after a short ride, turn- 
 ed abruptly to the northward, at the same time en- 
 tering another defile running at right angles to the 
 course we had hitherto followed. This defile I had 
 been unable to see before on account of intervening 
 rocks. Well, up it we at first proceeded pretty 
 comfortably ; gradually, however, it became nar- 
 rower ; hundreds of little ravines intersected it in 
 every direction, considerably retarding our progress, 
 and finally bringing us to a dead stop. Retreat 
 was impossible, unless we had taken the wagon en- 
 tirely to pieces — a most inconvenient and disagree- 
 able alternative. The guide declared again and 
 again that there was not any other exit. In this 
 extremity, we renewed the attempt at pushing for- 
 ward, and so far, with great trouble and exertion, 
 succeeded that we had only about one hundred and 
 fifty yards to get over to reach a country apparent- 
 ly open and less beset with difficulties. Small, 
 however, as this distance was, it offered a most for- 
 
THE WAGON SMASHED. 
 
 49 
 
 midable resistance. On our left was a ravine fifty 
 feet deep, while the rock to our right rose high, and 
 was almost perpendicularly steep. After a hurried 
 survey, I determined, nevertheless, to risk the pas- 
 sage, and at once busied myself with axe, shovel, 
 pick, and crowbar in removing sundry stones, trees, 
 and boulders that impeded our progress. In pro- 
 portion as we succeeded in clearing a way, the driver 
 had orders to follow cautiously with the wagon. 
 
 Under these circumstances, having just turned 
 a small angle of the rock, which hid me from my 
 party, I was actively working away with the crow, 
 when there suddenly arose behind me a confused 
 shouting, evidently meant as a check to the oxen, 
 then a harsh grating sound, then a dead pause, then 
 thump, thump, thump, followed by a frightful crash 
 and a heart-piercing cry from a bevy of women who 
 were following in our wake. The crowbar fell from 
 my powerless hands, and I sank down on the rock, 
 the cold drops of perspiration trickling down my 
 cheeks, while I exclaimed to myself, “Good God! 
 there goes my wagon and some poor fellow with it.” 
 For a second or two, not a sound being audible, I 
 felt too agitated to move — in short, dared not pro- 
 ceed farther for fear of seeing my worst fears real- 
 ized. At last, feeling suspense more dreadful than 
 a knowledge of the true state of affairs, and hearing 
 the women in the rear set up a chorus of distress- 
 ing lamentations, I rose and hurried to the scene 
 of the disaster as fast as my crippled condition, for 
 
 D 
 
50 
 
 DAMAGE REPAIRED. 
 
 I was still suffering from the wound in my knee, 
 would permit. 
 
 Near the bottom of the ravine lay the prostrate 
 vehicle, seemingly a heap of ruins, the oxen strug- 
 gling wildly to free themselves from their uncom- 
 fortable position, and hard by the driver, stunned 
 and bleeding, sprawling on the ground. The lat- 
 ter, however, thank God ! soon got up, not having 
 sustained any very serious injury. When the wag- 
 on first began to slide off the slippery ledge it was 
 crossing, the poor fellow was on the side nearest 
 the precipice, endeavoring to keep up the u after” 
 oxen ; but, on seeing all his efforts unavailing, he 
 had the presence of mind to dive under the dissel- 
 boom, and thus, though knocked down by the pole, 
 probably saved his life. 
 
 Dismal and discouraging as things now looked, 
 I did not give way to useless lamentations. In a 
 few minutes every available hand was hard at work. 
 The oxen were soon set free, and I was truly de- 
 lighted to find that the axles had sustained no in- 
 jury. By arduous efforts, in which all zealously 
 joined, we not only succeeded in righting the wag- 
 on and replenishing it with its usual stores, but, 
 just as the sun was diffusing its last golden rays 
 over the picturesque broken tables that surrounded 
 us, we were once more able to move forward. 
 
 Of course our former route was out of the ques- 
 tion, but we managed successfully to ascend the op- 
 posite side of the ravine, which, though far from 
 
A DENSE BUSH. 
 
 51 
 
 affording either an easy or safe passage, still en- 
 abled us to extricate ourselves from our perilous 
 position without farther accident. The last streaks 
 of daylight disappearing in the encroaching dark- 
 ness saw us pitching our tents in an open and con- 
 venient spot, grateful to be allowed a quiet night’s 
 rest after a hard day’s work. 
 
 The real extent of the damage sustained I did 
 not ascertain until some days later, when I was 
 particularly glad to find that my instruments and 
 guns, my chief cares, had received but trivial inju- 
 ries. 
 
 The following morning we continued our jour- 
 ney, and arrived on the same evening at a fountain 
 called Okahongottie, situated in a small river bed. 
 The country, like that we had traversed on many a 
 previous day, was exceedingly unfavorable for wag- 
 on traveling. It was densely wooded, and be- 
 sprinkled with huge flint-like fragments of lime- 
 stones, which sadly cut and lacerated the feet of 
 both men and beasts. The bush was in some places 
 so dense that a man on foot could not force a pas- 
 sage through it without having recourse to a hatch- 
 et. In this day’s march we probably cut down 
 1500 trees and bushes. 
 
52 
 
 LIMESTONE HILLS. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Another Limestone Range of Hills. — Passage through it at 
 last found. — Clearing a Road through Rocks. — The Wagon 
 like a Ship in a heavy Cross-sea. — The Fountains of Otji- 
 dambi. — Traces of human Habitation. — The Ovaherero and 
 the Namaquas. — The Hottentots and Damaras. — Cattle and 
 Sheep stealing. — Guides at a Loss. — Two Natives captured. 
 — One of them forced to become a Guide. — The Natives of 
 a Village flee away in alarm. — A few Presents reconcile 
 some of them to become Guides. — An Accident: a Dog 
 killed instead of a Hyena. — A grand Illumination: Fields 
 on lire. — A LIurricane. — The Passage of a Defile. — Game 
 rare. — Long Shots. — The Guide escapes. — Several Werfts 
 (Hamlets) and Vleys (Wells). — Scarcity of Water. — Quest 
 of Water. — Kind-heartedness of Damara Women. — No 
 Guides. — No Water, and Country parched and desolate. — 
 One more Attempt to go forward. 
 
 We were now fairly through the limestone table 
 which for some time had given me so much uneasi- 
 ness, and I was flattering myself that the difficult 
 place pointed to by my guide was passed ; but in 
 this hope I was deceived. 
 
 Immediately fronting us was another line of lime- 
 stone ranges of a different description and charac- 
 ter — carboniferous, rugged, and peaked. They did 
 not look very formidable at a distance, but on a 
 nearer approach were really found to be so. 
 
 Two parties I had posted off in different direc- 
 
THE WAGON IN LABOR. 
 
 53 
 
 tions, in search of a passage through this range, 
 returned after some days 1 absence without any suc- 
 cess. It was, they said, utterly impossible for a 
 wagon to cross the mountain. Even a man on foot 
 had to pick his way. A third party, however, was 
 more successful ; for, after skirting the hills for a 
 considerable distance, they at last found a pass 
 which they deemed practicable. It was consider- 
 ably out of the direct route, but I felt thankful for 
 any chance that offered itself, and lost no time in 
 setting out. 
 
 We entered the defile in question on the second 
 day after our departure from Okahongottie. The 
 greater portion of the passage was accomplished 
 without much inconvenience, and I was congratu- 
 lating myself on the worst being over, when sud- 
 denly our progress was checked by a ravine choked 
 with huge boulders, fragments of rock, quartz stones, 
 trees, bushes, etc. Unyoking the oxen, I at once 
 set every man and woman to work, leading the way 
 myself with a powerful crowbar. After six hours 
 of unremitting exertions, I had so far succeeded 
 in opening a pass that I ventured on proceeding, 
 though it was still on break-neck and cut-throat 
 looking ground. On, on crushed the huge vehicle, 
 thumping and creaking very much like a vessel 
 buffeting a strong cross-sea, and marking its prog- 
 ress with sparkling streams of fire as the wheels 
 came into collision with the more than iron-tem- 
 pered surface of the rock. It was devil-a-care, let 
 
54 THE OVAHERERO AND THE NAMAQUAS. 
 
 go ; and I felt quite frightened, often holding my 
 breath in anxious suspense. Indeed, I did not 
 breathe freely until we were fairly across the ridge, 
 when, to my great delight, I found the country sud- 
 denly change for the better. 
 
 Both soil and vegetation were now different, our 
 progress for some days was comparatively easy, and 
 on the morning of May-day we found ourselves at 
 the fine fountains of Otjidambi. 
 
 Otjidambi is a collection of wells and pits (fed by 
 powerful springs) partly dug in the sandy soil of 
 the banks of a periodical rivulet, and partly scoop- 
 ed out of limestone. The place had a pleasant but 
 curious aspect — rock and plain alternating. The 
 former was a succession of parallel ridges of gran- 
 ite, cone-shaped, running about east and west, each 
 ridge being composed of innumerable blocks, some 
 fifty to one hundred feet high, piled up, as if sys- 
 tematically, on one another. 
 
 Hitherto we had scarcely seen a human being, 
 but that the country was inhabited was evident 
 from the occasional footprints met with in the 
 sand. At one time the Kaoko, like the rest of 
 Damara Land, must have been fairly besprinkled 
 with homesteads of the pastoral Ovaherero, who 
 possessed numerous herds of cattle. But of these 
 they had been gradually deprived by their unscru- 
 pulous neighbors the Namaquas. It was only, in- 
 deed, the year previous to my visit that a party of 
 Hottentots had extended their forays to these dis- 
 
EXTINCTION OF THE DAMARAS. 
 
 55 
 
 tant tracts, and had succeeded in carrying off a con- 
 siderable number of cattle and sheep. This, how- 
 ever, was not accomplished without severe losses ; 
 for, contrary to their wont, the Damaras had ven- 
 tured to resist the intruders. A desperate fight, 
 which resulted in the Namaquas losing above one 
 half of their total number, was the consequence. 
 The few surviving Damaras still possessing cattle 
 then fled in a north and northwest direction. They 
 are represented as braver and more warlike than 
 the rest of their brethren, yet no one acquainted 
 with this country can for a moment doubt that ere 
 long they must share the fate of their countrymen. 
 It was, then, with feelings of pain that I wandered 
 over these extensive regions, once resounding with 
 the lowings and bleatings of herds and flocks, and 
 the merry voices of a happy and careless race, now 
 a waste, tenanted by a handful of poverty-stricken 
 wretches, gaining a precarious subsistence by the 
 chase and uncertain crops of wild roots and berries. 
 
 My guide’s information now flagged. Hitherto 
 he had shown a fair knowledge of the country, 
 gained chiefly, I found, by marauding and cattle- 
 lifting forays against his countrymen. At first his 
 ignorance of our whereabouts did not give me much 
 anxiety, as I thought we should be sure to stumble 
 upon water here and there, the rainy season being 
 apparently just over; but, alas! I was in this an- 
 ticipation very much deceived, as the sequel will 
 show. 
 
56 
 
 A GUIDE CAPTURED. 
 
 The day before reaching Otjidambi we had per- 
 ceived recent spoors of human beings in the sand, 
 and even columns of smoke in the distance. In 
 the hope, therefore, of securing a fresh guide, I dis- 
 patched a few men to reconnoitre this company of 
 natives ; but they fled on our first approach, and 
 my messengers were not able to overtake them. 
 Nothing then remained but dependence on our own 
 efforts. A party was accordingly organized for 
 the purpose of exploring the country ahead, and 
 much surprised and pleased I was when, early the 
 next day after their departure, they returned, bring- 
 ing with them a Damara man and woman whom 
 they had captured. The poor devils were dread- 
 fully frightened, but a gorge on fat mutton and 
 plenty of backshish soon allayed their fears. By 
 a strict cross-questioning I learned from the man 
 something about our route, finding, nevertheless, 
 afterward serious flaws in his statements. He as- 
 sured us that at about a day’s journey from Otji- 
 dambi lay a werft of his friends, who would direct 
 us farther. Of course I meant him to bring us to 
 this place, but kept my own counsel until the fol- 
 lowing morning, when, every thing being in readi- 
 ness for a start, I ordered him to lead the way. 
 He had evidently expected to be let off with mere 
 words, and showed himself reluctant to obey. How- 
 ever, I cut the matter very short by giving him the 
 choice of an ounce of lead through his brains, or a 
 handsome remuneration if he guided us satisfac- 
 torily. 
 
TIMIDITY OF THE NATIVES. 
 
 57 
 
 For the first hour or two we made good prog- 
 ress, the country being unusually favorable for wag- 
 on-traveling ; but suddenly we arrived at the spur 
 of one of those irregular cone-shaped granite ridges 
 above mentioned, which occasioned us much delay 
 and trouble. However, after a few hours’ hard 
 work, we succeeded in clearing the rocks ; and hav- 
 ing once more a fair road to travel on, we reached, 
 a few minutes before sunset, a small fountain called 
 Okava — the spot indicated by our guide as the 
 abode of his friends. This statement proved cor- 
 rect ; yet before we got to the place the birds had 
 flown, alarmed, probably, by the noisy approach of 
 our wagon and the cracking of the driver’s whip. 
 
 The next morning I sent parties out in search 
 of the runaways, with orders to bring them back if 
 possible. After long tracking, one of these parties 
 came upon some men, who would not allow my 
 people, although in company with our new guide, 
 to approach them. It was in vain to assure them 
 that my object was quite pacific ; they would listen 
 to no overtures. At last a woman, who had been 
 absent from home on our arrival, and was thus un- 
 conscious of our presence, was pounced upon and 
 secured while walking leisurely up to the water to 
 quench her thirst. She was a young and comely 
 damsel, and I lavished upon her, besides all sorts 
 of coaxing and winning expressions, beads, meat, 
 tobacco, etc. Fortunately, we needed not her as- 
 sistance ; for on the third day all the fugitives un- 
 
58 
 
 THE RUNAWAYS RETURN. 
 
 expectedly stood before us of their own accord. I 
 was both pleased and surprised at this sudden turn 
 of affairs. It was owing to the representations of 
 my new guide’s companion, a woman whom I had 
 dismissed with a present and friendly assurances a 
 short time before. 
 
 The chief of our new acquaintances was a well- 
 fed and rather good-looking young fellow. Sun- 
 dry uninteresting remarks and a present of tobacco 
 having been interchanged, I requested him to fur- 
 nish me with guides to the Ovagandjera — the near- 
 est tribe. He appeared reluctant to comply with 
 the proposal, but said he would consider. I was 
 determined, however, to have guides at any cost. 
 
 That same evening a melancholy incident oc- 
 curred. I was “* observing” at a little distance 
 from my wagon, when suddenly my attention was 
 drawn to a peculiar grating sound, as of some ani- 
 mal gnawing or crunching bones. Walking back 
 to the bivouac fire, I asked my servants in a dis- 
 tinct voice, “Are all our dogs here?” “Yes, all 
 are here,” was the prompt reply. “Quite sure?” 
 “Yes, sir, quite sure.” Taking for granted, there- 
 fore, that a hyena, or some other beast of prey, was 
 intruding upon us, I picked up my gun and pro- 
 ceeded in the direction still indicated by the grating 
 sounds. At last I perceived a dark, conspicuous- 
 looking object, and when within a few paces leveled 
 and fired. The bullet sped true ; but, alas ! instead 
 of having destroyed an obnoxious animal, I found, 
 
POOR cjssar! 
 
 59 
 
 to my dismay, that I had shot my best and favor- 
 ite dog, Caesar. I recognized him at once by the 
 cry of pain he uttered on receiving the fatal lead. 
 Calling one of my men, I had the poor brute car- 
 ried to the fire to see what could be done for him ; 
 but a glance at the wound at once convinced me 
 that his life could not be saved. In order, there- 
 fore, to put an end to his misery, I drew my re- 
 volver and lodged a bullet in the head of the faith- 
 ful creature. The scene sickened and saddened 
 me indescribably. Those who know what it is to 
 lose a beloved dog, especially under such distress- 
 ing circumstances, who has been their faithful com- 
 panion and guardian during many a dark and dis- 
 mal night, will easily understand my grief. Poor 
 Cassar ! 
 
 The next day the chief again made his appear- 
 ance, and at an early hour, but no guides were vis- 
 ible. I at once demanded why the latter had not 
 arrived, when he replied rather sulkily, “None of 
 my people will go.” “Well, then,” I sternly re- 
 joined, “if that’s the case, you yourself must go .” 
 This led to a fresh consultation, which ended in 
 two individuals presenting themselves as willing 
 to guide me to the nation lately alluded to. Of 
 course, as there was no natural inclination on their 
 part for this service, but quite the contrary, I felt 
 that the game I was playing was a hazardous one, 
 and that, consequently, it behooved me to be more 
 than usually on my guard. 
 
60 A NATURAL ILLUMINATION. 
 
 I started the same day for Okaoa. On demand- 
 ing how far it was to the nearest water, some said 
 two, others ten days’ journey ; but, on being press- 
 ed and cross-questioned, they unanimously declared 
 that a man on foot would have to sleep two nights 
 on the way, which would be equal to three days’ 
 journeying with a wagon. In this instance I be- 
 lieved our informants, yet took every precaution I 
 could to insure our safety. 
 
 The first night we bivouacked at the foot of an 
 elevated limestone range (facing another which we 
 had crossed in the course of the day) of precisely 
 the same nature as those which had already proved 
 so troublesome, and on this night I witnessed one 
 of the finest natural illuminations I remember to 
 have seen in Africa. The whole of the range facing 
 us — i. e ., the one we had traversed — exhibited one 
 magnificent blaze of fire, kept vividly alive by a 
 high wind. The flames crossed and chased one an- 
 other like furies — here rising high above the in- 
 flamed substances, as if unsatisfied with their low 
 prey and career — there rushing in snake-like folds, 
 as if writhing under some agonizing torture — now 
 smouldering for a moment as if gasping for breath, 
 then shooting up into the heavens with redoubled 
 vigor ; in short, assuming all sorts of brilliant and 
 fantastical shapes. Yet, splendid as this conflagra- 
 tion was, it fell far short of one I beheld afterward, 
 and which, associated as it was with circumstances 
 most peculiar and painful, will never be obliterated 
 from my memory. 
 
THE COUNTRY ON FIRE. 
 
 61 
 
 At an early hour on the following morning we 
 were on the move. A regular hurricane swept the 
 country, accompanied with a chilliness quite win- 
 try. My hands became in a short time so benumb- 
 ed that it was with difficulty I could carry my gun. 
 The natives suffered intensely. Almost immediate- 
 ly after our departure we entered a defile infinitely 
 more formidable than any we had hitherto trav- 
 ersed. On viewing the huge boulders and sharp 
 rock-ledges that obstructed our passage, my blood 
 almost ran cold with discouragement. But I will 
 not trouble the reader with details. Suffice it to 
 say, that after due delays and hard work we accom- 
 plished our object, though the wagon, in addition 
 to the chance of being capsized or smashed, barely 
 escaped destruction by fire. 
 
 In their usual thoughtless manner, the natives 
 had, to our horror, suddenly set fire to the grass ; 
 and as the pass through which we were progressing 
 was narrow, and the wind high, the whole mount- 
 ain was soon enveloped in flames and smoke, from 
 which we only extricated ourselves with extreme 
 difficulty ; indeed, this was a danger to which we 
 now found ourselves daily exposed. Wherever we 
 went, smoke and fire were before, around, and be- 
 hind us ; for it is customary with the tribes of 
 South Africa to fire the grass when it has arrived 
 at a certain state of maturity and dryness. 
 
 A short time before sunset we reached a small 
 vley, where a werft of Ovatjimba, or poor Damaras, 
 
62 
 
 A LONG SHOT. 
 
 had established themselves. The water we here 
 found, being quite unlooked for, was especially wel- 
 come, so that we began to think the natives had 
 again deceived us ; but in this conjecture we were 
 mistaken. We bivouacked in this place the next 
 day, and, having duly pastured and watered our 
 cattle, etc., continued to travel on. 
 
 Game, which throughout our journeys had been 
 scarce, now became still more so. A dead gems- 
 bok, which we found in a state of decomposition, 
 and evidently destroyed by a poisoned arrow, was 
 hailed with joy as a God-send ; and no less so were 
 two or three ostriches which I succeeded in knock- 
 ing over. One of these birds I killed at the long 
 range of 374 yards. I stepped the distance care- 
 fully twice, and as the locality happened to be per- 
 fectly level, there could be little or no error in the 
 measurement. My friend Green would treat this 
 feat as a bagatelle, but I felt proud of the perform- 
 ance. 
 
 I never could from experience understand how, 
 at immense distances of from 500 to 1000 yards, 
 great Nimrods frequently kill, or are said to kill, 
 their game. They laugh at you when you call 200 
 yards a long range. But their vaunts remind me 
 of the answer given by a certain fusileer to one who 
 
 asked him how a 24-pounder at the battle of 
 
 could have been propelled over a four-feet-high wall 
 at a gallop. “ Speed does it, sir ; but, Lor 1 , .that is 
 nothing, 11 was his reply. 
 
THE GUIDE ESCAPES. 
 
 63 
 
 In the afternoon of the second day after leaving 
 the vley we had fairly left all landmarks behind us, 
 and the hills began to assume that azure tint which 
 is so indicative of distance. Nothing was seen 
 ahead but immense grass savannas, dotted with oc- 
 casional clumps of trees and low brushwood. The 
 soil was the same — red sand — but the grass, though 
 as luxuriant as ever, was of an inferior quality. 
 The fine sweet grasses, so peculiar to Damara Land, 
 had given place to equally rank, but sour and brack- 
 ish pasturages. 
 
 A short time before sunset I observed the guide 
 loitering behind. Hitherto I had never allowed 
 the fellow to go out of my sight ; but as he was 
 waiting for his wife, who was coming up in a sick- 
 ly state to join us, I left him alone. This was a 
 fatal mistake. I never saw the scoundrel after- 
 ward. Nevertheless, we were again, at an early 
 hour the next morning, moving ahead in the direc- 
 tion pointed out by him on the preceding day. 
 
 After a few hours’ journeying we came all at 
 once upon several werfts, some of which had evi- 
 dently not been long evacuated. There were nu- 
 merous vleys in the neighborhood. One or two 
 of these vleys appeared not to have been dry above 
 a week. The people who had dwelt in the neigh- 
 borhood evidently possessed cattle and goats ; and 
 as their folds were of a description resembling those 
 constructed by the Ovambo, I concluded that the 
 owners were Ovagandjera — the tribe we were in 
 
64 
 
 DEARTH OP WATER. 
 
 search of. All these signs we thought favorable ; 
 and so, despite the absence of our guide, we felt in- 
 spired with fresh hopes. Still thinking it possible 
 the absentee would overtake us, I outspanned a sec- 
 ond time, and proceeded without delay to recon- 
 noitre. I also dispatched several parties in differ- 
 ent directions in quest of water, but all returned, 
 after many hours of fatiguing search, without find- 
 ing the slightest indication of any. Thirst in the 
 mean time began to tell dreadfully on our party ; 
 the cattle were also sorely distressed for want of 
 drink. 
 
 Under these circumstances it would have been 
 madness to advance ; nothing therefore remained 
 to us but to retrace our steps in double-quick time ; 
 and, fortunately, there was a crescent moon, by the 
 light of which we succeeded in gaining the bivouac 
 we had left that very morning. 
 
 A fire had passed over the spot, and the ground 
 was in places so hot — indeed, there were still 
 smouldering embers here and there — that it singed 
 and scorched our shoes. This was easily account- 
 ed for ; for when leaving the place in the morning 
 I observed Mortar piling all the superfluous wood 
 on the fire. From a vague impression that it might 
 possibly one day be needed, I remarked, “Don't do 
 so, John." “Oh, surely," he replied, “we shall 
 never have occasion to bivouac here again." “I 
 trust not," I rejoined; “yet who knows?" My 
 forebodings, alas ! proved but too true. 
 
KINDNESS, THY NAME IS WOMAN. 65 
 
 The next day a pleasing incident occurred, which 
 I find thus recorded (I copy word for word) in my 
 diary: u Observed an agreeable trait in the char- 
 acter of our Damara women, which forcibly be- 
 spoke the heart of the woman , let the color of her 
 skin be black or white. Several of the men in 
 charge of the loose cattle had remained behind to 
 dig up some moist and palatable roots and bulbs, 
 which appeared rather plentiful in a particular 
 spot. On repassing us, the wagon-driver and the 
 leader, both suffering intensely from thirst, asked 
 these men for a taste of the roots they had already 
 possessed themselves of, but were flatly refused. A 
 few minutes afterward, two of the women (not in 
 any w r ay connected with the soliciting party), who 
 had also remained behind to procure a few of the 
 juicy herbs, passed us, and, without being asked, 
 handed a couple of roots to each of the men who 
 had just begged for a taste of one in vain from their 
 boon companions. 1 Kindness, thou hast built thy- 
 self a noble temple — woman ! 1 ” 
 
 On the night of the fourth day we reached the 
 vley where, on traveling northward, we had found 
 the werft of Ovatjimba. Unfortunately, the water, 
 or rather the muddy slime, was only sufficient for a 
 small portion of our cattle, and I had therefore to 
 post them off to the fountain Okaoa — another day’s 
 journey — making in all five entire days that the 
 poor brutes had been without a drink. I and 
 Mortar remained with the wagon. 
 
 E 
 
66 
 
 ADVANCE OR RETREAT? 
 
 The question that arose now was, Was I to give 
 up all farther hopes of penetrating to the Cunene ? 
 The mere idea was agonizing ; yet, from what I 
 had seen of the country, it was impossible to pro- 
 ceed farther unless assisted by efficient guides. 
 Natural springs there appeared to be few or none, 
 and all the temporary rain-water pools were ex- 
 hausted — in short, the country was dry and parch- 
 ed in the extreme. From this I inferred that the 
 rains in these parts either fell much earlier than in 
 the southern portion of Damara Land, or had been 
 unusually scanty during the last season. The chief 
 at Okaoa had assured me before parting that the 
 road to the Ovagandjera, with cattle, was only 
 practicable in the wet season. I did not give full 
 credit to his statement at the time, but that it was 
 true experience afterward fully proved. 
 
 After some little hesitation I resolved on one 
 more attempt, provided I could obtain fresh guides, 
 and, if then unsuccessful, to make my way back to 
 the precincts of Damara-Land civilization, whence 
 to accomplish, if possible, my object by a more eli- 
 gible, though perhaps more circuitous route. Of 
 course this would involve much loss of time, and 
 require an extra stock of patience and persever- 
 ance. But I had set my heart on the undertaking, 
 and nothing but insurmountable physical difficul- 
 ties, sickness or death, could deter me from making 
 every effort to carry it into effect. I find the fol- 
 lowing remarks about my present perplexity jotted 
 
NEW GUIDES OBTAINED. 
 
 67 
 
 down in my journal on the very day I began to re- 
 trace my steps : 
 
 u Will the cattle, etc., hold out ? God grant they 
 may ; but it will be a hard push. Is this, then, to 
 be the upshot of an expedition I have had so much 
 at heart, and for which I have sacrificed every 
 thing — happiness, comforts, security, in short, all 
 that makes life tolerable? Is it for this I suffer 
 the extremes of cold and heat, hunger and thirst — 
 for which I brave every danger attendant upon 
 traveling in a barbarous country ? No, it can not, 
 it must not be ! .... ” 
 
 Having come to the resolution thus expressed, 
 I sent Pereira to Okaoa to treat with the Damara 
 chief for fresh guides. I directed him to threaten 
 and coax alternately, according as he found the 
 party he had to deal with stubborn or yielding. 
 His efforts were happily crowned with success, for 
 late in the evening of the second day he returned, 
 bringing with him two men, of whom one was said 
 to know the country to the northward exceedingly 
 well. On engaging them, I entered into a compact 
 with myself never to allow them to get out of my 
 sight either by, day or by night, and I was faithful 
 to my word. But, alas ! all my care and trouble 
 proved entirely unavailing, and that from a cause, 
 as will be seen in the following chapter, quite un- 
 expected. 
 
68 
 
 THE GUIDES LOSE THEIR WAY. 
 
 CHAPTEE IV. 
 
 The Guides lose their Way. — The Lives of the whole Party 
 at stake. — A Search for Water in all Directions. — In vain. — 
 Necessity of returning without Delay. — Two Men explor- 
 ing the Country for Water left behind. — The Sufferings of 
 the Men and Animals from Thirst. — Retreat resolved upon. 
 — A grand and appalling Conflagration. — The Magnificence 
 of the Spectacle. — The Cattle one hundred and fifty Hours 
 without a single Drop of Water. — The two Men left behind 
 make their Appearance. — The Water so long searched for 
 found. — Okaoa reached in Safety. — Ondjuona the favorite 
 Resort of Elephants. — The annual Pilgrimage of these An- 
 imals to another Station. — The Damara Mode of Elephant- 
 hunting. — View from the Summit of Okonyenya. — Country 
 surveyed. — A Thunder-storm under Foot. 
 
 During tlie first day’s march on this new start 
 we followed the spoor of our wagon in our first at- 
 tempt, but afterward inclined more to the eastward. 
 Our troubles very soon commenced. On the second 
 evening, or on the third after leaving Okaoa, I saw 
 the guides suddenly halt and look about them, as 
 if undecided how to proceed. They had a short 
 time previously declared that we should reach 
 water that night. My suspicions were therefore 
 at once aroused, or rather my heart misgave me. 
 “ Surely , 11 I muttered to myself, “the fellows are 
 trying to deceive us, or they have lost their way ! 11 
 
LOST IN THE WILDERNESS. 
 
 69 
 
 The one conjecture was as bad as the other. For 
 a few seconds I remained silent ; but, seeing them 
 still wavering, I advanced, and in a voice trembling 
 with rage and distress, thundered out, u Where is 
 the water, men 1” adding, with my fowling-piece 
 presented at the head of the acting guide, “If you 
 don’t bring us to water before noon to-morrow, you 
 die. Proceed.” It soon became obvious, however, 
 that they had lost themselves , and that, under such 
 circumstances, threats would only tend still more to 
 confuse them. I consequently, as they were wan- 
 dering to and fro like men groping in the dark, and 
 the night was fast closing upon us, sounded a halt 
 to bivouac. That night was perhaps the most pain- 
 ful one in my life. I felt most keenly that not 
 only the issue of the undertaking, but the lives of 
 my party, were at stake. The agony I suffered is 
 indescribable ; yet, lest I should frighten my at- 
 tendants, I did not betray the deep emotions that 
 agitated me. They had, nevertheless, already taken 
 the alarm ; dismay — nay, despair — was depicted on 
 every countenance ; but, be it said to their credit, 
 not a murmur escaped them. Supposing the place 
 we were in search of should not be found, the near- 
 est water, Okaoa, was three long days’ journey off. 
 Could this place be reached in safety in our pres- 
 ent weak state ? I dared scarcely answer the ques- 
 tion. The possible answer seemed too awful to 
 dwell upon. 
 
 Sleep was that night, of course, out of the ques- 
 
70 
 
 SEARCH FOR WATER. 
 
 tion, and before break of day I was in the saddle 
 in search of water, having first dispatched three 
 different parties on the same errand in as many di- 
 rections. I returned to the camp after eight hours 1 
 sharp riding and walking, my horse completely done 
 up — unsuccessful ! My approach was watched by 
 the men at the wagon with feverish anxiety ; there 
 was no need of words ; my face told but too plain- 
 ly my complete failure. Kamapjie, who had also 
 been absent on a similar mission, soon joined us, 
 equally successless. Two parties were still absent, 
 and on their efforts rested now all our hopes ; but 
 hour after hour elapsed without any news. The 
 sun set, yet no men. The shadows of evening crept 
 upon us, yet no men. The moon rose, yet no men. 
 Our anxiety was at its height. Had the men found 
 the water, or had they lost themselves in this fear- 
 ful and death-boding wilderness? Should I wait 
 for the return of daylight before finally deciding 
 on what course to pursue, or should I face back at 
 once ? These and many other were the distracting 
 thoughts that crowded in rapid succession on my 
 giddy brains. The delay of a night would occasion 
 the loss of another day, and then, just suppose the 
 absent parties unsuccessful in finding water, what 
 would be the result? Apparently inevitable de- 
 struction. The oxen had now been four days with- 
 out water, and their distress was already very great. 
 Their hollow flanks, drooping heads, and low, mel- 
 ancholy moans, uttered at intervals, told but too 
 
DISTRESS. 
 
 71 
 
 plainly their misery, and went to my heart like 
 daggers. My poor horse was no longer an ani- 
 mated creature, but a spectre of himself — a gaunt, 
 staggering skeleton. The change that had come 
 upon him during the last twenty-four hours was 
 incredible. From time to time he would put his 
 head into the wagon, into any one’s hands, and, 
 looking wistfully and languidly into his face, would 
 reproachfully (bis looks conveyed as much) seem 
 to say, “ Cruel man, don’t you see I am dying ; why 
 don’t you relieve my burning thirst?” The dogs, 
 again, ceased to recognize my caresses. Their eyes 
 were so deeply sunken in their sockets as to be 
 scarcely perceptible. They glided about in spec- 
 tral silence ; death was in their faces. The wagon 
 was heavily laden, the soil exceedingly heavy, the 
 sun in the daytime like an immense burning-glass, 
 and the oppressiveness of the atmosphere was great- 
 ly increased by the tremendous u veldt” fires, which, 
 ravaging the country far and wide, made it like a 
 huge fiery furnace. 
 
 Under such circumstances the oxen could never 
 hold out for seven days — the time which must, I 
 calculated, elapse before I could reach Okaoa— 
 without water ! Well, then, with all these ominous 
 facts and forebodings before me, would it be advis- 
 able to await the return of the absent men? A 
 few moments of anxious self-communion determ- 
 ined me not to do so, but to retrace my steps with- 
 out farther delay. This resolution was, of course, 
 
72 
 
 RETREAT. 
 
 the death-blow to the expedition. Before starting 
 on our backward course I fired a number of shots, 
 which received no answer, to attract the notice of 
 the absentees. 
 
 I had yet a small supply of water in the wagon, 
 having taken the precaution at starting to take the 
 entire stock under my immediate charge. I now 
 served out a few mouthfuls to each individual, left 
 a small quantity, together with a few biscuits, on 
 a bush for the absent men, should they find their 
 way back, and then began the return journey at a 
 brisk pace, but with a heavy heart. 
 
 Health and strength, time and the season, had 
 been thus wasted and lost, heavy pecuniary sacri- 
 fices made, the life of men and valuable beasts jeop- 
 ardized, bright prospects blighted, and all — all to so 
 little purpose ! My feelings on this memorable oc- 
 casion may be more easily imagined than described. 
 
 We had proceeded but a comparatively short 
 distance, and were just escaping out of a thorn- 
 thicket, when we were suddenly startled by a grand, 
 but to us appalling sight. 
 
 The whole country before us was one huge lake 
 of flames. Turning to Mortar, I exclaimed, u Good 
 God, our return is cut otf!” I had seen many wood 
 and grass fires, but nothing to equal this. Imme- 
 diately in front of us lay stretched out like a sea a 
 vast pasture prairie, dotted with occasional trees, 
 bounded in the distance by groves of huge giratfe 
 thorns, all in a blaze ! Through the very midst of 
 
CROSSING A BURNING SAVANNA. 
 
GRAND CONFLAGRATION. 
 
 75 
 
 this lay our path. By delaying a few hours the 
 danger would have been considerably diminished, 
 if not altogether over ; but delay in our case seem- 
 ed almost more dangerous than going forward, and 
 so on we pushed, trusting to some favorable acci- 
 dent to bring us through the perils we -had to face. 
 As we advanced we heard distinctly the sputtering 
 and hissing of the inflamed grasses and brushwood, 
 the cracking of the trees as they reluctantly yielded 
 their massive forms to the unrelenting and all-de- 
 vouring element, the screams of startled birds and 
 other commingling sounds of terror and devasta- 
 tion. There was a great angle in our road, run- 
 ning parallel, 6 as it were, to the raging fire, but aft- 
 erward turning abruptly into a burning savanna. 
 By the time we had reached this point, the confla- 
 gration, still in its glory on our right, was fast re- 
 ceding on our left, thus opening a passage, into 
 which we darted without hesitation, although the 
 ground was still smouldering and reeking, and in 
 some places quite alive with flickering sparks from 
 the recent besom of hot flames that had swept over 
 it. Tired as our cattle were, this heated state of 
 the ground made the poor brutes step out pretty 
 smartly. At times we ran great risk of being 
 crushed by the falling timbers. Once a huge trunk, 
 in flames from top to bottom, fell athwart our path, 
 sending up millions of sparks, and scattering in- 
 numerable splinters of lighted wood all around us, 
 while the numerous nests of the social grossbeaks 
 
76 
 
 LONG ABSTINENCE FROM WATER. 
 
 — the Textor erythrorhynchus — in the ignited trees 
 looked like so many lamps suspended in designs at 
 once natural, pleasing, and splendid. It was alto- 
 gether a glorious illumination, worthy of Nature’s 
 palace with its innumerable windows and stately 
 vaulted canopy. But the danger associated with 
 the grand spectacle was too great and too immi- 
 nent for us thoroughly to appreciate its magnifi- 
 cence. Indeed, we were really thankful when once 
 our backs were turned on the awful scene. 
 
 At break of day we halted for a few minutes to 
 breathe and to change oxen, then continued to jour- 
 ney on. I dispatched all the loose cattle ahead, 
 giving the men orders to return with, a fresh team 
 as soon as they had drunk, fed, and rested a little. 
 We arrived at the vley a little before midnight on 
 the 24th of May, but on attempting to kraal the 
 trek oxen, notwithstanding their fatigue, the thirsty 
 brutes leaped over the stout and tall thorn fences as 
 if they had been so many rushes, and with a wild 
 roar set off at full speed for Okaoa fountain, which 
 they reached the following day, having then been 
 more than one hundred and fifty hours without a 
 single drop of water ! 
 
 Before reaching the water the men in charge of 
 the loose cattle had become so exhausted with long 
 and incessant marching, suffering all the time from 
 burning thirst, that one by one they had sunk down. 
 The cattle, unherded, found their way to the fount- 
 ain without much difficulty ; but the wretched horse 
 
RETURN OF SCOUTS. 
 
 77 
 
 missed his, and kept wandering about until he drop- 
 ped from sheer exhaustion. Some Ovatjimba for- 
 tunately found the brute, and reporting the discov- 
 ery to their chief, he good-naturedly brought the 
 dying beast some drink and fodder, by which means 
 he gradually recovered. The animal, when found, 
 had been seven days without water . I had no idea 
 that a horse was capable of enduring fatigue and 
 thirst to the extent experienced by this hack of 
 mine. 
 
 The poor dogs were by this time in a fearful 
 state. What was once a clear perspicuous eye 
 now appeared like a mere lustrous speck under a 
 shaggy brow. Blood flowed at times from their 
 nostrils ; and it was with difficulty they dragged 
 along their worn and emaciated carcasses. Some- 
 times they tried to give vent to their great suffer- 
 ings. in dismal howls, half stifled in the utterance. 
 Some of the men were nearly as much affected. 
 Poor Mortar was more than once speechless from 
 thirst, and it was quite pitiful to see him, like a 
 man despairing of life, chew old coffee-tobacco and 
 withered tea-leaves. For my own part, I am thank- 
 ful to say I suffered on this trying occasion, in a 
 bodily sense at least, less perhaps than the rest of 
 my party. 
 
 The day after our arrival at the vley the lost men 
 suddenly and unexpectedly made their appearance, 
 and, to my great surprise, I learned that they had 
 accidentally stumbled upon the very water we had 
 
78 
 
 HOMEWARD COURSE. 
 
 so long searched for in vain. In retracing their 
 steps to the wagon to report the good news they 
 had unfortunately lost their way, and, after a fruit- 
 less search, were obliged to bivouac on the waste. 
 Like myself, they had repeatedly discharged guns, 
 but as this was done long after dark, it is probable 
 the wagon had by that time taken its departure, so 
 that their signals were unheard and unanswered. 
 
 On the eighth day, late in the evening, I reached 
 Okaoa in safety, without the loss of a single man 
 or beast, all, however, being in a dreadful state * of 
 prostration, not only from fatigue and hardship, 
 but from torn and lacerated feet. This, coupled 
 with the impossibility of procuring trustworthy 
 guides, with the evident dearth of water, the ab- 
 sence of game, and many other formidable hinder- 
 ances, induced me to face homeward without any 
 farther delay than was necessary to recruit in a 
 measure the strength and vigor of bipeds and quad- 
 rupeds. 
 
 By a careful computation, I found that from this 
 place (Okaoa) to Otjimbingue the distance was 115 
 hours’ actual travel, which is equivalent to 300 En- 
 glish miles in round numbers, while in our last two 
 fruitless attempts to push northward we had trav- 
 eled one hundred and twenty hours , that is , about 
 three hundred and thirty English miles — a distance 
 more than sufficient to have brought us to the Cu- 
 nene — nay, there and back again — had we been able 
 to hold our course directly for that river. I need 
 
ANOTHER DISAPPOINTMENT. 
 
 79 
 
 scarcely say, therefore, that the decision I had come 
 to cost me some pain and regret. However, as I 
 said before, though at present foiled, I by no means 
 intended to abandon the undertaking as hopeless, 
 for I consider him but half a man who gives up 
 every thing for lost because a spoke has chanced to 
 start in his fortune’s wheel. 
 
 On the 29th of May we bid adieu to Okaoa. As 
 we traveled by exactly the same line of route as 
 that with which the reader is already acquainted, 
 it would be tedious to go over the ground afresh. 
 I will merely, then, allude to a few of the most im- 
 portant events of this retrograde march. 
 
 On the 10th of June we were once more at Ond- 
 j non a— a favorite resort of elephants, and having 
 scarcely had any opportunity of enjoying my gun, 
 I looked forward with eagerness to a week or two 
 of exciting sport ; but I was doomed, it seemed, to 
 nothing but disappointments. The elephants had, 
 we found, not only abandoned Ondjuona, but every 
 other resort within a hundred miles of that place. 
 Some natives, whom we met and fraternized with, 
 suggested that the herds had probably migrated to 
 the Oman ini River and the Omuramba Ua’ Matako 
 — a pilgrimage they were, we were told, accustomed 
 to perform annually at a certain season. At a later 
 period I had personal experience of the truth of 
 this statement. 
 
 The Damaras in these parts, since they have be- 
 come impoverished, occasionally attack and kill ele- 
 
80 
 
 DAMARA ELEPHANT-HUNTING. 
 
 phants. When a hunt is decided on they muster 
 in force, usually, I believe, dividing themselves into 
 two parties. The object of this division is that, 
 while one party approach the elephant and dis- 
 charge their missiles on him, the other endeavor to 
 divert the attention of the enraged beast by shout- 
 ing and beating on sticks. Old male elephants, 
 being less active and dangerous than young' ones 
 and cows, are, in these hunts, the particular marks 
 of the sportsmen. The chase, full of excitement 
 and peril, very frequently results in the destruction 
 of one or more of the hunters. The ivory obtained 
 is in the course of time brought to the Ovagandjera, 
 from whom its vendors receive in exchange asse- 
 gais, hatchets, daggers, iron and copper, beads, etc. 
 Ultimately, however, it finds its way to the Portu- 
 guese market on the west coast. 
 
 Though disappointed with respect to sport, I de- 
 termined, as the cattle stood much in need of rest, 
 and Ondjuona abounds with good water and grass, 
 to make a halt here for a couple of weeks. 
 
 By the failure of the expedition, or rather by go- 
 ing over its ground a second time, I had gained one 
 point, viz., I had been enabled to complete my map 
 very satisfactorily. With the best will and the 
 most strenuous exertions, it is utterly impossible 
 to acquire a thorough knowledge of the physical 
 features of a country on a first and hurried visit to 
 it. I had hitherto spared no trouble or pains, as- 
 cending conspicuous hills and other landmarks, 
 
OKONYENYA MOUNTAIN. 
 
 81 
 
 often very many miles out of my way, in order to 
 obtain valuable and useful bearings, and, though I 
 had succeeded, there still remained much to be done 
 besides improving a prismatic compass triangula- 
 tion begun in the 25° N. and extended to near the 
 19° of S. lat. Therefore Okonyenya, the beautiful 
 granite cone already alluded to in these pages, be- 
 ing now not very distant, I determined to visit it. 
 From its central, isolated, and prominent position, 
 I judged a good view might be obtained from its 
 summit over a great portion of western Damara 
 Land, and that, consequently, an excursion to the 
 site would well repay the trouble. Thought ma- 
 tured to action. Accordingly, having hastily made 
 a few arrangements, and provided myself with the 
 necessary instruments, I set out on this exploration. 
 The guide managed, however, to miss the way, and 
 we did not reach the base of the mountain until the 
 morning of the third day from our departure from 
 Ondjuona. 
 
 After partaking of some refreshment, and pro- 
 viding ourselves, in case of being obliged to spend 
 the night on the mountain’s top, with a few neces- 
 saries and comforts, we began the ascent, which, 
 from the steepness of the rock, proved a very la- 
 borious and fatiguing one. My native attendants, 
 unused to climbing hills, were completely done up 
 long before we had gained its crowning height. 
 Indeed, mountain climbing in this scorching cli- 
 mate, even to the most practiced and elastic foot, 
 
 F 
 
82 
 
 A THUNDER-STORM UNDER FOOT. 
 
 is an arduous enterprise. As I had anticipated, 
 the prospect from the summit was extensive and 
 magnificent, though somewhat circumscribed by the 
 haziness of the atmosphere. Hoping for a clearer 
 sky the next day, I resolved to bivouac on the spot. 
 In the mean time I employed myself in obtaining 
 what observations and bearings I could, and in 
 sketching a picture of the scene before me, to which 
 I find I have thus alluded in my diary : 
 
 a The country all around and beneath me has 
 a singularly odd appearance. The ground, being 
 much cut up and intersected by innumerable little 
 periodical water-courses, looks a good way off, and 
 from a height, very like a large town — the principal 
 water-courses representing the chief thoroughfares, 
 and the smaller ones, usually joining them at right 
 angles, the lesser streets ; while the trees, some tow- 
 ering apart, and some in lower clusters, with the 
 bushes, make out a very fair pageant of churches, 
 buildings, and houses. 
 
 “As the shadows of night stole upon us a furious 
 wind arose, which continued to blow with unabated 
 violence until the next day. It was with difficulty 
 we could keep our footing ; and fuel being scarce, 
 we spent a rather comfortless night. A grand nat- 
 ural spectacle, a thunder-storm, brought us some 
 relief in this unpleasant situation. This war of 
 the elements was not overhead, but under our feet. 
 It resembled greatly the subterraneous rumbling 
 
LIONS IN VIEW. 83 
 
 which often precedes an earthquake, for which, in- 
 deed, I mistook the first clap. 
 
 “The return of daylight brought no improve- 
 ment to the atmosphere, but the view was less ob- 
 scured in a particular direction, and, on the whole, 
 I obtained a valuable and useful set of bearings. 
 Having done all that could be done, I began the 
 descent, and before noon had rejoined my camp at 
 the base of the mountain. Three huge lions had 
 passed within gunshot of the carriage oxen during 
 the night, but without any attempt at molestation. 
 The next morning at at early hour we retraced our 
 steps to the wagon, which we reached at dusk. 
 
 “We had been twelve hours on the move, com- 
 passing a distance, by road, of rather more than 
 thirty miles — a sharp day’s march, in the course of 
 which I killed a couple of gemsboks, and saw, for 
 the first time, a fair sprinkling of game, such as 
 giraffes, gemsboks, zebras, springboks, etc.” 
 
84 
 
 SINGULAR MIRAGE. 
 
 CHAPTEE V. 
 
 A singular Mirage. — Arrival on the Omaruru. — I resolve on 
 crossing over to the Omuramba, via Matako, while the Wag- 
 on is undergoing a complete Reparation. — Two Lions attack 
 the Dogs. — Wild Beasts abundant. — Lion Man-eaters. — 
 Their stealthy Mode of Attack. — A horrid Dream. — The 
 physical Features of Damara Land. — Granite, Limestone, 
 and Sandstone. — Carboniferous Formations. — Scented and 
 aromatic Plants and Trees. — Scenery. — Mines. 
 
 On the 25th of June we again moved forward, 
 or, rather, it would be more proper to say, back- 
 ward. Early one morning, a day or two after- 
 ward, we were regaled with the sight of a pretty 
 and very singular mirage, remarkable on account 
 of its rich, warm, transparent pink color, produced, 
 as I found immediately afterward, by the reflection 
 of a huge mass of red granite which happened to 
 intercept the sun’s rays. 
 
 The 1st of July found us safe on the banks of 
 the Omaruru Eiver. The wagon had by this time 
 become all but a wreck. Every bolt was broken 
 or damaged, and scarcely a single piece of wood 
 sound. It required all my care and ingenuity to 
 make it keep together. 
 
 I had already formed my plans for the future. 
 Mortar and Pereira, with a complement of natives, 
 
ARRIVAL ON THE OMARURU. 
 
 85 
 
 were directed to bring the wagon to Otjimbingue, 
 in order to get it repaired, if possible, and to obtain 
 a few necessaries ; while I myself, attended by some 
 of my Damaras, proceeded up the Omaruru toward 
 its source, whence it was my intention to cross over 
 to the Omuramba Ua 1 Matako, where my men had 
 instructions to rejoin me with the wagon. It was 
 via Omuramba Ua 1 Matako that I hoped finally to 
 penetrate to the Cunene. 
 
 My object in remaining “in the field” was two- 
 fold — exploring and hunting. A small strip of 
 country still remained unmapped, and I felt confi- 
 dent that I should meet with elephants in the neigh- 
 borhood of the Omatako Mountains. The natives, 
 however, tried to deter me from going, representing 
 the country in that direction as impassable by rea- 
 son of a severe drought. Scarcely a drop of rain, 
 they said, had fallen there during the last twelve 
 months ; but I refused to credit their statement. 
 
 After a few days devoted to rest and recreation 
 the wagon started for Otjimbingue. I accompanied 
 it as far as Omapjie, where I bade the men fare- 
 well. On regaining my now much-diminished par- 
 ty on the Omaruru River a striking incident oc- 
 curred, which, under date of the 8th of J uly, I find 
 thus noted in my journal: 
 
 “About eight o’clock last night, while c observ- 
 ing, 1 I heard the growl of two lions at a short dis- 
 tance down the river: the brutes approached rap- 
 idly. The dogs did not appear to like the sound, 
 
86 
 
 LIONS ATTACK THE DOGS. 
 
 but still went off barking toward the river. While 
 waiting for the meridian height of a star I walked 
 back to the tent ; on seeing me, Kamapjie remark- 
 ed, 4 1 don’t know what is the matter with 4 4 Gipsy.” 
 She started along with the other dogs, but soon 
 came back, and, staggering, fell into the fire.’ I 
 found the poor beast violently convulsed, froth flow- 
 ing freely from her mouth. I ran a lancet into 
 one of her ears, drawing off some blood, which 
 seemed slightly to relieve her. Scarcely had I done 
 so, and returned to my instrument, when there was 
 a sudden backward rush by the dogs, accompanied 
 by cries from the men, 4 The lions ! the lions ! ’ 
 Gathering up my sextant, horizon, etc., I retreated 
 precipitately to the fire, where I found all the dogs, 
 except one called ‘Chips,’ crouched in fear, and 
 trembling. ‘Where is “Chips?”’ I exclaimed. 
 ‘Killed by the lions,’ was the immediate reply. 
 * Did you hear him cry out ?’ 4 Yes, yes, ’ answered 
 
 Kamapjie, 4 1 heard him utter a faint howl or two.’ 
 Seizing a firebrand, the bull’s-eye lantern, and my 
 gun, I thereupon proceeded in the direction whence 
 the dogs were seen to retreat so hurriedly, and with- 
 in a dozen paces of one of the men’s fires there 
 were, sure enough, the marks of a gigantic lion’s 
 paw. A little farther on we discovered the spot 
 where poor 4 Chips’ had evidently been seized, but 
 could see nothing of his destroyer. I set fire to the 
 grass, but it did not burn well, and after a farther 
 unsuccessful search we retreated back to the bi- 
 
LIONS CURSED BY THE DAMARAS. 
 
 87 
 
 vouac. I took it for granted that the lions had car- 
 ried away the dog to be devoured at their leisure ; 
 but in this I was mistaken, for this morning he was 
 discovered dead near the spot where he had been 
 seized, and — if I except some gashes about his head, 
 neck, and shoulder, as also the disappearance of his 
 left ear — almost untouched. 
 
 “We had scarcely regained and stirred up our 
 bivouac fires before the lions once more began to 
 roar and growl most furiously, within less, I should 
 say, than two hundred yards from our camp, but 
 from opposite quarters. Snatching up my double- 
 barreled smooth-bore, I leveled in the direction of 
 one of the brutes, and, estimating the elevation as 
 well as I could, fired. The bullet must have passed 
 pretty close to the animal, for it instantly silenced 
 him, and, moreover, compelled him to beat a pre- 
 cipitate retreat. On the other lion, still exerting 
 his musical powers, another hissing bullet had a 
 similar effect. However, we did not go to sleep, 
 but kept watch during the remainder of the night ; 
 the Damaras all the while making a most hideous 
 noise, cursing and vilifying the lions most lustily 
 — a custom of which I was not before aware ; it 
 is one also prevalent among the North African 
 Arabs . 11 
 
 While this was going on poor u Gipsy 11 expired. 
 She died very quietly, evidently in her senses — if 
 I may use the expression — for to the last she ac- 
 knowledged my attentions. I never could make 
 
88 
 
 MAN-EATERS. 
 
 out what caused her sudden death. She was a 
 .great favorite with us all, and so likewise was 
 “Chips” — a very brave dog. Both were buried 
 in one grave. Their loss at that time was a very 
 serious one to me, for I had now only two dogs 
 left, who had become so scared and cowed by the 
 late event as to be utterly useless — indeed, they re- 
 fused to stir from our heels. 
 
 Wild beasts of every description abounded in 
 these parts, and we found them daring to temerity. 
 The Omurainba was, besides, haunted by lion man- 
 eaters. In the previous year these monsters had 
 succeeded in carrying off two men from Mr. Green's 
 camp, when on his return from the disastrous Ovam- 
 bo expedition, already alluded to in these pages. 
 The particulars of this horrid story will be related 
 in the sequel of this narrative. 
 
 I have no particular dread of lions, nor am I, 
 generally speaking, a particularly nervous man ; 
 but I do fear and dread such a monster as a man- 
 eater. Set me face to face with an enemy, be he 
 white or black, beast or man, in the broad light of 
 day, and I will take some odds against, him ; but 
 a skulking, sneaking, poaching night-prowler, whose 
 cat-like motions and approach no ear can detect — 
 whose muscular strength exceeds that of the strong- 
 est ruminating animal — who will pass through your 
 cattle and leave them untouched in order to feast 
 on human flesh — is, I think, a creature which may 
 reasonably inspire terror. There is something hid- 
 
A HORRID DREAM. 
 
 89 
 
 eous in the thought of lying down nightly in ex- 
 pectation of such a visitor. I remember having 
 been once very much frightened, partly by my own 
 imagination and partly by a reality. This occurred 
 shortly after the receipt of a letter from Mr. Green 
 relating the unfortunate result of his Ovambo ex- 
 pedition, and the attack of lion man-eaters on his 
 party. I was then returning from a journey to 
 Walwich Bay, accompanied by a native youth, and 
 was traveling late at night in order to reach my 
 destination on the following day. I had been six- 
 teen hours in the saddle, felt rather tired, and, find- 
 ing my steeds in the same humor as myself, I dis- 
 mounted. Having tied the beasts to a small tree 
 and gathered some grass for them, I threw myself 
 at length on the ground, making neither fire nor 
 bed. I was soon dozing away, my mind busy among 
 old familiar hunting scenes, when suddenly I fan- 
 cied I saw a grim old lion, his mane tattered, and 
 clogged with human blood and gore, stand before 
 me. I tried to close my eyes against the horrid 
 vision, but in vain ; there seemed a secret power 
 of fascination in the brute’s dreadful stare. My 
 looks were no sooner averted than my eyes opened 
 wide to stare again at the monster. His eyes glis- 
 tened, his mouth watered, while his every motion 
 seemed to say, u Ay, I am a veritable man-eater; 
 I love the flesh of your species above that of all 
 other animals.” My anguish became at last in- 
 tense. My heart seemed to grow so big with ter- 
 
90 WESTERN DAMARA LAND. 
 
 ror that I thought it -would burst. After several 
 fruitless efforts, I finally tore myself out of this 
 frightful trance, and, springing to my feet, looked 
 around in amazed bewilderment. “ Where was I ? 
 Had I been dreaming, or was it a reality ?” At 
 that moment a sound struck my ear which at once 
 restored me to the full possession of my faculties. 
 “Surely that growl was a lion’s,” I muttered to 
 myself ; and my suspicion was instantly corrobo- 
 rated by a fresh roar, leaving no doubt as to whence 
 it came. I tried then to distinguish the form of 
 the brute, and did so, I believe. I felt agitated, 
 and waking the boy, and hurriedly placing the sad- 
 dles on the backs of the horses, rode off. But, 
 though thus in some degree relieved, I did not feel 
 quite at ease until the day broke, when my nerv- 
 ousness was at once gone. 
 
 Before I dismiss altogether the subject of my 
 doings in Western Damara Land, it may perhaps 
 not be out of place to say a few words of its phys- 
 ical features, as this whole region is a terra incog- 
 nita to Englishmen. 
 
 Kaoko Proper, i. e., Western Damara Land, dif- 
 fers from the rest of this country- (excepting, per- 
 haps, the immediate vicinity of the sea) only by the 
 absence of extensive plains ; in other respects all 
 parts of Western Africa resemble each other close- 
 ly. This particular district forms a high plateau, 
 rising from 2000 to 4000 feet above the low lands. 
 It possesses comparatively few natural springs; 
 
THE CHARACTER OF ITS SOIL. 91 
 
 yet water is not scarce, for the ground is deeplj r 
 scored and indented all over by numerous periodical 
 water-courses, which intersect the whole region from 
 east to west. In some parts it is densely wooded, 
 or rather bushed ; in others rugged. The pastur- 
 ages are, nevertheless, excellent — in short, the Kao- 
 ko is well adapted for the occupation of a pastoral 
 people. 
 
 Granite, limestone, and sandstone are the char- 
 acteristics of the soil of this entire tract, that is, 
 of all Western Damara Land. The first of these 
 formations runs parallel with the coast, or about 
 north and south, shooting out occasionally to some 
 distance inland. Excepting in the immediate neigh- 
 borhood of the sea-coast (where it is found in one con- 
 tinuous range for nearly 400 geographical miles), it 
 rises in isolated and detached masses, varying in 
 height from 1000 to 3000 feet and upward, some- 
 times in the form of huge boulder heads, but more 
 frequently in peaks. Granite, indeed, constitutes the 
 chief and most interesting features in the mountain 
 scenery of this country. Some of the finest speci- 
 mens of this rock are to be seen in the beautiful 
 cones of Okonyenya, Omatako, and in the grand 
 boulders and bluffs of Erongo, Dounsia, Otjonko- 
 ama, etc. 
 
 The limestone and sandstone formations run, on 
 the contrary, eastward, flanking the granite, but 
 generally with an east and west bearing; in fact, 
 abutting nearly at right angles on the igneous rock. 
 
92 
 
 PICTURESQUE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 The limestone predominates toward the north of 
 the Omaruru River, while the sandstone flanks it 
 (the limestone) on the east, running nearly parallel 
 with the Omuramba TJa’ Matako. 
 
 The three different kinds of limestone, so charac- 
 teristic of England, viz., the chalk, the carbonifer- 
 ous, and the oolite, are all to be found here consid- 
 erably developed, and may be duly recognized by 
 their distinguishing peculiarities. The carbonifer- 
 ous formations, escarped ridges and ranges on par- 
 allel lines to each other, are bold, stern, and rugged 
 in aspect, clothed with a scanty and dwarfish vege- 
 tation, and, on the whole, forbidding and repulsive 
 in appearance. They improve, however, as one pro- 
 ceeds northward and eastward. In the former di- 
 rection these formations assume a softer outline, 
 and are covered with a rank vegetation, consisting 
 chiefly of scented and aromatic plants, shrubs, and 
 trees. The eastern ranges, which often rise into 
 lofty mountains, are also adorned with a luxuriant 
 vegetation, and are very picturesque. Those seen 
 from Omanbonde, for instance, the nearest point 
 being about twenty English miles, are especially 
 striking and grand. They can only, however, be 
 seen to advantage during the rainy season, when the 
 breadth of light and shadow, ever varying with the 
 now brilliantly illuminated, the now fantastically 
 and gorgeously clouded sky, gives them a thousand 
 varied and beautiful aspects. 
 
 The sandstone, again, consists chiefly of table- 
 
MINES. 
 
 93 
 
 shaped hills with vertical sides, usually very gro- 
 tesque and imposing. The finest specimens of the 
 formation are to be met with in the elevated tables 
 of Etjo, Konyali, Ombororoeko, and Omuveroo. 
 These rival the granite in point of picturesqueness. 
 On the shores of Oinanbonde, the limestone and 
 the sandstone form a junction, as it were, but the 
 latter rock is from that point lost to view, the lime- 
 stone overlapping it continuously eastward round 
 by the south ; yet this range rarely rises conspicu- 
 ously above the level of the surrounding country. 
 
 The granite and sandstone are strongly impreg- 
 nated with oxide of iron (in some instances, too, 
 the limestone), which gives a reddish tint to most of 
 the formations. I never, however, observed any in- 
 dications of regular mineral deposits in the Kaoko, 
 or, indeed, in the whole of Western Damara Land, 
 excepting always portions of the Otjirokaku and 
 the Otjomokojo mountain systems ; but to the south 
 of the Omaruru River both iron and copper ore 
 exist in considerable quantities. Several mines of 
 the latter mineral have been opened and worked, 
 but have been all lately abandoned. The ore has 
 been generally very rich, but the carriage, both by 
 land and water, is so expensive, that as yet every 
 mining speculation in this country has turned out 
 a failure. Specks of gold have occasionally been 
 found in this ore. As to iron, it is, as I have said, 
 very plentiful. It occurs either as iron-stone, or 
 pure in a crystallized state. The rocks about the 
 
94 
 
 COPPER ORE. 
 
 lower course of the Swakop abound in both forms, 
 which are generally found imbedded in granite and 
 quartz. But the copper ore thrives best in mica- 
 schist and sandstone. It is, nevertheless, largely 
 disseminated through quartz, though that forma- 
 tion is evidently not congenial to its growth, as no 
 body of ore has ever been found in this species of 
 rock. 
 
MY TRAVELING STUD. 
 
 95 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 My traveling Stud. — Game plentiful. — Giraffes, Zebras, Gnus, 
 and Koodoos. — Two Giraffes killed. — Lions, Hyenas, Jack- 
 als, and other Beasts of Prey. — Great Numbers of Natives. 
 — Honey in great Quantities. — Visitors from the civilized 
 World. — A Night Watch for Game. — Elephants descried. 
 — An Elephant Hunt. — Two Elephants killed.— The Re- 
 joicings of the Damaras on the Prospect of a Gorge. — A 
 Breakfast on an Elephant Foot and a Dish of Honey. 
 
 On the third day after the departure of the wag- 
 on I set out for the Omuramba Ua 1 Matako. My 
 “ traveling stud 11 consisted of eight or nine carriage 
 and draught oxen, four donkeys, the old horse, and 
 a few sheep and goats for slaughter and milk. My 
 “personal , 11 again, was composed of Kamapjie, one 
 youth, and three Damaras. I besides expected 
 shortly to be joined by the Bechuana lad Tom, 
 whom I had sent to Otjimbingue to bring on any 
 letters or papers that might chance to be waiting 
 for me at that place. 
 
 The Persian monarch who so ungallantly said 
 that women were at the bottom of all mischief, was, 
 I take it, not very far wrong. Through the wiles 
 of a woman I temporarily lost the services of 
 Kamapjie, the most useful of my native attendants. 
 He had married a young girl before he left Otjim- 
 
96 
 
 GAME MORE PLENTIFUL. 
 
 bingue, and, on the wagon starting for that place, 
 asked whether his wife should accompany Mortar 
 or remain with us. I told him to please himself 
 The woman remained ; but just as we were setting 
 out she slipped away secretly. Kamapjie request- 
 ed permission to pursue the fugitive ; on being re- 
 fused, he took himself off too. This loss, just then, 
 was most severely felt, as my party was already 
 very small — in short, insufficient to meet the re- 
 quirements of the expedition. Moreover, this de- 
 sertion had a very injurious effect on my other 
 servants, who supposed, and with much apparent 
 reason, that Kamapjie and his amiable spouse had 
 absented themselves from fear of the dangers to be 
 encountered in my service. I kept my eyes on 
 their movements, and succeeded in preventing any 
 farther elopements. 
 
 Game now became more plentiful. At the fount- 
 ain Ombolo (situated on the Omaruru River), 
 which I reached on the third day, I found the coun- 
 try pretty well stocked with giraffes, zebras, gnus, 
 koodoos, etc., and had some very decent shooting. 
 One morning I bagged a fine stag koodoo and two 
 giraffes. The circumstances attending the death 
 of the latter are worth recording. 
 
 I was proceeding leisurely along, and had nearly 
 reached the summit of a rising ground, when sud- 
 denly a noble giraffe stood before me. Snatching 
 the gun from my native attendant, I ran forward a 
 few paces, leveled, and fired. The bullet told loud- 
 

 
 
TWO GIRAFFES KILLED. 
 
 99 
 
 1 y on the shoulder of the animal, and, staggering 
 (or apparently so) over the brow of the hill, it was 
 lost to view. I took it for granted that he was 
 killed, or, at all events, mortally wounded ; but, be- 
 fore I proceeded to ascertain whether this was the 
 case or not, I reloaded my empty barrel. Reach- 
 ing the spot where I had first espied the brute, I 
 observed him a short way off, not only alive, but 
 fleeing away at full speed — at least so I thought 
 at the time. I at once fired again right and left, 
 but, to my extreme annoyance, missed with both 
 barrels. A few minutes afterward I once more 
 came up with him, and this time my aim proved 
 more correct, for with a single bullet I laid him 
 prostrate, and with another behind the ear caused 
 his instant death. 
 
 I tried now to ascertain where my first bullet 
 had taken effect, but nowhere could I discover any 
 marks except the last two wounds just mentioned. 
 I felt sure, nevertheless, that it had sped true. Sud- 
 denly a thought struck me, and I exclaimed almost 
 involuntarily, “ By heavens! there must be another 
 giraffe ; yes, surely there must. Besides, this is a 
 smaller animal than the one I first fired at.'” And, 
 turning to my henchman, I asked, “Was there not 
 a larger giraffe V “ Yes, yes, ” he promptly replied ; 
 “the one you fired at when you first took the gun 
 from me was much larger.” And, sure enough, so 
 it proved ; for, quickly retracing our steps, we dis- 
 covered a beautiful cow giraffe dead within less 
 
100 
 
 ABUNDANCE OF HONEY. 
 
 than twenty paces from the spot where she had re- 
 ceived the fatal wound. I made a similar mistake 
 at a subsequent period while hunting elephants, 
 with this difference, that I was not at all aware of 
 having killed my quarry until two days afterward ; 
 in short, I had brought down two very large ele- 
 phants in two successive shots, thinking all the 
 time that I was firing at one and the same animal. 
 
 Game being thus abundant, lions, hyenas, jackals, 
 and other beasts of prey did not fail to attend upon 
 their victims. Indeed, they kept up a terrible hub- 
 bub of dissonant noises during the night, causing 
 us much annoyance and disturbance. One even- 
 ing, before night had yet set in, two lions made 
 their appearance, and destroyed within sight of our 
 camp a sheep that had accidentally been left out- 
 side the kraal. 
 
 A few elephants had visited the Ombolo fount- 
 ain about four or five days previous to our arrival, 
 but had not since been heard of. I concluded, 
 therefore, that they had treked on to Omuramba 
 Ua 1 Matako. 
 
 If we had hitherto met but few natives, we now 
 saw more of them than was desirable. Indeed, the 
 Omaruru River, as in their better days, was evi- 
 dently one of the favorite resorts of the Damaras. 
 From time to time they brought us large supplies 
 of honey, for which I readily gave them a few beads, 
 tobacco, fat, etc. Honey was unusually abundant 
 this season ; any quantity of it might have been 
 
THE VALUE OF A LETTER. 
 
 101 
 
 obtained from the Damaras on very advantageous 
 terms. A trader might do a good business in this 
 article and the wax, which must, of course, be sold 
 with it. 
 
 I had appointed Ombolo as the rendezvous where 
 my messengers to Otjimbingue were directed to 
 join me. Accordingly, after somewhat more than 
 a week’s absence, they returned, accompanied by a 
 few friends, who had kindly come to pay a visit to 
 the lonely traveler. This unexpected and agreea- 
 ble surprise, with a goodly supply of newspapers, 
 letters, etc., enabled me to form a pretty good no- 
 tion of what was going on both at home and abroad, 
 as also to inform other friends, in turn, how I was 
 progressing. I verily believe the value of a letter 
 is never fully appreciated until one becomes, as in 
 my case, shut out for long periods from all com- 
 munication with the civilized world. 
 
 On the 20th of July I reached a place called 
 Hokahanja, situated on the Omuramba Ua 1 Matako, 
 and commanding a full view of the noble mount- 
 ains of the same name. I had by this time, in 
 some degree, accomplished one of the objects of 
 this excursion, viz., I had surveyed and mapped a 
 region hitherto unfrequented by the white man, and 
 but rudely represented on the charts. 
 
 Geographical research was indeed the prime pur- 
 pose of the present expedition ; hunting and sport- 
 ing but secondary considerations. But, now that 
 subjects for the compass and ruler were temporarily 
 
102 
 
 ELEPHANTS DESCRIED. 
 
 exhausted, I determined to enjoy my gun. I cared 
 but little, however, for any game except elephants. 
 Accordingly, making many inquiries about these 
 animals from some Ovatjimba whom I found en- 
 camped at Hokahanja, I had the satisfaction of 
 learning that they roamed about the neighborhood 
 in considerable numbers. I lost, therefore, no time 
 in setting out in quest of the noble prey ; but, after 
 several days’ fruitless search, though there was 
 abundant evidence of their late visit to the place, 
 we could discover the beasts themselves nowhere, 
 and returned to camp in any thing but a pleasant 
 temper. 
 
 Success was, however, nearer than we suspected. 
 I had scarcely dismounted when a stranger Damara 
 stepped up to inform me that three male elephants 
 had drunk at some pits a short way off on the pre- 
 ceding night. This was good news, and revived our 
 drooping spirits amazingly. Having then enjoyed 
 the luxury of a good wash, and partaken of Desert 
 John’s humble fare, I was once more jogging along 
 on my faithful steed, the ox Seeland. 
 
 After a short but smart ride we reached the spot 
 indicated, and at once made preparations to attack 
 the elephants should they again honor the place 
 with a visit. Two nights elapsed without our see- 
 ing any thing of them. On the morning of the 
 third day, however, and while refreshing the inner 
 man after a long night’s dreary watch, unbroken by 
 any thing save the howl of the hyena, the mocking 
 
THE TWIG- OF A THORN-TREE. 103 
 
 laughs of the jackals, and the growlings of a naugh- 
 ty lion, a native, whose duty it was to report on the 
 appearance of wild animals, suddenly “ dropped in , 11 
 and silently deposited at my feet a small branch of 
 a thorn-tree. Any explanation on the man’s part 
 was unnecessary ; for, after having carefully exam- 
 ined the twig, which was much jagged and cut by 
 the marks of teeth, I at once came to the conclusion 
 that it had been torn from its stem only a few 
 hours previously by elephants, and merely inquired, 
 “Where are they? and how many in number?” 
 To the first of my queries he replied by pointing to 
 some low broken hills in the neighborhood ; to the 
 second he could give no precise answer. He had 
 left some of his companions, however, to watch the 
 movements of the elephants. 
 
 In ten minutes I was en route , duly equipped. 
 After a rapid and hot march of rather less than 
 two hours’ duration, we saw the three natives left 
 as sentinels running toward us in fiery haste, ex- 
 claiming, out of breath, u We have seen them! we 
 have seen them! there are three of them !” adding, 
 “But there” — pointing to a small eminence on 
 which was stuck up another “Blackey,” looking 
 very much like a huge baboon — “you can see for 
 yourself.” I did not wait to be told this twice, and 
 had soon the satisfaction of verifying with my own 
 eyes the statements of the natives. The elephants 
 were then distant about three quarters of a mile 
 apparently, slowly browsing among some brush- 
 
104 
 
 AN AMBUSH. 
 
 wood at the foot of a low ridge. A few seconds 
 enabled me to make my arrangements. Leaving a 
 couple of men on the rock to watch the movements 
 of the animals, I proceeded with the rest to the at- 
 tack, making a considerable circuit in order to get 
 to the leeward of our game, the wind being at first 
 exceedingly unfavorable. 
 
 Having gained the foot of the hill where the 
 brutes were last seen, I sent two natives ahead and 
 up the hill to reconnoitre. A low whistle — the sig- 
 nal to advance — was soon heard, which quickly 
 brought me alongside of the scouts. The elephants 
 were still almost on the spot where they had been 
 first seen, but I could only make out two. Putting 
 fresh priming and caps to my rifle, and ramming 
 the bullet well home, I dropped noiselessly down 
 the rock, accompanied by one of my own Damaras, 
 who carried a spare gun. The rest of the party 
 were instructed to remain quietly in their safe hid- 
 ing-place. A couple of minutes’ walk brought me 
 within range of one of the elephants, and, the cover 
 being admirable, I advanced to within about twen- 
 ty-five paces of the spot where he stood. He was 
 then somewhat aslant from me, but soon turned to 
 me his broadside. Some minutes, however, elapsed 
 before I could make out the exact position of his 
 shoulder. I once attempted to get a little ahead 
 of him, but soon found my situation less favorable 
 than before, and therefore stuck to my first post. 
 With my heavy rifle (carrying steel-pointed conical 
 
AN ELEPHANT KILLED. 
 
 105 
 
 bullets three to the pound) ready poised in my 
 hand, and a double-barreled smooth-bore, ready 
 cocked, on the ground beside me, I anxiously wait- 
 ed for a chance to fire. I wanted him to move a 
 step or two forward, when I knew his shoulder 
 must be fully exposed. Suddenly he did so, and 
 as quickly I covered his heart, the jungle re-echo- 
 ing the next instant with an explosion of twelve 
 drachms of Hall's best rifle powder. The effect 
 was deadly. With a frightful rush forward (it was 
 the most tremendous plunge I have ever witnessed 
 by any wild animal), he fell prostrate within about 
 150 yards of my place of ambush. 
 
 Another elephant was evidently following the 
 stricken animal (I did not see him, but judged as 
 much by the noise occasioned by his flight), and 
 having quickly reloaded, I pursued the fugitive. 
 Suddenly, when within less than 200 yards of my 
 intended victim, I found myself in his presence. 
 He was partially facing me, his huge ears spread 
 like a pair of studding-sails, giving a defiant and 
 threatening air to his whole attitude. I did not, 
 however, hesitate, but fired at once at his shoulder, 
 when he instantly betook himself to flight. My 
 henchman, at this moment becoming frightened at 
 the close proximity of the gigantic creature, instead 
 of handing me the spare gun, also ran away. Re- 
 loading the rifle, I was soon once more in pursuit, 
 and had shortly the satisfaction of getting again 
 within sight of the poor beast, who, from the quan- 
 
106 
 
 A NEST OF HONEYCOMBS. 
 
 tity of blood on his spoor, was evidently seriously 
 wounded. My attendant now rejoined me. I man- 
 aged this time to fire all my three barrels ; but, 
 though every bullet sped true, they had not the ef- 
 fect of bringing the brute down. To my surprise 
 and satisfaction, I soon discovered, nevertheless, 
 that instead of trying to make his escape (perhaps 
 he felt unequal to the task), he gradually began re- 
 tracing his steps. 
 
 Hearing just at this moment a peculiar hammer- 
 ing noise close under the hill, I turned aside to as- 
 certain its cause. It arose, I found, from a party of 
 Ovatjimba who were busily possessing themselves 
 of a nest of honeycombs. In their company was a 
 number of noisy curs, who, on our approach, began 
 to give tongue in a most alarming manner. For 
 a moment I really feared my quarry would escape 
 me ; my misgivings fortunately proved unfounded, 
 for I soon overtook the poor creature resting under 
 a small tree. I crept quite close up to him, and 
 poured once more the contents of all my barrels 
 into his body. Unfortunately, in pulling the trig- 
 ger of the smooth-bore, both barrels went off to- 
 gether, and the gun being light, and charged with 
 twenty drachms of powder, its rapid recoil struck 
 me violently in the face, one of the cocks burying 
 itself deep in my upper lip and loosening some of 
 my teeth. The shock almost stunned me ; it was 
 enough to have prostrated a horse; yet I almost 
 instantly recovered myself. As to the elephant, 
 
ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL SHOT. 
 
 107 
 
 he did not seem to have been hurt at all, for he re- 
 mained quite motionless. Large bullets and pow- 
 der now failed me ; I therefore sent my attendant 
 for the spare supply left with the men on the rock. 
 While waiting for his return, I rammed down a 
 couple of small bullets in the rifle and fired again. 
 The result was the same as before, i. e., nil. Hav- 
 ing at last been rejoined by my men, I gave the 
 wretched animal a couple of additional five-ouncers 
 as a coup de grace , when he sunk slowly on his 
 haunches, once more righted himself, and then fell 
 with a crash, a corpse ! 
 
 While thus engaged a third elephant had been 
 espied by the men on the look-out, and on being 
 informed that he was seen to walk in the direction 
 of his first prostrated companion, I hurried off at 
 once in search of him, but had not gone far before 
 I found myself surrounded with numerous Ovat- 
 jimba, or poor Damaras, making the most terrific 
 hubbub in celebration of my success, or rather at 
 the prospect of a gorge on six tons of elephant 
 flesh. I can not describe my annoyance on finding 
 myself thus unexpectedly baffled in my object ; for 
 of course the surviving elephant, scared by the noise, 
 had precipitately left the spot where he had been 
 seen. Had it not been for this annoying incident, 
 I should, in all probability, have come up with, and 
 perhaps have killed him too, which would, indeed, 
 have made a glorious day’s sport. As it was, I had 
 done pretty well. I had bagged, to use the sports- 
 
108 BREAKFAST OF ELEPHANTS FOOT AND HONEY. 
 
 man’s phrase, two fine young males, measuring re- 
 spectively from the shoulder 11 feet and llj feet. 
 The tusks, however, were not on a par with the 
 size of the animals, the largest not much exceeding 
 50 lbs. 
 
 By this time more than fifty Damaras were on 
 the spot, while others were flocking in on all sides, 
 including even Bushmen and Berg Damaras from 
 the neighboring mountain Etjo. The sudden, and 
 to me perfectly astonishing and inexplicable appear- 
 ance of these carnivorants strongly reminded me 
 of a flight of vultures. The next morning I break- 
 fasted on an elephant’s foot, done under the ashes, 
 and a dish of honey— a meal fit for a king. 
 
NIGHT WATCHES AND DAY TRACKINGS. 109 
 
 CHAPTEE VII. 
 
 Night Watches and Day Trackings. — A great English Sports- 
 man and a great English Traveler’s Opinion of Dr. Living- 
 stone. — A Moonlight Ambush. — Living Pictures of Animal 
 Life.— Nature’s Menagerie. — Two more Elephants killed. — 
 A Night Assemblage of a large Herd of one hundred and 
 fifty Elephants at a drinking Tank. — The furious Trumpet- 
 ings of the Herd when fired at. — Female Elephants partic- 
 ularly vicious. — A Cow Elephant-hunt. — The Hunter hunt- 
 ed. — Narrow Escape. — Following the Spoors of a Herd. — 
 The Emigration of Elephants. — Paterfamilias, or General of 
 Division. — An unsatisfactory Shot. — A Tree torn up. — A 
 Picture of Rage and Grandeur. 
 
 After the event narrated in the preceding chap- 
 ter, I worked hard, watching by night for elephants 
 at the water, and following on their spoors in the 
 daytime, but met with no success proportionate to 
 my exertions, which were really severe. I do not 
 mean, however, to task the reader's patience by re- 
 questing him to follow me through all my vicis- 
 situdes of good and ill luck, through my weary 
 marches and countermarches, through the cold, 
 cheerless nights, and the days of scorching heat, 
 which painfully diversified this exciting quest, but 
 will content myself with selecting a few incidents 
 attending it most worthy of note, which will ex- 
 hibit under different aspects, and in striking cir- 
 
110 A traveler’s OPINION OF DR. LIVINGSTONE. 
 
 cumstances, the character of the most antediluvian, 
 perhaps, from size, as well as of the most interest- 
 ing of animals. 
 
 I had arrived one day, a few minutes before sun- 
 set, at a large vley of water called Okavaoa, of 
 which I had previously heard nothing; for the 
 Damaras, as often mentioned in my former work, 
 are most tardy informants. I only discovered the 
 existence of this reservoir, or tank, by mere acci- 
 dent. From the number of footprints in the sand 
 at the place, it was evident, nevertheless, that it was 
 at times much resorted to by elephants. There 
 was, however, some danger in facing them, as the 
 locality was, with the exception of three or four 
 ant-hills, destitute of adequate shelter. Time, more- 
 over, did not admit of constructing a u skarm,” or 
 place of concealment; yet, not relishing the idea 
 of losing a chance, I determined at all hazards to 
 take up my position for a few shots on one of these 
 ant-hills, and carried this resolution into effect on 
 a night when the moon was at its full, a circum- 
 stance much in my favor. 
 
 A great sportsman and a great traveler* once 
 told me — prefacing his pleasant remark with a 
 u saving your presence” — that he considered am- 
 bushing for game at night nothing better than 
 
 * On asking the same gentleman what he thought of Dr. 
 Livingstone, he returned me the following characteristic reply : 
 “ Well, to look at the man, you would think nothing of him ; 
 but he is a plucky little devil.” 
 
MIDNIGHT AMBUSH NATURE’S MENAGERIE. Ill 
 
 “ dirty poaching.” But I must beg leave to differ 
 from my friend, to whose superior judgment in 
 sporting matters I otherwise respectfully bow, for 
 I am quite sure he has had little or no experience 
 in this matter, and probably for this simple reason, 
 that he is always richly furnished with well-trained 
 hunters, and thus has at command the easiest and 
 surest means of enjoying his gun without the fa- 
 tigues attendant on night watching. During my 
 peregrinations, however, in South Africa, I have 
 seen something of every sort of sport — whether 
 at night by the side of the mirrored water or the 
 “ salt-lick,” or by day on foot or on horseback — 
 and I must conscientiously declare that, in my opin- 
 ion, a moonlight ambush by a pool well frequented 
 by wild animals is worth all the other modes of 
 enjoying a gun put together. In the first place, 
 there is something mysterious and thrilling in find- 
 ing one’s self the secret and unsuspected spectator 
 of the wild movements, habits, and propensities of 
 the denizens of nature’s varied and wonderful me- 
 nagerie — no high feeding, no barred gates, no harsh 
 and cruel keeper’s voice having yet enervated, damp- 
 ed, or destroyed the elasticity, buoyancy, frolicsome- 
 ness of animal life. And then the intense excite- 
 ment between each expected arrival ! The distant 
 footstep, now heard distinctly rattling over a rug- 
 ged surface, now gently vibrating on the strained 
 ear, as it treads over softer ground — it may be that 
 of a small antelope or an elephant, of a wild boar 
 
112 
 
 LIVING PICTURES. 
 
 or a rhinoceros, of a gnn or a giraffe, of a jackal or 
 a lion ! And then what opportunities present them- 
 selves of observing the habits and peculiarities of 
 each species, and even of individuals, to say noth- 
 ing of the terrible battles that sometimes take place 
 at these encounters, which can so rarely be wit- 
 nessed in the daytime. I have certainly learned 
 more of the untamed life of savage beasts in a sin- 
 gle night’s tableau vivant than during months of 
 toilsome wanderings in the broad light of the sun. 
 
 Nevertheless, under even the disadvantage of day- 
 light, what can be more picturesque or exciting 
 than the groups of strange wild creatures which 
 constantly cross the path of the traveler, who, 
 plunging into wilds and saharas, finds himself at 
 once in the midst of their quadruped tenants, in 
 their very haunts and homes? or, in the words of 
 Pringle, perhaps the only poet who has derived in- 
 spiration from Africa, 
 
 “ Away, away from the dwellings of men, 
 
 By the wild deer’s haunt, by the buffalo’s glen ; 
 
 By valleys remote where the oribi plays, 
 
 Where the gnu, the gazelle, and the hartebeeste graze ; 
 And the kudor and eland unhunted recline 
 By the skirts of gray forests o’erhung with wild vine : 
 Where the elephant browses at peace in his wood, 
 
 And the river-horse gambols unscared in the flood ; 
 
 And the mighty rhinoceros wallows at will 
 In the fen where the wild ass is drinking his fill. 
 
 O’er the brown Karroo, where the bleating cry 
 Of the springbok’s fawn sounds plaintively, 
 
TWO TROOPS OF ELEPHANTS. 
 
 113 
 
 And the timorous quagga’s shrill whistling neigh 
 Is heard by the fountain at twilight gray : 
 
 Where the zebra wantonly tosses his mane, 
 
 With wild hoof scouring the desolate plain ; 
 
 And the fleet-footed ostrich over the waste 
 Speeds like a horseman who travels in haste, 
 
 Hieing away to the home of her rest, 
 
 Where she and her mate have Scooped their nest, 
 
 Far hid from the pitiless plunderer’s view 
 In the pathless depths of the parched Karroo.” 
 
 To return to my story. I had not been long 
 perched on my post of observation, i. e., the ant- 
 hill, before a crashing and cracking among the trees 
 and bushes in the neighboring thicket announced 
 the approach of elephants ; in a few moments aft- 
 erward the looming of a dozen huge unwieldy fig- 
 ures in the distance told of their arrival. They ap- 
 peared to be young males. I was too far to fire 
 with any certainty of success, and therefore left my 
 ambush in order to stalk within range; but the 
 beasts were on their guard, and soon began to re- 
 treat, a shot at the nearest hastening their exit. 
 The lead sped true, but not fatally, and the troop 
 disappeared immediately. I had scarcely with- 
 drawn to my ant-hill when another herd, consisting 
 of full-grown bulls, rapidly approached the water, 
 with a steady, heedful step. I ran to a small tree 
 to intercept them, and just as the foremost of them 
 had fairly passed me, in rather dangerous proximi- 
 ty, I pulled the trigger. Receiving the bullet, the 
 brute uttered a faint cry, and with ears erect, and 
 
 H 
 
114 
 
 TWO MORE DEATHS. 
 
 proboscis swaying to and fro, turned and fled, pass- 
 ing within a few paces of the spot where I stood. 
 One of his companions took the same course on the 
 opposite side of the tree, thus placing me between 
 two tremendous foes. I felt frightened, but for- 
 tunately they did not attempt to molest me. The 
 elephant I had hit also, to my no small surprise, 
 made his escape in safety. I felt annoyed at my 
 bad success, and was asking myself how it was that 
 my last shot had not proved fatal, when I observed 
 two other elephants cautiously approaching, halting 
 in their approach at some little distance from the 
 water. After a while, however, the leader, more 
 courageous than his associate, pushed forward, stop- 
 ping, nevertheless, now and then to listen. I was 
 at this moment well covered by an ant-hill, and had 
 my rifle in rest at my side. Having arrived within 
 less than a dozen paces of this spot, just opposite 
 my temporary ambush, the animal stopped short. 
 That pause proved his death, for the next instant 
 a well-directed bullet pierced his heart. Turning 
 sharply round, and staggering forward about fifty 
 paces, he Game heavily to the ground, a lifeless 
 mass. He proved a very fine elephant. After a 
 while his companion, who had hurriedly retreated 
 on hearing the report of the gun, again appeared. 
 Of course I was at once in attendance, and was flat- 
 tering myself that he would give me a fine chance 
 of a broadside, when just at that moment a puff 
 of wind in the wrong direction sent him away in 
 
150 ELEPHANTS AT A DRINKING TANK. 115 
 
 double-quick time. As he was thus retreating I 
 suddenly pulled the trigger, and with good effect, 
 for the beast was found dead next morning at no 
 great distance from the place where he received the 
 wound. On discharging this last shot I was in a 
 sitting posture, and the recoil of the rifle fairly 
 knocked me head over heels, disabling at the same 
 time — which was far more disagreeable — my right 
 shoulder, generally on my hunting excursions pro- 
 tected with a pad, that had been accidentally, on 
 this occasion, left behind at the bivouac. The rifle 
 which did this mischief was charged with twelve 
 drachms of powder. I never afterward exceeded 
 nine and a half, and I have found by experience 
 that quantity to be more than sufficient. 
 
 Besides the excruciating pain I suffered in my 
 shoulder, I was also hurt in the chest ; neverthe- 
 less, I stuck to my post of observation for a while, 
 and was well rewarded for my patience, for the best 
 part of the night’s entertainment was yet to come. 
 I had returned but a short time to my ambush, 
 when a large herd of female elephants, with their 
 calves, came on, perfectly heedless of the firing 
 which had previously taken place. With a rush 
 they gained the water, exactly opposite to where I 
 was perched on my ant-hill. Soon afterward they 
 were joined by several other troops pouring in from 
 different directions, consisting of cows and bulls in- 
 termixed. It was quite remarkable to observe how 
 they ranged themselves closely side by side, like a 
 
116 FURIOUS TRUMPETINGS OF THE HERD. 
 
 line of infantry. They drew themselves up in sin- 
 gle file, occupying the entire width of the water 
 (which at that point was 300 yards broad). I es- 
 timated their numbers at between 100 and 150. 
 The moon was just then nearly at its zenith, and 
 shed a glorious and dazzling light on the huge 
 creatures below. I felt no inclination to disturb 
 so striking a picture, and, indeed, if I had been so 
 disposed it would little have availed me, as the 
 vley in the direction occupied by the elephants was 
 totally destitute of cover. So all I could do, and 
 did, was to look on, sigh, and admire. 
 
 When the elephants had ceased drinking and 
 were about moving away, I hurried forward to in- 
 tercept their retreat, and, as the very last of them 
 was disappearing, succeeded, with some difficulty, 
 in shouldering my rifle and firing. The rush and 
 the trumpeting which followed this discharge was 
 truly appalling. The herds actually seemed to yell 
 with rage. They were, indeed, an unusually sav- 
 age lot, as I shortly afterward discovered in an en- 
 counter which very nearly cost me my life. My 
 last shot, though a hurried and uncertain one, took 
 effect ; a fine cow was killed by it, but her carcass 
 was not discovered till two days afterward. I thus 
 brought down three elephants that night, besides 
 wounding two others. 
 
 Some little time after the incident just related, I 
 found myself one morning at a place called Orom- 
 boto, a favorite drinking rendezvous of elephants. 
 
A RIGHT ROYAL FRONT 
 
SHE-ELEPHANTS. 
 
 119 
 
 There was no visible water, but the animals could 
 generally procure a sufficiency by digging a few feet 
 below the surface of the earth with their trunks, a 
 mode of quenching their thirst to which they are 
 very partial. There were, however, several other 
 and similar watering-places in the neighborhood; 
 in order, consequently, to have more than one string 
 to my bow, I sent parties in various directions to 
 search out fresh spoors. One of these parties re- 
 turned almost immediately with the news that they 
 had suddenly come upon two young male elephants. 
 I was soon in pursuit of them ; but, alas ! on reach- 
 ing the spot where they had been seen, we found, 
 instead of two bulls, a herd of cows and calves — 
 some of my old acquaintances. I felt at first very 
 loth to attack them, and for two reasons : first, be- 
 cause she-elephants are infinitely more dangerous 
 than males ; and, secondly, because they yield but 
 little ivory, to say nothing of the mischief done to 
 the species, who are slow breeders, producing, more- 
 over, only one calf at a time. As I was, however, 
 on the spot, and, besides, really in want of meat — - 
 hundreds of starving Ovatjimba following in my 
 train begging for food — I, after due hesitation, re- 
 solved on the assault. 
 
 I had crept up to within less than thirty paces 
 of a noble cow, and was only waiting for the brute 
 to present some eligible point to fire at, when, while 
 thus watching her movements, two others had un- 
 perceived approached me from behind, and, before 
 
120 
 
 THE HUNTER HUNTED. 
 
 I became aware of their nearness to me, were actu- 
 ally only about fifteen yards from where I sat. In- 
 deed, they would probably have been upon me in a 
 second or two had I not chanced to cast my eyes 
 on my native attendant, who was crouched along- 
 side of me in fear and trembling, with his teeth 
 chattering quite audibly. He had discovered the 
 danger, but had either not the sense to warn me, 
 or had become too frightened to speak. It was by 
 following the man’s fixed and frightened gaze that 
 I first became conscious of our unpleasant situa- 
 tion. To rise to my feet — to clear, with a tre- 
 mendous leap, the first bush that obstructed my 
 flight, was but the work of a moment. The brutes 
 pursued me instantly, and I was obliged to aban- 
 don precipitately a second ambush I had taken up. 
 The troop at last stopped, and, following their ex- 
 ample, I dropped flat behind a bush. 
 
 The whole herd was now facing me, distant only 
 a hundred yards. What with their small, peer- 
 ing, restless, mischievous-looking eyes, huge flapping 
 ears, elevated trunks, etc., their appearance was al- 
 together most fierce and threatening. I was more 
 than once in the act of pulling the trigger at the 
 foremost cow, but was afraid, feeling certain that 
 if she received the shot, even should it prove fatal, 
 the entire body of them would once more be at 
 my heels. While in this dilemma, they suddenly 
 wheeled right about. This was my time, and I in- 
 stantly fired at the original leader. The act proved 
 
A CHARGE OF THE HERD. 
 
 121 
 
 a rash one. With a shrill and heart-piercing trum- 
 peting, the beasts charged down upon me furiously. 
 Those who know what it is to run for one’s life can 
 easily imagine that I did my best to outstrip my 
 pursuers. The rifle, a heavy one, considerably im- 
 peded my progress; but the shorter the distance 
 became between me and my foes, the tighter I 
 grasped my weapon. For some seconds my escape 
 seemed more than doubtful ; but, providentially, 
 just as I was almost out of breath, the elephants 
 stopped short in their chase. Had they but follow- 
 ed for another fifty yards, destruction would have 
 been inevitable, for I had to cross a considerable 
 open space. 
 
 At last, feeling myself in tolerable security, I 
 halted, and ascended a conspicuous ant-hill to as- 
 certain what my enemies were about ; but I could 
 only perceive, as I thought, a solitary elephant 
 standing under a tree, just on the edge of the open 
 space alluded to. Thinking it might possibly be 
 the one I had fired at, and that she might be more 
 or less disabled, I ventured to approach, but had 
 not proceeded far before I found out my mistake. 
 Instead of a single elephant, it turned out to be 
 about one half of the whole herd ; and they looked 
 so exasperated and so on their guard, to say noth- 
 ing of the exposed nature of the ground, that I at 
 once withdrew, thinking discretion in this case the 
 better part of valor. But, seeing me, they soon re- 
 newed their charge, now and then stopping as if to 
 
122 
 
 THE SPOORS OF A HERD. 
 
 reconnoitre. I managed, nevertheless, to stow my- 
 self away in a place of security, whence I watched 
 their movements with great curiosity. 
 
 Coming to a certain spot, probably where we 
 had been standing, they would suddenly halt and 
 examine the ground, apparently with great care. 
 They would then as suddenly move off at full 
 speed, with trunks erect, ears flapping most audi- 
 bly against their rugged sides, switching at the 
 same time their stumpy and almost hairless tails 
 rapidly to and fro. After a while they were lost 
 to view, and I was not sorry at their departure, 
 while I secretly vowed never to molest cows, more 
 especially when accompanied with calves, unless I 
 could get adequate cover. 
 
 My bad luck on the present occasion was com- 
 pensated for in some degree on the ensuing night, 
 when a fine male elephant dropped dead to my 
 shot. 
 
 One more story, and I shall have done with ele- 
 phants, for the present at least. 
 
 At an early hour on the day previous to the one 
 I had fixed on for my departure from Oromboto, 
 I took up the spoors of an immense herd of female 
 elephants ; and the reason why I so soon broke the 
 resolution so lately formed was, that in the spoors 
 just mentioned there were tracks of first-rate bulls 
 among those of the cows. Now I hoped to find 
 the bulls by themselves, or perhaps lingering be- 
 hind the rest of the troop. The direction these 
 
EMIGRATION OF ELEPHANTS. 
 
 123 
 
 elephants at first pursued led me to suppose they 
 were about to visit their usual haunts, but subse- 
 quent circumstances soon convinced me that, far 
 from this being the case, they were evidently tak- 
 ing their leave of this neighborhood altogether. 
 Indeed, I came to the conclusion that they were re- 
 turning to their homes in the Kaoko, having found 
 that country, on my return journey through that 
 part of Damara Land, every where quite void of ele- 
 phants, though celebrated as their habitual abode. 
 Hour after hour elapsed, miles after miles of weary 
 walking were passed, without the least indication 
 that the herds would come to a halt. The zeal of 
 the trackers began to flag, and I felt inclined to 
 give up the pursuit, when suddenly, at about two 
 o’clock one afternoon, we espied the rear-guard of 
 the stupendous game slowly wending their way 
 across some rising ground a short distance ahead. 
 At this sight every face brightened, the step be- 
 came once more elastic, and hunger, thirst, and fa- 
 tigue were all forgotten at the exciting prospect 
 before us. 
 
 Leaving all my people behind with the exception 
 of one of my own native boys, I started in pursuit 
 of the quarry. The cover unfortunately was scanty 
 and unfavorable in the extreme ; but, in the hope 
 of finding better, I followed leisurely and cautious- 
 ly in the immediate track of the elephants, keeping 
 a sharp look-out on every side for fear of leaving 
 any behind. Suddenly my henchman pulled me 
 
124 PATERFAMILIAS, OR GENERAL OF DIVISION. 
 
 by the sleeve, and at the same time pointing to a 
 small break on our left (above which appeared the 
 backs of some suspicious-looking animals), whisper- 
 ed, “Bull elephants.” “Capital,” I responded, in 
 the same subdued tone ; and at once leaving the 
 herd immediately before me, I made for the spot 
 indicated. In a very short time I found myself 
 within easy range, but, to my dismay, discovered 
 that almost all the animals were females with their 
 young. There were two or three fine males, how- 
 ever, one of whom evidently acted as the 'paterfa- 
 milias to this portion of the emigrants, or, militarily 
 speaking, as a general of division. This particular 
 elephant was standing in a position outskirting the 
 rest, but his shoulder, unfortunately, was partially 
 hidden by two large calves, which the jolly old pa- 
 triarch was busily caressing. A very slight change 
 of attitude was all I required to enable me to send 
 him to the land of shades, and I waited in breath- 
 less anxiety for this opportunity. To my intense 
 disappointment, however, the huge brute all at once 
 tossed his trunk on high, and giving his sides two 
 or three smart slaps with his monster ears, turned 
 abruptly round and made off, instantly followed by 
 the whole herd. But it would never do to allow 
 them to escape thus. Springing, therefore, to my 
 feet, and advancing a few steps, I leveled and fired 
 at the second in size of the males just as he was 
 disappearing from view. The bullet struck him, 
 but very unsatisfactorily, for it glanced off and went 
 

 
FURIOUS CHARGE OF A PATERFAMILIAS. 
 
AN ELEPHANT IN A PASSION. 
 
 127 
 
 hissing through the air. In a moment the retreat- 
 ing column turned right about, and made a furious 
 and headlong charge all but over me. I had thrown 
 myself flat on the ground, sheltered only by an in- 
 significant little shrub. A false move would have 
 been death. After looking about him inquiringly, 
 the paterfamilias made a second random dash at 
 the supposed foe, in which charge the enraged brute 
 actually tore up by the roots and carried off a whole 
 tree. He looked the very picture of rage and grand- 
 eur as, for a few seconds, he stood exposed to full 
 view, part of the shattered tree still clinging to his 
 tusks. I was thoroughly scared, and held my 
 breath in dreadful and agonizing suspense. Not 
 being able to discover any thing, he once more, ac- 
 companied by the rest of the troop, faced right 
 about, and was soon lost to view in the jungle. I 
 hailed their departure with rapture; for, though 
 I had failed in my object, I felt heartily thankful 
 that my life was saved. 
 
128 
 
 A RECOMMENDATION. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 A Herd of Camelopards or Giraffes. — One Shot. — A comic 
 Scene. — A Lion wounded. — The Antelope. — The Eland. — 
 The Numerousness of this ruminant Tribe. — The Springbok, 
 its extraordinary Agility. — A Damara trading Caravan des- 
 tined for Ovambo Land. — Retainers of Afrikander. — I re- 
 fuse to join the Caravan. — Dearth of Water. — Rejoined by 
 the Wagon. — Start again to the Eastward. — Lion Man- 
 eaters, a Native carried off by one of them. — Mr. Green’s 
 Narrative. — Lion Chase. — Fragments and Bones of the Nar 
 tive discovered. — Another Visit from a Lion. — Dismay in 
 the Encampment. — Wild Boars. — Dogs no Match for them. 
 — I overtake the Caravan, and determine to accompany it 
 for a while. 
 
 Besides elephant-hunting I had also some other 
 sport, for the country was fairly besprinkled with 
 a variety of game. Indeed, had I killed for the 
 mere sake of killing, I might easily have destroyed 
 great numbers of the ferce naturae ; but I abstained 
 from the temptation, first, because I am averse to 
 wanton slaughter, and, secondly, because I made it 
 a point seldom or never to fire at any other game 
 while in the pursuit of elephants — a rule I strong- 
 ly recommend to such of my readers as may here- 
 after engage in this spirit-stirring chase. The rea- 
 son of this recommendation will be obvious when 
 I state that, the moment the natives get the pros- 
 
A GIRAFFE KILLED. — A COMIC SCENE. 129 
 
 pect of a feast, they care not a straw for any thing 
 else ; and as the sportsman is more or less depend- 
 ent on them as trackers, carriers, etc., this consid- 
 eration is really to him an important one. The 
 keener the appetite of his followers is kept, the 
 more effectual will be their efforts to aid him. 
 
 One morning I met with an adventure of a some- 
 what novel kind. I was accompanied by nearly 
 one hundred starving Ovatjimba, and having come 
 unperceived upon a herd of camelopards, I succeed- 
 ed, after a short stalk, in bringing down a good- 
 sized bull. While the poor brute was still in his 
 death-struggles, the natives, in their usual wild, 
 careless manner, came running up to surround him, 
 joyfully uproarious in the anticipation of an unex- 
 pected banquet ; for a gorge on animal flesh is to 
 savages the height of happiness. I kept aloof from 
 the motley group, being aware, from previous ex- 
 perience, that a wounded giraffe in his expiring 
 agonies is a most dangerous foe. And it was well 
 I took this precaution ; for suddenly the prostrate 
 beast made a violent effort to rise, and heaving his 
 branchy neck on high, describing with it a kind of 
 semicircle through the air, falling at the same time 
 again, while using his heels most effectually, heavi- 
 ly to the ground, he sent all the by-standers in an 
 instant sprawling in the dust. At first, dreading 
 some mischief, I ran forward to assist any who 
 might be hurt; but seeing that, beyond a heavy 
 fall, a few scratches, and the loss of sundry pieces 
 
 I 
 
130 
 
 A LAZY LION. 
 
 of skin, no serious injury had been sustained, I 
 burst into a hearty laugh, for the appearance of 
 the discomfited crew, with their crestfallen looks, 
 stupefied aspects, and dust-covered figures, was high- 
 ly ludicrous. 
 
 Lions were not uncommon in these parts; but, 
 except at night, when they occasionally exerted 
 their odious musical powers, we neither saw nor 
 heard much of them. One day, however, about 
 three o'clock in the afternoon, we came unexpect- 
 edly upon a huge male lion, walking at kingly leis- 
 ure about two hundred yards in advance of us. 
 Unfortunately, my double-barreled rifle, which I 
 had discharged in the early part of the day, was un- 
 loaded. I had intended to clean it out at the first 
 halting-place, much resorted to by elephants, which 
 I hoped to reach on the ensuing evening. Thus it 
 happened that as I rode along I could, merely out 
 of curiosity, keep the brute in view. We gained, 
 however, rapidly on our royal attendant, and my 
 henchman having come up with the “smasher, 11 I 
 felt the temptation to become nearer acquainted 
 with his majesty irresistible. Accordingly, when 
 he was about one hundred paces distant I suddenly 
 dismounted, and, raising the heavy elephant rifle to 
 my shoulder, quickly drew the trigger just as the 
 lazy animal was about to disappear under a small 
 tree. We could distinctly see the bullet (a 5-ounce) 
 enter his hind quarters, apparently traversing the 
 entire length of his body, for it took its egress 
 
THE COUP DE GRACE. 
 
 131 
 
 through one of his shoulders. Uttering a growl, 
 down came his majesty instantly on his haunches ; 
 yet, strange to say, although the whole party was 
 in full view of him, and making, besides, a consid- 
 erable noise, he continued quite unaware of our 
 presence, and kept staring intensely ahead. I had 
 soon loaded another rifle (the double-barrel this 
 time), and was just putting the caps on, when the 
 brute slowly rose and limped forward. He did not 
 proceed far before he lay down ; and I was already 
 within less than twenty yards of him, and about to 
 emerge from behind a tree that had afforded us 
 mutual concealment, in order to give him the coup 
 de grace , when suddenly, and for the first time, he 
 perceived me, and, rising on his feet, disappeared 
 before I could get a shot at him in a thick brake 
 immediately at his back. There, being pressed for 
 time, we left him. There was not much blood on 
 his track, but splinters of bone strewed the ground 
 in more than one spot. The ultimate fate of this 
 lion is unknown to me, though it is scarcely possi- 
 ble he could survive the terrible wound he had re- 
 ceived. 
 
 In the course of my rambles in this district I 
 met with numerous traces of elands, but only once 
 caught a glimpse of the animals themselves. I 
 had never before seen this fine antelope so far to 
 the southward in Damara Land, but had once been 
 informed that a herd had descended as far as Ot- 
 jimbingue. 
 
132 
 
 ANTELOPES. 
 
 I was, however, very particular in my inquiries 
 about this numerous tribe, for the great peculiarity 
 of the zoology of South Africa is the predominance 
 of that particular form of the ruminant order of 
 Mammalia called Antelope. The horns of these 
 ruminants marking their species, as most of my 
 readers may know, are of two kinds in respect 
 of substance. One consists of almost solid bone. 
 Such horns, or, more properly, antlers, are peculiar 
 to the deer class; they are usually branched, and 
 are shed and renewed annually. The other kind 
 of horn consists of a cone or core of bone, covered 
 by a sheath of true horny matter; such horns are 
 never shed, but are increased by annual growths ; 
 the ruminants possessing them are called u hollow 
 horned ; 11 they comprise the ox, the sheep, the goat, 
 and the antelope, and, save the anomalously horned 
 giraffe, no other kind of ruminants but these exist 
 in South Africa. The antelopes, however, have 
 been there created in unusual numbers, and in a 
 great variety of specific forms, constituting a series 
 that fills up the wide hiatus between the goat and 
 the ox, and on which the ingenuity of the splitting 
 naturalist has been, and still is exercised in the man- 
 ufacture of Sub-genera , and the imposition thereon 
 of long and hard names, such as Catoblejoas , Aigo - 
 ceros , Acronitus , Cephalojoas , etc. 
 
 The gemsbok (antelope oryx) is remarkable for 
 its long and straight horns, with which it some- 
 times transfixes the lion, whom it has been known 
 
THE ELAND. 
 
 133 
 
 to beat off, and even to kill. A larger species of 
 antelope is that which is called the “roan , 11 or bas- 
 tard gemsbok. But the blesbok is the most pecul- 
 iar of them all. It is of a beautiful violet color, 
 and is found in company with black wildebeestes, 
 and springboks in countless thousands, on the vast 
 green plains of short, crisp sour grass, occupying 
 a central position in South Africa. Cattle and 
 horses refuse to pasture on the grassy products of 
 these plains, which afford sustenance to myriads 
 of this antelope, whose skin emits a most delicious 
 and powerful perfume of flowers and sweet-smelling 
 herbs. A secretion issues from between the hoofs 
 of the animal which has likewise a pleasing odor. 
 The giant antelope of the tribe is that species which 
 the Dutch Boers call eland, that is, elk. It stands 
 often six feet high. 
 
 The power of these ruminating animals to endure 
 thirst or to abstain from water varies greatly in dif- 
 ferent species, and depends upon the organization 
 of the second cavity of their complex stomach, call- 
 ed by anatomists the reticulum, and by agricultur- 
 ists the “honeycomb bag . 11 In some the cells are 
 extremely shallow, and form a mere pattern of hex- 
 agons by raised lines on the surface ; in the other 
 species these lines rise into walls, and the cells are 
 deep ; in others the deep cells are divided into 
 smaller ones ; in the camel tribe they are expanded 
 into bags ; and in proportion to their capacity of 
 retaining fluid is the ruminant's power of abstain- 
 
134 THE SPRINGBOK. — WONDERFUL AGILITY. 
 
 ing from drinking. It is doubtful, however, wheth- 
 er the long- abstaining kinds of antelopes never 
 drink ; this is certainly not the case with the eland, 
 though the dew-drops collected in the morning’s 
 grazing may suffice, when stored up in the cells of 
 the reticulum, for the day. 
 
 All these graceful and agile creatures exist in 
 countless numbers on the fertile flats of South Af- 
 rica. One of them, the springbok, has earned its 
 name from the extraordinary and almost perpen- 
 dicular leaps it makes when hunted. This animal 
 bounds without an effort to a height of ten or twelve 
 feet at one spring, clearing from twelve to fourteen 
 feet of ground.* It appears to soar — to be suspend- 
 ed for a moment in the air ; then, touching the 
 ground, to make another dart, or rather flight, aloft, 
 without the aid of wings, by the elastic springiness 
 of its legs. 
 
 To resume my narrative. After roaming about 
 the country to my heart’s content, finding that the 
 elephants had temporarily absented themselves, I 
 determined to give up shooting for the present, and 
 to devote some time to rest and rational recreation. 
 Accordingly, I repaired to Otutundu, situated on 
 the Omuramba Ua’ Matako, where there was abund- 
 ance of water and pasturage for my cattle. I had 
 appointed no particular locality as a rendezvous for 
 my people, now daily expected with the wagon from 
 Otjimbingue. I had left it to their own discretion 
 to strike the Omuramba wherever they might find 
 
A PAMARA CARAVAN. 
 
 135 
 
 water abundant. But Otutundu was as likely a 
 place to find them as any other, being one of the 
 chief halting-points for wagons from the southward 
 toward the river in question. My party, however, 
 had not, on my reaching that place, yet arrived : 
 and having waited some time without receiving any 
 news of their proceedings and whereabout, more- 
 over thinking it just possible they might pass 
 me unnoticed, I deemed it advisable to dispatch a 
 couple of men to inform them where I was, and to 
 bring on the wagon. Having succeeded at the same 
 time in engaging some native carriers, I profited by 
 the opportunity to forward my ivory to Barmen. 
 
 While awaiting the arrival of the wagon, I was 
 unexpectedly joined by a Damara trading-caravan 
 destined for Ovambo Land. It consisted of up- 
 ward of 400 persons — of men and women in about 
 equal numbers. These traders brought with them 
 a few cattle and sheep, but their chief articles of 
 barter were strings and corselets, with beads and 
 buttons made from the shells of ostrich eggs. For 
 this female gear, which was much in demand among 
 the Ovambo women, they received in exchange as- 
 segais, hatchets, dagger-knives, iron and copper 
 beads, iron anklets, iron bracelets, etc. But in the 
 present instance I very much suspected that trade 
 was a mere pretense — a cloak, in short, to veil their 
 real object, which I had no doubt was to spy out 
 the country. A portion of the Damaras constitu- 
 ting the caravan were retainers of J. Afrikander. 
 
136 
 
 AFRIKANDER AND HIS FOLLOWERS. 
 
 who had long contemplated, as I well knew, a de- 
 scent on the Ovambo, and was only waiting for a 
 plausible pretext so to do. The other members of 
 this traveling community claimed (under one of 
 Katjiamoha's sons) a sort of independence, though 
 they acknowledged Afrikander as their head. The 
 leaders of the expedition were very anxious to se- 
 cure my company, but, dreading the companionship 
 of such a number of importunate and unscrupulous 
 beggars, I declined the honor. In order, in fact, 
 the more effectually to shake them off, I started on 
 a short excursion round the neighborhood, and, on 
 my return to camp, was pleased to find that the 
 nuisance had disappeared. I now flattered myself 
 that I was quit of their company forever; but in 
 this hope I was deceived, for it was not long before 
 I overtook them. 
 
 The country in which we were traveling had been 
 represented by various informants as excessively 
 dry to the eastward ; but having hitherto found 
 abundance of water at all the points I had visited 
 along the Omuramba, I reasonably doubted the cor- 
 rectness of this description, and determined to as- 
 certain the fact for myself. A couple of days 1 ex- 
 ploration proved, alas ! that the natives had in this 
 instance spoken the truth. The disappointment 
 was great, as it had now become evident that I 
 could not, with any certainty of success, travel 
 much farther until the rains fell, a period still far 
 distant. I determined, however, in the mean time, 
 
EXCURSION EASTWARD. 
 
 137 
 
 to make what progress I could. If I could but get 
 as far as Otjituo (one of the most easterly points 
 reached by Mr. Green in the preceding year), some- 
 thing would be gained. I only awaited the arrival 
 of the absent men to begin the operation. 
 
 On the 29th of August the wagon at last ap- 
 peared. It was now about seven weeks since I had 
 last seen it. The repairs it required, being much 
 more extensive than was at first anticipated, had 
 occasioned the long delay in its reappearance. I 
 now lost as little time as possible in setting out 
 on my excursion eastward. Just before starting, 
 Pereira asked permission to return to Otjimbingue, 
 to make some arrangements for his wife, who was 
 residing at that station ; and, as my progress could 
 be but slow, and he would have time to overtake 
 me, I granted his request. I profited by this op- 
 portunity to write to a few friends and acquaint- 
 ances, as also to obtain an additional stock of stores, 
 etc., which I expected to arrive by the first vessel 
 at Walwich Bay. Pereira was likewise to bring 
 on such letters and papers as might chance to be 
 at Otjimbingue for me. We both left Otutundu 
 on the same day in opposite directions. 
 
 In the afternoon of the second day from our de- 
 parture we reached water, i. 6., a small collection 
 of dilapidated pits composed of quicksand, on the 
 banks of the Omuramba. It was w r ith the ut- 
 most difficulty we could obtain from this scanty 
 source sufficient drink for our cattle, sheep, etc. — 
 
138 
 
 A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY. 
 
 a foretaste of the troubles henceforth to be encoun- 
 tered. 
 
 A fine old bull-elephant had lately, as we gath- 
 ered from his footprints, been on this spot to quench 
 his thirst ; thinking he might return, or that some 
 of his associates might visit the place, I took up ait 
 ambush close by on the following night ; but my 
 watch was in vain. Toward morning, two lions 
 hard by began to roar most lustily. It is strange 
 how the sound affected me. I could scarcely be- 
 lieve I was the same being who, a few years before, 
 would bivouac single-handed in the very midst of 
 these animals, scarcely noticing their presence, while 
 now their mere growl made me nervous. In this 
 instance, however, it was perhaps not so much to 
 be wondered at, as it was in this very neighborhood 
 that two man-eaters had, in the previous autumn, 
 attacked Green's party in the most daring manner, 
 carrying off one of his native servants from the 
 very midst of his camp. 
 
 My friend having kindly placed parts of his jour- 
 nals at my disposal, I avail myself of his permis- 
 sion to introduce here, with a few trifling altera- 
 tions, the particulars of this tragical event. 
 
 “Oct. 21s£, 1858. Last night a terrible tragedy 
 was enacted in my cattle-fold by two daring lions. 
 The night was intensely dark, with occasional rain : 
 and fearing lions might select such a night to sur- 
 prise their prey, I sat up watching until a late hour. 
 I had just lain down, remarking to my friend that 
 
A MAN CARRIED OFF BY A LION. 
 
 139 
 
 in case of a visit from these brutes the oxen would 
 give the alarm, when on a sudden there arose an 
 awful scream, followed by a death-like groan, such 
 as I shall never forget ; the very recollection of it 
 chills my blood. Two lions had entered the in- 
 closures, and succeeded in carrying away a poor 
 fellow, whom they tore to pieces and devoured with- 
 in a short distance of our camp. We neither could 
 nor dared attempt a rescue. The unfortunate man 
 was lying in his hut with his wife and two little 
 children, when one of the monsters forced his way 
 through from the back, and seized him, at the same 
 time inflicting two wounds upon the woman. The 
 poor wretch, in his hurried exit, had evidently, in 
 endeavoring to save himself, laid hold of the poles 
 of the hovel, for the whole back part of the tene- 
 ment was carried away. 
 
 “On making the terrible discovery, a scene en- 
 sued which defies description, and which must have 
 been seen to be fully realized. Of course, sleep 
 was out of the question ; and in order to guard as 
 far as possible against a similar occurrence, we kept 
 up a constant discharge of fire-arms during the re- 
 mainder of this woeful night. 
 
 “This morning, as soon as it was light enough 
 to see, we took up the spoor of the lions, and with- 
 in about two hundred yards of the kraal discovered 
 the spot where it was evident the poor man had 
 been destroyed and devoured. The cincture he had 
 worn round his waist was alone left to tell of his 
 
140 ANOTHER VISIT EROM THE MAN-EATERS. 
 
 dreadful fate, though in following up the trail some 
 parts of his leg hones were afterward found. We 
 chased the brutes for about twelve miles, when we 
 were compelled to relinquish the pursuit without 
 having obtained a shot at them — without, indeed, 
 having caught more than one glimpse of them in 
 the distance. I much regretted having started 
 without my horse, which, though useless as a hunt- 
 er, would undoubtedly have taken me sufficiently 
 near to get a shot, and to lead the pack of dogs up 
 to the enemy. 1 ’ 
 
 On the second day after the fatal accident Mr. 
 Green bid farewell to the dreadful place, thinking 
 thereby to get rid of his terrible foes ; but they fol- 
 lowed on his spoor, and on the evening of the third 
 day one of the man-eaters once more entered his 
 inclosures. On this occasion the horrid monster 
 passed by the oxen without molesting them, but, 
 entering the sheep-kraal, carried off one of its in- 
 mates, putting the remainder to flight. “What 
 with the screechings of the terrified women and 
 children,” writes my friend, “the hallooings of the 
 men, the rush of the cattle and the sheep, fire- 
 brands whizzing through the air, the discharge of 
 fire-arms, the growls of the lions, and other dis- 
 cordant noises, the scene was one which baffles de- 
 scription. I leveled my rifle at the marauder as he 
 was passing the wagon, not above five paces dis- 
 tant, but unfortunately missed fire, and when I 
 again pulled the trigger he had disappeared in the 
 
I 
 
 
 \ 
 
 r 
 
 
 / 
 
CHASE OF THE WILD BOAR, 
 
WILD BOARS AND DOGS. 
 
 143 
 
 darkness. This lion was almost immediately joined 
 by his companion, when they set up a roaring duet 
 that lasted, with very little intermission, until break 
 of day. Continual discharges of fire-arms kept 
 them from doing farther mischief. 1 ’ 
 
 Wild boars were rather numerous along the 
 Omuramba, and frequently afforded us excellent 
 coursing. The speed of these animals is surprising- 
 ly great. On open ground, when fairly afoot, I 
 found the dogs no match for them, and yet some 
 of my curs were rather swift of foot. The dogs, 
 nevertheless, dodged them at times successfully ; at 
 others they came willingly to bay. They fight des- 
 perately. I have seen wild boars individually keep 
 off most effectually half a dozen fierce assailants. 
 I have also seen them, when hotly pursued, attack 
 and severely wound their pursuers. We killed oc- 
 casionally two, and even three of them, in the course 
 of a day. When young and fat they proved capi- 
 ta 1 eating, and from their novelty were quite a treat. 
 Other game was also almost daily secured, and my 
 party gorged to their hearts 1 content on animal 
 food. Indeed, we had plenty to spare for our new 
 friends, the Damaras of the trading caravan, whom 
 we had overtaken in the neighborhood of Ombo- 
 rombonga. The animals we usually killed were 
 koodoos, pallahs, and other wild creatures, who can 
 abstain long from drinking, for water is exceeding- 
 ly scarce in this country — so much so that it was 
 only with very great difficulty we could obtain a 
 sufficiency for our cattle, etc. 
 
144 
 
 I JOIN THE CARAVAN. 
 
 I had hoped to find elephants along the Omu- 
 ramba, as during the previous summer they had 
 been very numerous in these parts. The late great 
 drought, however, had made them abandon this fa- 
 vorite haunt, to muster, it was reported, in great 
 force at Omanbonde — Galton’s magnificent imagin- 
 ary lake, which, on our visit to it in 1850, turned 
 out to be but a large dried-up vley. The Damaras 
 destined for Ovambo Land proposed taking this 
 place en route ; and, having previously ascertained 
 that the Omuramba was impracticable for travel- 
 ing beyond a certain point, I determined, as I had 
 just then plenty of leisure time, to accompany them. 
 I left the wagon and the greater portion of my peo- 
 ple at a place called Othumbu Yakausha, and on 
 the morning of the 16th of September arrived at 
 Omanbonde, or Saresab, as it is called in the Hot- 
 tentot language. 
 
A RETROSPECT. 
 
 145 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 A Retrospect. — Omanbonde a Sheet of Water. — Rhinoce- 
 roses, Hippopotami, and other large Game in Abundance. 
 — A beautiful Landscape. — Elephants numerous. — Fatigues 
 and Dangers of Elephant-hunting. — Hints to Elephant- 
 hunters. — Extreme Thirst. — Extreme Exhaustion. — A Man 
 killed by a Rhinoceros. — A Creeping Stalk of a Rhinoceros. 
 — Attack of a Rhinoceros. — An adventurous Chase. — Dis- 
 covery of the Man killed. — Accidental Death. — Damara 
 Grave, and Rites of Sepulture. — The Feast after the Fu- 
 neral. — Lions attack a crippled Rhinoceros. 
 
 It was now close upon eight years and a half 
 since I first visited Omanbonde. Eight years and 
 a half! the fifth part of man’s life in its full vigor. 
 What was I at the beginning of this period, and 
 what am I now? Where are the once ruddy cheeks? 
 Where is that elasticity of foot and spirit that once 
 made me laugh at hardships and dangers ? Where 
 that giant health and strength that enabled me to 
 vie with the natives in enduring the extremes of 
 heat and cold, of hunger, thirst, and fatigue ? Gone, 
 gone — ay, forever! The spirit still exists unsub- 
 dued, but, what with constant care, anxiety, and ex- 
 posure, the power of performance has fled, leaving 
 but the shadow of my former self. What have I 
 accomplished during these long years? What is 
 the result of all this toil, this incessant wear and 
 
 K 
 
146 OMANBONDE A SHEET OF WATER. 
 
 tear of body and mind ! The answer, if candid, 
 must be apparently very little. This is a sad ret- 
 rospect of the fifth part of a man’s life, while still 
 in the pride of manhood. And yet I feel that I 
 have not been idle — that I have done as much as 
 any man under similar circumstances could have 
 done ; and so, with this poor consolation, I must 
 rest content. 
 
 On my first visit to this place in company with 
 Mr. Galton, Omanbonde was, as I have already 
 mentioned, nothing more than a large dried-up 
 vley, and this being again a year of severe drought 
 — at least to judge from the state of the Omu- 
 ramba — I had expected to see it in a similar con- 
 dition. Most agreeably was I then surprised to 
 find a sheet of water four and a half miles in ex- 
 tent, abounding with water-fowl, and largely resort- 
 ed to by a great variety of game and wild animals, 
 such as elephants, rhinoceroses, elands, koodoos, 
 gemsboks, zebras, pallahs, lions, etc. There were 
 no hippopotami, however, though plenty of u sea- 
 room” for a dozen or two. Besides this vley, I 
 discovered another in the immediate neighborhood 
 almost rivaling Omanbonde in size ; several Bush- 
 men villages besprinkled its borders or banks, which 
 were very high, but sloping, not steep, and richly 
 covered with a luxuriant vegetation, consisting 
 chiefly of very fine groves of acacias, and the gi- 
 raffe thorn-tree, just bursting forth into spring life. 
 In the background, and to the northward, were the 
 
AN OASIS IN THE DESERT. 
 
 147 
 
 broken and picturesque limestone ranges of Otjiro- 
 kaku, Otjomokojo, etc. Altogether the scene, very 
 pleasing, was rendered perhaps more so by the con- 
 trast it afforded to the dry and parched state of the 
 country immediately surrounding it. To me it was 
 a real oasis in the desert, and I at once determined 
 to send for my wagon, and settle down quietly until 
 Pereira’s return from Otjimbingue. 
 
 Elephants being rather numerous in this local- 
 ity, I lost no time in beginning operations against 
 them. I took advantage of the moonlight to watch 
 for them at night, and followed on their spoor in 
 the daytime. At first I was unfortunate, but at 
 last met with considerable success. Some of my 
 prizes proved splendid specimens of the giant race, 
 with tusks that a Gordon Cumming would have be- 
 held with rapture. I had several very interesting, 
 and sometimes dangerous encounters with my huge 
 game ; but having already, and so lately, given a 
 series of adventures with these animals, I will not 
 at present enter into details, but merely confine my- 
 self to a few general remarks. 
 
 Elephant-hunting on foot and in the hot season 
 is most laborious and harassing work. Indeed, a 
 long experience of this pursuit has brought me to 
 the conviction that, under such circumstances, it is 
 far more trying and distressing to the constitution 
 than the most severe manual labor. It was rarely 
 or never that I could track, stalk, and kill my ele- 
 phant, and return to camp in less than ten hours ; 
 
148 
 
 FATIGUES OF ELEPHANT-HUNTING. 
 
 more frequently it occupied twelve, fourteen, or six- 
 teen — nay, I have been as much as two days and a 
 night on one hunt. My attendants (native) were 
 at times so completely done up — and I generally 
 nearly as much so — that on their return home they 
 would fall asleep where they stood, alike indifferent 
 to hunger, to the chilling night air, or to the scorch- 
 ing sun, as the case might be. I found it at last 
 necessary to divide on these occasions my men into 
 two parties, each party taking its regular turn of 
 duty. It was not hunger or fatigue, however, that 
 was so trying as the heat. The sun u blazing in a 
 sky of brass,” heating the atmosphere to a state of 
 suffocation, and the loose sandy soil to a blistering 
 intensity, made u Water! water!” the incessant cry ; 
 but water— frequently half boiling — even when we 
 could carry a decent supply, did rarely allay our 
 burning thirst. Indeed, every fresh draught seem- 
 ed sometimes merely to augment our ardent crav- 
 ing for more, which often almost bordered on mad- 
 ness. A giddiness, a languor, a sense of oppres- 
 sion throughout the whole system, a choking sen- 
 sation in the throat, difficulty of speech, a fearful 
 palpitation of the heart, and a nightmare feeling 
 about the chest, were the frequent consequences of 
 our excessive fatigues. For my own part, when 
 once fairly done up, nothing could restore me to 
 myself but quiet, a plentiful supply of cool water, 
 and, above all, a good wash. I remember, on one 
 particular occasion, when, after a long running 
 
RHINOCEROSES. 
 
 149 
 
 chase, I had come up within 150 yards of an ele- 
 phant I had seriously wounded, being so thorough- 
 ly exhausted as to be actually unable to advance a 
 few paces to give him the necessary coup de grace. 
 I was obliged to rest a few minutes, and before I 
 could recover myself the brute had moved off, and 
 was lost to me forever. Words, indeed, can con- 
 vey no adequate idea of the hardships and suf- 
 ferings of the elephant-hunter on foot, at the dry 
 time of the year, in regions where water is scarce. 
 Experience alone can enable one fully to under- 
 stand the severity of the sport in which he takes so 
 much delight. 
 
 There were also a good many rhinoceroses at 
 Omanbonde, but it was difficult so to guard so large 
 a sheet of water as to obtain a shot at them when 
 they came to drink at night. I managed, however, 
 to knock over a few ; and knowing the general pre- 
 dilection of readers for adventures ending in a trag- 
 ical result, I give them the following story, or rath- 
 er narrative of an event witnessed by myself, which 
 will show the great ferocity of these animals, and 
 the dangers attendant on attacking them without 
 extreme precaution. 
 
 On the night of the 19th of September, favored 
 by a beautiful moon, I had taken up my position 
 alone, as usual, in a shallow nullah, or natural ditch, 
 whence I could command an extensive view. At 
 about eleven o’clock a herd of elephants approach- 
 ed, and just as the leader was about to cross the 
 
150 A CREEPING “ STALK.” 
 
 nullah where I was stationed, I fired. The bullet 
 struck the beast in the forepart of the shoulder, and 
 I thought I had certainly killed him, when, with a 
 loud shriek, he wheeled abruptly about, and, dash- 
 ing' furiously into a neighboring cover, effected his 
 escape. 
 
 All was now again silent ; and after waiting pa- 
 tiently a long time in the hope of some other game, 
 and getting tired at last of the useless watch, I 
 made for my camp. I had not, however, proceeded 
 many steps before I perceived, to my delight, two 
 black rhinoceroses sauntering leisurely along at the 
 farthest westerly extremity of the marsh. At once 
 dropping my spare gun and my blanket, I threw 
 myself flat on the ground, and began creeping to- 
 ward my unexpected quarry. The locality, unfor- 
 tunately, did not afford me the slightest cover — not 
 even a tuft of grass — and the “stalk 11 consequently 
 became one of difficulty and danger. I had pro- 
 ceeded perhaps about twenty paces, when, to my 
 annoyance and dismay, I saw the rhinoceroses turn 
 abruptly away from the water and make straight 
 for my person. On making the discovery, I am 
 free to confess that my first impulse was to run 
 away ; but, on second thoughts, I resolved to abide 
 their approach. Having advanced to within about 
 sixty yards of me they abruptly halted, eying sus- 
 piciously the black mass before them. Their sur- 
 vey evidently gave them but little satisfaction ; for, 
 uttering a snort, and tossing their unwieldy heads 
 
A FURIOUS CHARGE. 
 
 151 
 
 on high, they retreated a step or two backward, as 
 if preparing for a charge. Seeing this, I determ- 
 ined to be beforehand with my antagonists ; and, 
 notwithstanding their unfavorable position, I knelt 
 down, leveled full at the breast of the foremost, and 
 pulled the trigger. The bullet took effect. On re- 
 ceiving the shot the brute swerved somewhat to the 
 right, and then dashed wildly forward, followed by 
 his companion. I at once felt convinced that one 
 of them was seriously, if not mortally wounded, 
 and, having reloaded, I followed quickly in the di- 
 rection indicated by their noisy progress. After a 
 few minutes 1 walk I came up with both ; they were 
 standing quite still, evidently listening. But on 
 my attempting to creep up to them, the one in the 
 rear made a furious charge toward me, and I was 
 heartily glad to save myself by a precipitate flight. 
 I had nevertheless ascertained, beyond doubt, that 
 the wounded beast was a complete cripple, and an- 
 ticipated no difficulty in finishing him on the fol- 
 lowing morning. 
 
 Accordingly, as soon as it was light enough to 
 continue the search with something like safety, I 
 started in pursuit of my game, accompanied by the 
 very best of my Damara attendants (Kozengo), and 
 the lad Chookoroo, to carry a spare rifle. A short 
 walk brought us to the spot where I had left the 
 rhinoceroses on the preceding night. Pools of 
 blood marked the progress of the one whose right 
 fore-leg was evidently smashed. Knowing the 
 
152 
 
 A FLIGHT AND PURSUIT. 
 
 great ferocity of the black rhinoceros when wound- 
 ed, I repeatedly warned my attendants to be on 
 their guard. I had done so for the last time, and 
 we had just emerged from some low brushwood, 
 purposing to enter a small thorn brake, when, lo ! 
 the monster lying on his side, to all appearances 
 quite dead. On making this discovery, Kozengo 
 turned smilingly to me, and ejaculated “ Jacocca’ 1 
 — dead. “ Well, 11 I rejoined; “but take care, for 
 there was another rhinoceros in company with him 
 last night. 11 
 
 I had taken a step or two forward, and was in 
 some measure hidden from the animal by a small 
 tree, when suddenly I observed my attendants wheel 
 about and retreat precipitately. Not seeing the 
 cause of their sudden flight (though of course sus- 
 pecting it), I stood my ground, when all at once 
 I caught sight of the brute protruding his ugly 
 head within a few paces of my person. As he was 
 coming right at me, I deemed it, under the circum- 
 stances, imprudent to fire, and quickly took to my 
 heels. He followed at his best pace, which was 
 really very rapid, considering his crippled condi- 
 tion. In my hurried flight my wide-awake blew 
 off my head, and fell right in the path of the pur- 
 suing beast, who pulled up abruptly at the sight 
 of it. Swift as thought, I turned on my heels and 
 fired, but fairly, I believe, missed, for the monster 
 at once dashed forward again, snorting violently. 
 After running for a short distance he again halted, 
 
A MAN KILLED. 
 
 153 
 
 but kept looking about him in a very restless man- 
 ner. I then crept cautiously up to within about 
 100 yards of him, and just as for a moment he ex- 
 posed his broadside full toward me, I fired. He 
 dropped dead to the shot. 
 
 Having ascertained that his life was quite ex- 
 tinct, I hallooed for my runaway men, but receiving 
 no answer, concluded they had returned to camp. 
 Quieted by this thought, I was gazing at the pros- 
 trate animal, when all at once my attention was 
 drawn to a confused noise hard by, as of a number 
 of human beings discussing some exciting event; 
 and in a few moments I saw several natives, head- 
 ed by Chookoroo and “Paadmaker 11 — the last of 
 whom I had sent on the spoor of the wounded ele- 
 phant— emerge from the bushes. The lad was cry- 
 ing bitterly, while Paadmaker had his hands tight- 
 ly clasped to his sides, just like a man seized with 
 sudden pain. My first impression was that the 
 man had been hurt by the elephant ; but, alas ! his 
 grief arose from a far more serious cause. A 
 dreadful suspicion then took possession of me, and 
 I hastily exclaimed, “Where’s Kozengo ?” “Dead, 
 sir ! 11 was the solemn and startling reply. “Dead? 11 
 I repeated; “impossible! how ? why, the rhinoce- 
 ros has never been out of my sight. Besides, 11 
 addressing myself “I have heard no scream, no 
 groan, nor any other cry of distress. 11 “Oh yes, 11 
 sobbed poor Chookoroo, “Kozengo is dead; he is 
 killed by the rhinoceros. 11 “Show me the man 
 
154 
 
 ACCIDENTAL DEATH. 
 
 and the spot,” I said, as I mechanically turned to 
 follow the men. We had not far to go. Within 
 a stone’s throw I found the unfortunate man lying 
 under a bush, stiff and motionless ! His forehead 
 was split in two, apparently by a single thrust of 
 the horn of the infuriated animal, and part of the 
 dislocated brains was mingling with the dust. His 
 face, which was slightly turned upward, wore the 
 same calm, placid, though somewhat heavy expres- 
 sion as in life. For a moment or so I could scarce- 
 ly realize the terrible event, and, involuntarily ad- 
 dressing the corpse, I muttered, u Are you really 
 dead, Kozengo ? Why did you not run farther off ; 
 you had plenty of time to save yourself?” 
 
 44 So as I gazed on him, I thought or said, 
 
 4 Can this he death ? then what is life or death ? 
 
 Speak!’ but he spoke not : 4 Wake !’ but still he slept.” 
 
 We found this poor fellow, as I have said, lying 
 under a bush with his head close upon the ground. 
 Had he throughout kept this position — and prob- 
 ably he did so — it seems impossible that the rhi- 
 noceros should have seen or smelt him, especially 
 as the wind was in the man’s favor. It is my be- 
 lief, therefore, that the beast was accidentally pass- 
 ing the spot, and finding his victim in his path, had 
 accidentally, as it were, destroyed him. The ani- 
 mal, from the moment I fired at him the first time 
 until his death from the second shot, had never 
 stopped running. The accuracy with which he had 
 hit upon the unfortunate man was consequently the 
 
A DAMARA INTERMENT. 
 
 155 
 
 more remarkable. If the man had willfully placed 
 himself before him, and said, u Now try to do your 
 best to hit me here in the head , 11 he could not have 
 succeeded better. There was one poor consolation 
 in Kozengo’s untimely end, viz., he had died instan- 
 taneously. He had not had time even to utter a 
 cry, and the agony of death was over the instant it 
 was felt. 
 
 I staid to see the poor man interred. A hole for 
 this purpose was scooped in the ground between 
 four and five feet deep, about as long, and two feet 
 wide. Under this again, and on one side, a smaller 
 hole was hollowed out, just sufficiently large to ad- 
 mit of the corpse in a reclining position. This was 
 the grave, and was carefully lined with fine soft 
 grass. The body was then doubled up, the head 
 being forced between the legs, and there secured by 
 means of part of the enormous coil of bandages 
 which encircled the man’s waist, in the usual Da- 
 mara fashion. His face, and as much of the body 
 as was practicable, was afterward covered over with 
 a sheep-skin, forming part of the dress of the wife 
 of the deceased man. Thus “shrouded,” his re- 
 mains were deposited in the grave, which was be- 
 decked in the same way as its cavity had been lined. 
 Sand was then shoveled over the whole, and every 
 particle of the soil removed in digging the sepulchre 
 was scrupulously replaced, or rather heaped up in 
 a mound over it. Even the sticks, pieces of bark, 
 etc. , made use of in the operation, were left on the 
 
156 
 
 ANIMAL AND HUMAN GRIEF. 
 
 spot. And, lastly, a quantity of thorn-bushes were 
 stuck in a circle round the tomb, in order to prevent 
 wild animals from disinterring the corpse. The 
 ceremony being concluded, a particular kind of root 
 was dug up, and, being divided into small pieces, 
 each of the chief by-standers tasted it — a charm, 
 I presumed, against death or injury from the de- 
 parted. 
 
 A singular and affecting incident occurred just 
 as the last shovelful of earth was thrown upon the 
 grave. A small dog belonging to the deceased 
 made at this moment his appearance ; he smelt 
 first all round the mound beneath which rested the 
 remains of his late master, then, wagging his tail, 
 looked wistfully up into my face with an expres- 
 sion which said, u What have you done with him?” 
 
 Kozengo’s wife, who had been informed of her 
 sad bereavement, attended the funeral, and exhib- 
 ited the most heart-rending sorrow — at least out- 
 wardly. The wailing was of a most melancholy 
 description — a sort of chanting, with a peculiar (al- 
 most hysterical) ejaculation after each intonation. 
 Poor woman! I heartily sympathized with her, 
 and I am sure I was the only person present of all 
 the numerous assembly (by this time all the Da- 
 maras had reached the spot) who at all felt for her 
 lonely condition. Many a laugh was heard, but no 
 one looked sad. No one asked or cared about the 
 man, but each and all made anxious inquiries after 
 the rhinoceros — such is the life of barbarians! 
 

DISAPPOINTED LIONS, 
 
LIONS ATTACK THE RHINOCEROS. 159 
 
 Oh, ye sentimentalists of the Rousseau school — for < 4 * 
 
 some such still remain — witness what I have wit- 
 nessed, and do witness daily, and you will soon 
 cease to envy and praise the life of savages ! 
 
 I have omitted to notice a rather remarkable 
 circumstance connected with this rhinoceros hunt. 
 
 While following up the trail of the animal we came 
 to a spot where one or two lions, probably taking 
 advantage of his crippled condition, had evidently 
 attacked him, and, after a desperate scuffle, had been 
 compelled to beat a precipitate retreat — perhaps 
 chiefly through the assistance of his companion, 
 who had evidently only left him when he could 
 walk no farther. This is the sole instance I know 
 of lions daring to attack rhinoceroses ; though I 
 have seen it stated in print that not only will they 
 assail, but can master the horned monster. 
 
160 
 
 A TROOP OP LIONS. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 A Troop of Lions. — A Watch by Night. — Wild Animals at a 
 Yley. — A Duel between a Lion and Lion-hunter. — Dogs 
 and Damaras. — An exciting hunting Scene. — One hundred 
 Damaras in the Field.— Another wounded Lion. — Dinner 
 on Beefsteak au Lion and Hump de Rhinoceros. — Lion’s 
 Flesh very palatable. — The Ovambo Caravan still in the 
 Neighborhood. — The Feeding-time of the Ovambos after a 
 Day’s successful Sport. — A disgusting Spectacle. — Change 
 of Route. — A Bevy of black Damsels. — Advice about Mar- 
 riage. — A Road practicable for the Wagon. — News from 
 Europe. — How I dispose of my Ivory. — A Collection of 
 Insects and Birds. — Swifts and Swallows. — Tremendous 
 Storms of Thunder and Lightning. — The peculiar Beauty 
 of the Sunsets. 
 
 A pew nights after the tragical event above re- 
 corded I was again at my post of observation at the 
 water, when I encountered a troop of lions under 
 circumstances which exhibited these royal beasts in 
 a somewhat new light. 
 
 In the early part of the night I had observed 
 several animals gliding noiselessly to the water, 
 but considerably out of range. Not being able to 
 make out what they were, I slipped quietly out of 
 the skarm, and approached the spot where they 
 were drinking. I got, from the nature of the 
 ground, pretty close to them unperceived, yet was 
 
A CHALLENGE. 
 
 161 
 
 still unable to name them. From the sound of 
 lapping at the water, I concluded that I had hyenas 
 before me, and as one of three animals was leaving 
 the vley I fired. The bullet took effect, and, utter- 
 ing a growl, the beast disappeared. Whereupon, 
 “Surely not lions!” I muttered to myself. The 
 remaining two had in the mean time also ceased 
 drinking, and were moving lazily away, when a low 
 shrill whistle from me at once arrested their steps. 
 I leveled and pulled the trigger ; in vain this time, 
 the ball went too high — in short, right over the ob- 
 ject aimed at. The animal did not, however, budge 
 an inch, and I now clearly saw a lion. Rising to 
 my feet, I shouted, in order to drive him off; but 
 he remained stationary. I did not at all like his 
 appearance, and hastened at once back to my am- 
 bush to reload. When again quite ready and on 
 the look-out for him, he was gone ; but almost im- 
 mediately afterward two others resembling the first 
 approached the water. Having drunk their fill, 
 they were about to retrace their steps, when sud- 
 denly — my person being purposely exposed to view 
 — -they seemed to espy me, and eying me for a few 
 seconds, one — the largest — made straight for my 
 skarm. This seemed strange; but, to make quite 
 sure of his intentions, I stood up, and when the 
 brute was within about forty yards of me, shouted. 
 To my utter surprise, instead of moving off he came 
 quickly on, till at a distance of twenty-five paces or 
 thereabouts he suddenly squatted, evidently intend- 
 
 L 
 
 i 
 
162 
 
 A DUEL. 
 
 ing to spring on me. “Nay, old fellow, 1 ’ I mut- 
 tered to myself, “if that’s the ticket, I will be even 
 with you and, dropping the double-barreled gun 
 which I held in my hands at the moment, I seized 
 the elephant rifle, leveled, took a very steady aim 
 at his chest, and fired. The bullet sped true, and I 
 thought I had killed him outright ; but not so, for 
 after rolling over two or three times, he scrambled 
 up and decamped. However, I had no doubt in my 
 own mind that the wound would prove fatal. On 
 receiving the shot he gave a startling growl, and in 
 making his escape was joined by his associate, who 
 had, while the duel was pending, remained a passive 
 spectator. 
 
 At break of day, taking up the spoor of the 
 wounded animal, I had only proceeded about two 
 hundred yards when the dogs gave tongue at a 
 small bush, where immediately afterward I saw a 
 stately lion rise to his feet and limp forward two 
 or three paces. But the exertion was too much 
 for him ; he halted, and, turning half round, looked 
 fiercely at his assailants. Not being myself in a 
 favorable position, I shouted to my men to fire. 
 Kamapjie responded to the call, and the lion drop- 
 ped to rise no more. In an instant the dogs were 
 clinging to his ears, throat, head, etc. The brute, 
 still alive, grappled bravely with his assailants. 
 The next moment half a dozen assegais were quiv- 
 ering in his body, and a hundred more or so would 
 soon have been similarly sheathed had I not prompt- 
 
v 
 
 DEATH OF A LION. 
 
DOGS AND DAMARAS. 
 
 165 
 
 ly ridden up and stopped the Damaras, who were 
 rushing in upon the prostrate foe like maniacs. I 
 wished the dogs to finish him, and they did so ; but 
 three of the best were wounded in the scuffle, only 
 one, however, at all seriously. The aim which had 
 killed this lion had been most perfect. The bullet 
 had entered exactly the centre of his chest, and, 
 traversing the entire length of his body, had taken 
 its egress through the right hind quarter. It was 
 really, therefore, to me a matter of great surprise 
 that the beast had survived the wound so long. 
 
 This was decidedly the most exciting hunting 
 scene I have ever witnessed. Besides my own peo- 
 ple, more than one hundred Damaras were in the 
 field, vociferating frightfully, and waving and dart- 
 ing their ox-tail plumaged assegais with a ferocity 
 and earnestness that would have made a stranger 
 think they were preparing for some dreadful bat- 
 tle. Nearly as many more — to say nothing of a 
 host of women and children — were seen hastening 
 toward us from the camp, which was in full view. 
 Indeed, before the lion had breathed his last, more 
 than three hundred human beings were on the spot. 
 
 The lion, a male, proved a first-rate prize, in ex- 
 cellent condition, and of giant proportions, but pos- 
 sessing scarcely any mane. His head was very 
 beautiful — a perfect picture. Having given orders 
 about the disposal of him, we took up the trail of 
 the other lion, who, to judge from the quantity of 
 blood lost, must have been seriously wounded. 
 
166 BEEFSTEAK AU LION — HUMP DE RHINOCEROS. 
 
 Tracking him for about half a mile, we came up 
 with him in a dense brake ; but the Damaras kept 
 up such a riotous noise that the few dogs left with 
 us — the greater portion having returned home — 
 were insufficient to bring him to bay, so he man- 
 aged to escape. Once, indeed, we caught sight of 
 him as he was crossing a small opening, but here, 
 the bushes becoming thicker than ever, we left him. 
 The chase was a short one, but exceedingly exciting. 
 Had I been alone, i. e ., with merely my own peo- 
 ple about me, it is very likely I should have suc- 
 ceeded in dispatching this brute too, apparently a 
 she-lion of huge stature. 
 
 That day I dined on beefsteak au lion and hump 
 de rhinoceros , done under the ashes. On sitting 
 down to this singular meal, I could not help re- 
 marking, partly addressing the cook and partly 
 myself, u I wonder what her majesty the Queen 
 of England would say to such fare ? 11 u Oh, what 
 a beast the man must be ! 11 I had never before 
 partaken of lion’s flesh, but found it very palatable 
 and juicy, not unlike veal, and very white. Rhi- 
 noceros hump was also a frequent and favorite dish 
 of mine. 
 
 The Ovambo caravan alluded to in the preced- 
 ing pages were still sojourning in my neighbor- 
 hood. At first they behaved themselves with due 
 decorum, but, on a closer acquaintance, proved a 
 perfect nuisance, more especially when feeding (not 
 dining) time came. Very often, on killing game, I 
 
SAVAGES FEEDING. 
 
 167 
 
 had to fight for morsels of it ; nay, I was at times 
 necessitated to threaten my black friends with the 
 gun before I could obtain needful food. The scenes 
 that sometimes presented themselves on these oc- 
 casions were truly disgusting. To say nothing of 
 the screams, vociferations, curses, etc., which were 
 deafening, assegai stabs and knobkierie blows were 
 administered indiscriminately and remorselessly, 
 all for the sake of a lump of meat. J ust endeavor, 
 reader, to imagine from one to two hundred starv- 
 ing and ferocious dogs laying hold of a carcass, each 
 tearing it away in his own particular direction, at 
 the same time biting and snarling incessantly at 
 his neighbor, and you will have a faint notion of 
 the beastly scrambles I allude to. I have seen 
 human blood flow as freely at these feeds as had 
 that of the animal we were devouring. The sacred 
 ties of kindred and friendship were totally lost 
 sight of in the all-absorbing anticipation of a gorge. 
 All the revolting qualities of man in a barbarous 
 condition were brought on these occasions out into 
 startling relief. Human nature seemed lower than 
 that of the brute creation, while at the same time 
 almost diabolical. 
 
 In order finally to accomplish the object of the 
 expedition, it had been my intention to follow up 
 the Oinuramba Ua 1 Matako as far as Otjituo, thence 
 across to the Omuramba U’Ovambo, by which 
 means I trusted to reach the Cunene. But, on 
 looking at the map one day, it became evident to 
 
168 
 
 EXCURSION WITH THE CARAVAN. 
 
 me that the more direct route would be to go 
 straight from Omanbonde to Okamabuti (Galton’s 
 most easterly point), and thence on to the last- 
 named water-course. By keeping at first to the 
 westward of Galton’s route, moreover — merely 
 crossing it at Okamabuti — new ground would be 
 explored, and thus two objects gained. 
 
 The Damara caravan (whose leaders I had some 
 difficulty in persuading that I had no intention of 
 visiting those scoundrels the Ovambo) at last de- 
 termined to move ahead ; and having learned that 
 they purposed crossing the eastern extremity of 
 the Otjirokaku Mountains, I determined to accom- 
 pany them part of the way, thinking I might there- 
 by learn something to my advantage. According- 
 ly, packing a few necessaries on my donkeys, I set 
 out on the 25th of September, accompanied by a 
 few native attendants. 
 
 Though the caravan had started an hour or two 
 before me, I overtook it just as its inmates were 
 emerging from dense thickets on the banks of Opon- 
 dongaula, the name of the water situated in the 
 neighborhood of Omanbonde. The motley ranks 
 of this grotesque company, winding leisurely along 
 the sinuosities of the reed and rush-covered shores 
 of the tank, furnished a scene exceedingly pleasing 
 and picturesque. 
 
 I had, moreover, an excellent opportunity of in- 
 specting and appreciating the charms of an im- 
 mense and varied bevy of black damsels, who were 
 
A BEVY OF BLACK DAMSELS. 
 
 169 
 
 tripping along the greensward — for here was a ver- 
 itable sward — either in single files or in little knots, 
 some carrying immense bundles on their heads, Gre- 
 cian fashion, while others (the aristocracy of the 
 caravan) sauntered forward with an air of indolent 
 and swaggering superiority. As I rode slowly 
 through their yielding and attractive ranks, I did 
 my best to win a smile here and an affectionate 
 glance there ; but, sad to relate, I made but a slight 
 impression on the “fair” assemblage, who declared 
 with great simplicity that, had my person only Ween 
 black , I might have passed muster; hinting also 
 delicately — of course, ladies, whether black or white, 
 are always delicate-r-that a little less dress , and a 
 slight varnish of fat and ochre — pointing to their 
 own perfumed and greasy — oh pardon, ye fair, the 
 obsolete term — bodies, would greatly improve my 
 appearance. Charming flatterers! For once in 
 my life I regretted having a Caucasian origin and 
 a clean shirt. 
 
 “Charles ,” once wrote Sir Thomas to 
 
 my father, “should marry by all means; and if he 
 has not a white wife in view, who would be sick 
 one half the year and a burden to him the other, 
 let him take to himself a black princess with prop- 
 erty of her own . 11 Sir Thomas was evident- 
 
 ly a practical man, and doubtless a philanthropist. 
 “His suggestion, he might think, would not only 
 be good for Charles, but an infusion of fresh blood 
 into the sluggish veins of the African would , 11 the 
 
170 
 
 MATRIMONIAL SPECULATIONS. 
 
 baronet probably argued, “be a great improvement 
 on the negro type — might lay, indeed, the founda- 
 tion of an Anglo-Saxon African negro-colony in 
 the interior of a benighted continent, and possibly 
 do more toward civilizing its barbarian natives than 
 all the influence exerted by zealous missionaries, 
 enterprising travelers, adventurous traders, or dar- 
 ing Nimrods.” I am free to confess that from this 
 
 point of view there is much in Sir Thomas ’s 
 
 recommendation to tempt and tickle the fancy. Yet 
 I tHbught, in the words of Clapperton — that prince 
 of the middle or romantic travelers’ age — “ it would 
 be a pretty end of my travels to set up with a tun- 
 butt for a queen.” 
 
 On the second day after leaving Omanbonde I 
 reached a fine fountain called Otjomokojo, situated 
 at the foot of the mountains of the same name. 
 Two days later found me at a small collection of 
 wells, to which the Damaras gave the name Otji- 
 hejnenne. These wells were scooped out of the 
 limestone, the prevailing rock of the surrounding 
 country. From Otjihejnenne, the Damara caravan 
 proceeded too much to the westward to suit my 
 purpose ; finding, therefore, that a longer stay in 
 their company would only be waste of time, I bade 
 them farewell, and forthwith retraced my steps to 
 Omanbonde, which place I reached in safety, after 
 an absence of five days, having ascertained during 
 that time that the country, so far as I went, was in 
 every respect practicable for wagons, which being 
 
IVORY. 
 
 171 
 
 precisely what I wanted to know, the object of this 
 excursion was now fully attained. 
 
 Elephants having, at least in a great measure, 
 abandoned Omanbonde, I gave up hunting, and de- 
 voted my spare time to exploring the marsh, in 
 search of specimens chiefly, but also to obtain oc- 
 casional supplies of game for the larder. Snipes 
 and ducks were rather plentiful. The former I 
 had never before met with in any part of the wide 
 tracts I had explored. There were likewise sev- 
 eral species of water-hens, rails, plovers, etc., and I 
 occasionally bagged a hawk or a marsh-hamer. 
 
 On the 30th of October Pereira joined me. He 
 brought me a parcel of European letters, together 
 with other news, which I need scarcely say were 
 highly welcome. 
 
 I had by this time collected a considerable quan- 
 tity of valuable ivory, and being anxious to deposit 
 it in some place of security, I tried to induce sev- 
 eral of the numerous travelers at Ovatjimba, who 
 had, from time to time, flocked to Omanbonde 'in 
 search of elephants, to take this treasure to Barmen. 
 They seemed at first willing to accept the charge, 
 but at the eleventh hour left me in the lurch. I 
 therefore, deeming it unsafe to leave property of so 
 much value concealed at Omanbonde, found it nec- 
 essary to turn Pereira’s face once more toward 
 Otjimbingue. I was perfectly well aware that no 
 rain in any considerable quantity would fall for at 
 least two months, and as the journey to and from 
 
172 
 
 INSECT LIFE. 
 
 the place in question could easily be accomplished 
 within that period, nothing would be lost, but much 
 might be gained by the mission. 
 
 As I was now probably on my last exploring 
 excursion in Southwestern Africa, I was anxious, 
 in addition to birds, etc., to make a good collection 
 of insects ; hitherto my success in this respect had 
 been on a very limited scale. A sprinkling of rain, 
 however, having fallen in the month of November, 
 the young grass, plants, bushes, etc., sprouted rap- 
 idly out, affording appropriate food to insects, 
 which, the instant they are so provided for, spring 
 into existence as if by magic. More of the minia- 
 ture creation may be seen in an hour’s time, after a 
 shower of rain, than during months of dry weather ; 
 and nothing, I imagine, conveys to the mind so 
 forcible a conviction of the stupendous power and 
 unfathomable wisdom of the Creator as an insight 
 into the myriad forms of insect life. What com- 
 pleteness, what diminutiveness ! what shapes, what 
 beauty! what elegance, what solidity! He who 
 can rightly read, appreciate, and interpret Nature’s 
 small print, will find therein an inexhaustible source 
 of enjoyment and recreation ; but he may find him- 
 self also almost pinned down to the microscope, 
 and by magnifying the little may become incapable 
 of contemplating the great. 
 
 I saw much during my stay at Omanbonde to 
 amuse and instruct me. “A short time before 
 sunset, myriads of winged termites are there seen 
 
THUNDER-STORMS. 
 
 173 
 
 issuing every where out of the ground, and after 
 frisking about for a few minutes in the pleasant 
 evening breeze, dropping helplessly to the earth 
 again, to become instantly a prey to their enemies 
 — a species of large brown ant, who in this locality 
 also appear contemporary with their congeners.” 
 Toward the end of November immense flocks of 
 swifts and swallows appeared. For several con- 
 secutive days they passed over our camp just be- 
 fore sunset in such numbers as literally to darken 
 the sky. Sometimes these u flights” would extend 
 in one direct line for about one and a half to two 
 miles, covering, at the same time, a space several 
 hundred feet broad, and apparently as many deep. 
 
 December set in rainy, with thunder and light- 
 ning at times truly appalling ; and as part of our 
 camp was formed under a wide-spreading kamel 
 thorn-tree, I was kept in constant alarm, as this 
 kind of tree is a powerful conductor of the electric 
 fluid. Any anxiety I might suffer on this account 
 was, however, richly compensated by the beautiful 
 and striking skyscapes and atmospheric corusca- 
 tions attendant on these storms. 
 
 u Dec. 3 d. Showe’ry day. What a wonderful ef- 
 fect the accidents of light and shade have on a land- 
 scape ! The Otjirokaku Mountains look quite 
 grand at times, indeed almost Alpine, and yet their 
 average height above the plain can not exceed 1000 
 feet. Although twenty miles off, their rugged and 
 smooth surfaces can occasionally be clearly distin- 
 
174 
 
 BEAUTIFUL SUNSETS. 
 
 guished, nay, the very slopes of the rock ledges may 
 be sometimes discerned. The wonderful transpar- 
 ency of the atmosphere at certain periods of the 
 year in this country, now for instance, admits of 
 landscapes being seen at an immense distance, while 
 in the hot season, objects comparatively near look 
 dim and indistinct, and at times are altogether in- 
 discernible. 
 
 “The sunsets generally very lovely, sometimes 
 of a very peculiar beauty. Once I remember, just 
 after the sun had disappeared, the whole region of 
 the sky near and on the verge of the horizon as- 
 suming exactly the resemblance of a rainbow ; there 
 were all the colors composing the glorious arch, but 
 the “stripes” were three times as broad as those 
 seen in the bow of promise, and ran in horizontal 
 instead of vertical lines, or rather layers. It was a 
 strangely beautiful pageant.” — Author's Journal . 
 
A CARAVAN FORBIDDEN TO ENTER ONDONGA. 175 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 The Damara Caravan forbidden by Chipanga, the successor of 
 Nangoro, to enter Ondonga. — The Ovambo’s superstitious 
 Dread of Fire-arms. — The Party belonging to the Caravan 
 steal the Cattle and Property of the Ovambo. — A Descent 
 made upon the Ovambuenge by the Makololo. — A Guide 
 with a Harem of Wives. — A Battle between two Bushmen 
 Werfts. — Dr. Livingstone’s Opinion that Bushmen never 
 quarrel about Women. — A Native Woman wounded by 
 poisoned Arrows. — I endeavor to capture the Offenders. — 
 Two of their Party made Prisoners. — Not guilty. — Effect 
 their Escape. 
 
 The Damara caravan, alluded to in the last chap- 
 ter, returned suddenly and unexpectedly to Oman- 
 bonde. To my surprise, I learned that they had 
 not succeeded in getting farther than to the neigh- 
 borhood of Etosha. Here they had encountered 
 one of the Ovambo outposts, the occupants of 
 which had peremptorily forbidden them to proceed 
 farther. To remove this unforeseen hinderance, 
 messengers were dispatched to the paramount chief 
 of the tribe, Chipanga, the successor of Nangoro. 
 The answer they received was a decided negative. 
 To their repeated entreaties to be allowed to enter 
 Ondonga, he invariably replied, “On no condition 
 whatever. 1 ’ 
 
 In the interchange of messages that ensued, much 
 
176 
 
 DREAD OE EIRE- ARMS. 
 
 was also said about white men. Indeed, ever since 
 Messrs. Green and Hahn’s engagement with the 
 Ovambo, Chipanga had lived in constant trepida- 
 tion. On the mere report of my being at Oman- 
 bonde, he fled precipitately to a distant Bushman 
 village, there to hide himself, it was said, till as- 
 sured of my absence from the neighborhood. This 
 barbarian not only believed that white men’s guns 
 were invincible, but also entertained the notion 
 that, without any weapons, by merely looking at a 
 person, a white man could cause his death. “If 
 not,” the brave chief was heard to exclaim, “how 
 was it that Nangoro was killed by the mere report 
 of fire-arms ?” 
 
 The Ovambo never seemed thoroughly to under- 
 stand the dreadful efficacy of these weapons until 
 their disastrous defeat by Green and his party. It 
 would appear that their previous fearlessness arose 
 in a great measure from merely seeing, when fired, 
 the flash of the discharged gun, and not the missile . 
 “When we throw an assegai or shoot an arrow, 
 we see it going through the air,” said they, “but 
 with your rifles nothing but a harmless fire is per- 
 ceived.” From a supreme contempt of our arms, 
 they had now, however, gone to the other extreme, 
 and had a most exaggerated notion of their fearful 
 destructiveness. 
 
 To avenge themselves on the Ovambo for their 
 refusal to let the travelers pass through their coun- 
 try, a party belonging to the caravan, under one of 
 
A ROB ROY ROBBERY. 
 
 177 
 
 Katjamaha’s sons, attacked and carried off all the 
 cattle from the obnoxious post. The pretended 
 traders more immediately attached to the service 
 of Jonker Afrikander did not, however, participate 
 in this outrage. On their arrival at Omanbonde, 
 the thieves followed up this coup by robbing a small 
 Bushman werft, and beating the women nearly to 
 death. One of the unfortunate sufferers came to 
 me with tears in his eyes to complain, and as the 
 Bushmen in this neighborhood had always shown 
 themselves friendly both toward me and the Da- 
 maras,^he conduct of the latter was the more dis- 
 graceful and brutal. I felt exasperated at the law- 
 lessness of their acts, but it was no easy matter, 
 single-handed, to compel 150 cut-throats to do jus- 
 tice to a poor Bushman. However, my blood was 
 up, and, seizing a double-barreled rifle, I placed the 
 muzzle of the weapon within a few inches of the head 
 of the chief of the party in question, who happened 
 to be sitting by my fire at the time, and threatened 
 him with instant destruction unless restitution was 
 made forthwith to the complainant. My threat 
 had the desired effect, for in the course of a couple 
 of hours all the purloined articles were forthcom- 
 ing, to the no small satisfaction of myself, and to 
 the great joy of the poor man. 
 
 The Damaras brought with them a report that a 
 party of white men (alluding probably to the Portu- 
 guese) had attacked, and to a great extent destroy- 
 ed, a nation called Ovambuenge, living to the east 
 
 M 
 
178 
 
 A GUIDE WITH A HAREM. 
 
 of the Ovampo. This gave me some anxiety, as, 
 in case there should be any truth in the story, it 
 might throw serious obstacles in my way, the na- 
 tion in question being the first with whom I should, 
 in all probability, come in contact. At a later peri- 
 od I discovered that there was some ground for the 
 report, but that the aggressors were not white men, 
 but the Makololo, who had made a descent upon 
 the Ovambuenge, and carried olf almost all their 
 cattle, besides many captives of both sexes. But 
 more of this hereafter. 
 
 The leader or head man of Jonker’s Damaras, 
 Koroinene by name, had in former years lived 
 much in the neighborhood of Omanbonde, and was 
 supposed to possess an intimate knowledge not only 
 of the country between this point and the Ovampo, 
 but also of that to the north and east. He was, 
 moreover, a very shrewd and intelligent Damara — 
 an unusual phenomenon among this people ; and 
 as I had no guide of any description, I deemed it 
 of importance to secure the services of this man for 
 my intended journey. On being sounded on the 
 subject, he at once expressed his readiness to ac- 
 company me in the capacity of guide. There was, 
 however, a serious objection to this engagement, 
 for the man was encumbered with numerous wives 
 and a host of servants, most of whom refused to 
 return to their homes, declaring that they would 
 go with their master. There w r as no alternative. 
 Either I must set out “guideless,” or bear with the 
 
BUSHMEN AND WOMEN. 
 
 179 
 
 nuisance. I chose the latter, but gave Koroinene 
 expressly to understand that he only, with one or 
 two more, would be fed at my expense. 
 
 On the night of the 23d of December a battle 
 took place between two Bushmen werfts situated 
 in the neighborhood of Omanbonde, when several 
 men were slain on both sides. A party of mine, 
 who had been sent in search of elephants, surprised 
 groups of these natives of the bush in a state of 
 great excitement and agitation, but of the details 
 of the fray they learned nothing. 
 
 Dr. Livingstone, in his missionary travels, says 
 he never knew but one instance of a fight origina- 
 ting in a quarrel about women. It is to be pre- 
 sumed, therefore, that the great traveler alludes to 
 such nations as possess cattle ; for among the Bush- 
 men and others who have no herds, woman is too 
 frequently the belli teterrima causa . 
 
 The day after receiving news of the fight a lam- 
 entable incident occurred which greatly provoked 
 me. A woman belonging to my guide’s party had 
 gone into the veldt, as was her daily custom, in 
 search of edible roots, etc., when she was surprised 
 and attacked by three Bushmen, who discharged 
 several arrows at her. One of these missiles sped 
 true, burying itself several inches deep in her left 
 buttock. The poor creature shouted for assistance, 
 but our camp was too distant for her weak voice 
 to reach us ; it had the effect, however, of frighten- 
 ing the villains away. The woman, it seems, did 
 
180 POISONED ARROWS. 
 
 not arrive at her temporary home until after dusk, 
 and, unfortunately, her friends left the tale untold 
 until the following morning, when they informed 
 me of it. The poison had then already spread to 
 such an extent as to make all my little skill un- 
 availing. And, indeed, I very much doubt wheth- 
 er any surgery in the world could have saved her. 
 In order to satisfy her husband and friends, I did, 
 nevertheless, all that I thought could be done un- 
 der the circumstances. 
 
 Strongly suspecting that the men who had com- 
 mitted this outrage belonged to the identical werft 
 to whose inmates, as just related, I had at consider- 
 able personal risk restored some stolen property, I 
 felt greatly exasperated, and vowed revenge could I 
 but catch the miscreants. It was of the utmost im- 
 portance, it is true, to be on good terms with the 
 Bushmen ; but, at the same time, it was equally 
 necessary to inspire them with a wholesome fear of 
 us. Kindness, without a due mixture of sternness, 
 is thrown away upon savages. Accordingly, all 
 available hands, well armed, were quickly dispatch- 
 ed in pursuit of the murderers, though I entertain- 
 ed little hope that they would be overtaken and 
 captured. Contrary, however, as it seemed, to my 
 expectation, late at night on the same day the party 
 returned, bringing with them an elderly Bushman 
 and a very fine young female. But the former, ac- 
 cording to the wounded woman’s own testimony, 
 was not the real culprit, and the other prisoner, 
 
FEUDS OF SAVAGES. 
 
 181 
 
 though the wife of the man who had fired the fatal 
 arrow, I neither could nor would touch. I determ- 
 ined, nevertheless, to keep both for a short time as 
 hostages, thinking it possible that the husband of 
 the woman might be induced to come to her rescue. 
 
 The guilty horde did not, as I had imagined, be- 
 long to the werft alluded to ; they lived farther off, 
 near the Otjomokojo Mountains, and had only ac- 
 cidentally, on this occasion, extended their wander- 
 ings to my neighborhood in quest of game. My sur- 
 prise and anger, therefore, were somewhat abated, 
 for these poor people had from time immemorial 
 been at deadly feud with the Damaras, and both par- 
 ties were in the habit of butchering each other in- 
 discriminately (men, women, and children) when- 
 ever an opportunity occurred for gratifying their 
 mutual hatred. 
 
 After thirty-six hours of intense sufferings the 
 wounded woman breathed her last. In the confu- 
 sion that ensued — every one running to have a look 
 at the corpse — the captive Bushman, whose fetters 
 had been somewhat slackened, managed to make his 
 escape. This was rather annoying, but there was 
 no remedy. The woman was shortly afterward al- 
 lowed to walk off, thus leaving us no farther chance 
 of catching the real culprit. Our determined pro- 
 ceedings had, however, so thoroughly scared the 
 Bushmen that they precipitately fled our neighbor- 
 hood. 
 
182 
 
 ABSORPTION AND EVAPORATION. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 The Rate of Absorption and Evaporation of Moisture in the 
 dry Season. — The Return of the Party sent to Otjimbingue. 
 — Preparations for a fresh Start. — We make for the Omu- 
 ramba U’Ovambo. — Reasons for this Choice. — Bid Fare- 
 well to Omanbonde. — Description of my Suite. — The Guide 
 ignorant of the Route. — A Passage through a Forest. — The 
 Guide allowed to depart. — Difficulty of finding Water.— -In- 
 dications of Bushmen Villages. — A small Well discovered. — 
 Bushmen make their Appearance. — Their contradictory De- 
 scriptions of the Omuramba, supposed by Travelers to be a 
 Branch of the Cunene. 
 
 ThE rains had by this time fallen in considerable 
 quantities ; yet so great is the rate of absorption 
 and evaporation at this season, that pools of from 
 forty to fifty feet long, and several feet deep, would 
 dry up in the course of a week. Still, I hoped to 
 find sufficient rain-water to serve our purpose, and 
 only waited for the return of the party sent to Ot- 
 jimbingue to commence operations. Fortunately 
 I had not long to wait, for on the morning of the 
 first day of 1859 we had the satisfaction of greeting 
 our comrades, safe and sound, in our camp at Oman- 
 bonde. A few days more sufficed to make the nec- 
 essary and final arrangements. 
 
 My guide (Koroinene) had proposed to follow 
 up (or rather down) the course of the Omuramba 
 
THE OMURAMBA ifioVAMBO. 
 
 183 
 
 Ua 1 Matako as the most eligible way to reach the 
 ' Ovambuenge (also called Ovapangari). But, though 
 it was advisable to give the Ovambo a wide berth 
 (and their outposts extended to the neighborhood 
 of the nation in question), I did not adopt his pro- 
 posal. Mr. Green had already tried to penetrate 
 northward by the very route that Koroinene sug- 
 gested ; he had found it impracticable, and it was 
 not likely that I should succeed where he had failed. 
 My friend had, moreover, supplied me with a chart 
 of his explorations in these parts, in which he points 
 out another river-course, Omuramba TTOvambo. 
 This river had, where he first struck it, a northeast 
 current, which, together with the statements of the 
 Bushmen, and other circumstances, led both Mr. 
 Green and the Bev. Mr. Hahn to the conclusion 
 that it was identical with the Cunene, i. e., a branch 
 of that mysterious stream. Supposing their sur- 
 mises to be correct, it was of the utmost import- 
 ance to me to gain this point ; for, though only 
 periodical in its flow, the river would, no doubt, by 
 following it up toward its source, supply a suffi- 
 . ciency of water. After due deliberation, I de- 
 termined, therefore, to make for the Omuramba 
 TJ’Ovambo with all convenient speed. 
 
 Accordingly, every thing being in readiness, we 
 bade farewell to Omanbonde on the afternoon of 
 the 5th of January. We moved in the following 
 order : I myself, attended by a henchman to carry 
 the rifle, proceeded ahead ; then came the road-par- 
 
184 
 
 ORDER OF MARCH. 
 
 ty, consisting of the guide Tom, and three to four 
 Damaras, armed with powerful American axes ; 
 next followed the wagon, attended by Mortar and 
 two or three native lads ; while Pereira and the re- 
 mainder of the Damaras brought up the rear with 
 the cattle, the sheep, the women, the hangers-on, 
 etc. We looked quite a respectable and picturesque 
 procession. 
 
 On the fourth day after leaving Omanbonde we 
 reached Okamabuti by a totally different route to 
 that followed by Mr. Galton in 1850. 
 
 Clusters of small limestone hills surround this 
 place, and, in order to learn something of the coun- 
 try before us, I took my guide to one of these hills, 
 which commanded a good and extensive view ; but, 
 to my extreme annoyance and surprise, I found 
 that, beyond the immediate neighborhood, the man 
 was totally ignorant of the tract in the direction 
 of our proposed route. This discovery was as un- 
 expected as it was disappointing. I consequently 
 found myself precisely in the same condition as 
 when at Omanbonde. I had now to trust entirely 
 to my own instinct and previous experience in con- 
 ducting the expedition with safety and success. 
 
 Mr. Green’s route was still to the eastward of us, 
 and I calculated that in about two days’ journey 
 we might easily reach it. After some little delay 
 at Okamabuti we set out for a small fountain hard 
 by. Here we bivouacked, and on the following day 
 continued to journey on, keeping the beautifully- 
 
PASSAGE THROUGH A FOREST. 
 
 185 
 
 wooded hill of Otijtijka to our right. We had not 
 proceeded far before we entered a very dense brake, 
 which ere long became a forest. Finding that all 
 our efforts to cut our way through this wood of 
 noble timber made but slow progress, I deemed it 
 best at once to unyoke the oxen and send them 
 back to the fountain we had just left. Pereira was 
 ordered to accompany the cattle, and, after seeing 
 them duly fed and watered, to rejoin us on the fol- 
 lowing afternoon, when I hoped to have opened a 
 clear passage for our advance. 
 
 J ust at this rather critical moment our soi disant 
 guide requested permission to return home, urging 
 as a reason that one of his wives was suffering from 
 bad health. That the woman was really ill I had 
 no doubt ; but the real cause of Koroinene’s desire 
 to leave me was, I felt sure, quite different from the 
 alleged one. However, as the man was at present 
 not only useless, but a positive nuisance, I gladly 
 acceded to his request; and having liberally fur- 
 nished him with “grub,” tobacco, etc., for the road, 
 he took his departure. 
 
 Pereira returned with the cattle at the appointed 
 time, and having succeeded in making a tolerably 
 good path through the forest, we continued our 
 journey. Since leaving Omanbonde we had not 
 found a drop of rain-water. Several small vleys 
 that we passed had evidently been full at no dis- 
 tant day, but were now quite dry. This was a 
 great disappointment, for without guides it is an 
 
186 
 
 DROUGHT. DISCOVERY OF A WELL. 
 
 exceedingly difficult and laborious task to find wa- 
 ter in these drouthy districts. Next morning we 
 were early stirring, and the country being tolerably 
 free from bush we made good progress. But there 
 was no sign of water, though the sun had nearly 
 reached its meridian. We came, however, upon 
 fresh Bushmen tracks, which, together with the ap- 
 pearance of numerous Guinea-fowls, doves, etc,, led 
 us to conclude that water was not far off. It was, 
 neverthless, despite these unmistakable signs, less 
 easy to find than might be supposed, for the local- 
 ity was intersected in every direction by numerous 
 small footpaths, which greatly puzzled our search. 
 At last, being in advance of my party, I struck a 
 path evidently more frequented than the rest, and 
 by following it up for a short time had the satis- 
 faction of finding a small well. There were, be- 
 sides, two or three other pits partially filled up with 
 rubbish. From the nature of the rock, however 
 (calcareous tufa), I doubted not that by digging a 
 sufficiency of water might be obtained for both man 
 and beast. 
 
 While busily engaged clearing out the pits sev- 
 eral Bushmen made their appearance. They did 
 not seem in the least afraid or suspicious, which I 
 very justly attributed to the good treatment they 
 had experienced at the hands of Messrs. Green and 
 Hahn on their journey to the Ovambo in the year 
 preceding my visit. At this place we found the 
 spoors of their wagons ; but their route inclining 
 
CONFLICTING STATEMENTS. 
 
 187 
 
 after a while too much to the westward to suit my 
 purpose, I determined to pursue my own course in 
 a direction nearly due north. Two of the Bush- 
 men we had fallen in with agreed to guide me to 
 the next water, which we reached at an early hour 
 on the following day. 
 
 I lost no opportunity of questioning my present 
 guides about the country and the people, etc., we 
 were about to visit, but found the task so difficult, 
 and their accounts so conflicting, that after a while 
 I ceased my inquiries. One party represented the 
 Omuramba as a permanent stream ; said that the 
 sun was on the right cheek, eastward along its 
 course ; that both Bushmen and black people lived 
 on its banks ; that both nations possessed cattle ; 
 that, hippopotami and alligators inhabited its wa- 
 ters ; that the distance to the said Omuramba was 
 five days 1 journey, and thence three days 1 on to the 
 black people — particulars, all of them, in total dis- 
 agreement with the account of Messrs. Green and 
 Hahn. 
 
 On the afternoon of the 16th of January I cross- 
 ed a dry , narrow, but somewhat deeply depressed 
 river bed, having at this point a nearly due north 
 and south course. From its insignificant appear- 
 ance I paid no particular attention to it, and con- 
 tinued to journey on. At an after period, however, 
 
 I ascertained that this was the veritable Omuramba 
 U’Ovambo, spoken of by the travelers just men- » 
 tioned, and identical with their supposed branch 
 
188 
 
 SUPPOSED BRANCH OF THE CUNENE. 
 
 of the Cunene. Yet being still under the impres- 
 sion that the river in question was to the north of 
 us, and had a northeast course, I thought that, by 
 pursuing our present direction, we could not fail to 
 strike it sooner or later. 
 
FRUIT AND FOREST TREES. 
 
 189 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 Comparatively good Road. — Pretty Scenery. — Fruit and 
 Forest Trees. — A sandy Soil. — Thorn Jungles. — Scarcity 
 of Water. — Yleys dried up. — The Heat intense. — Guides 
 declare there is no Possibility of proceeding farther. — De- 
 light on finding Water. — An Accident happens to the 
 Wagon. — The Axle-tree renewed six Times. — The Acacia 
 Giraffe and the White Ant. — Monotony of Toil, Anxiety, 
 and Hardship. 
 
 Hitherto, with few exceptions, the country had 
 proved tolerably favorable for wagon traveling, 
 and afforded besides, at times, very pretty scenery. 
 The forest and fruit trees we met with were remark- 
 ably fine. Of the former there was one of a kind 
 which particularly struck me, for it seemed to be at 
 once tree, creeper, and parasite. Parts of its roots 
 might occasionally be seen loosening their holds on 
 the ground, through a powerful attraction toward 
 another tree of a totally distinct species, twining 
 and spreading around the latter till the two growths 
 became one. This plant has a smooth, light-colored 
 stem — or rather stems — with an oblong leaf, and 
 shoots up to a very considerable height. Of the 
 fruit trees I noticed the “almond” (I call it thus 
 from want of a better name) ranked foremost. 
 Large in bulk and handsome in foliage, its fruit in 
 
190 
 
 FRUIT AND FOREST TREES. 
 
 look resembles a plum, but has an acid flavor, and 
 a stone inside, which contains a soft kernel, in taste 
 and appearance not unlike the almond. I have 
 already spoken of this tree in the pages of u Lake 
 Ngami. 1 ’ 
 
 We had till now, as I have just hinted, found 
 our progress much easier and more pleasant than 
 it had been heretofore, by the comparative open- 
 ness and smiling aspect of the country. Of short 
 duration, however, was this agreeable traveling ; for 
 two days after we had left the Omuramba the scene 
 changed totally, and in every respect for the worse. 
 Instead of a fine champagne region of limestone 
 tufa, finely dotted over with groups of handsome 
 trees and bushwood, we now entered on a loose, 
 sandy, undulating soil, frequently covered with odi- 
 ous, embarrassing thorn jungles, in places so dense 
 as to require hours to clear a path through them. 
 The oxen, moreover, unaccustomed to the heavy 
 sand, dragged the wagon very unwillingly along. 
 About the same time, too, another serious difficulty 
 — the frequently recurring one, want of water — 
 presented itself. The rains had evidently fallen 
 but very sparingly, or not at all, in these parts. 
 As long as we kept on the limestone we had found 
 a sufficiency of fountains and old dilapidated wells 
 to quench our thirst ; but here, though there were 
 many fine vleys, they were almost all dry, and, 
 finally, they failed us altogether. 
 
 On the 19th of January we had been nearly two 
 
A SALLY IN QUEST OF WATER. 191 
 
 days without a drop of water for the cattle. The 
 heat was intense ; the sun scorched us like a great 
 blazing fire. Our guide, a sensible old fellow, look- 
 ed misery itself, declaring repeatedly that any at- 
 tempt to penetrate farther in this direction would 
 prove fatal to us all, as there was not a single well 
 or natural spring for a hundred miles. This he 
 spoke from hearsay, acknowledging that he was 
 personally totally unacquainted with the country. 
 This was disheartening tidings ; but I had made 
 up my mind to go through with my adventure at 
 all hazards. Accordingly, saddling my old horse 
 and packing a little drinking-water on the donkeys, 
 I set out, accompanied by two or three of my native 
 attendants, in quest of a new supply of the precious 
 liquid, giving orders to the remainder to retrace 
 their steps with the wagon should I not make my 
 appearance in the course of the next day. 
 
 Leaving the men to follow with the donkeys as 
 well as they could, I p ut my Ho sin ante to his ut- 
 most speed, and, as good luck would have it, after 
 nearly three hours’ hard riding, discovered, to my 
 great relief, a vley, which, though of no great ca- 
 pacity, would still afford us a supply for a few days. 
 I thereupon rejoined my wagon and men on the 
 same night, by whom, I need hardly say, my success 
 was hailed with rapture. On the following day we 
 moved on to the water. Reader, if you have not 
 personally experienced such a deliverance in ex- 
 treme need, you can not understand the delight and 
 thankfulness it imparts. 
 
192 THE USE OF IGNORANT GUIDES. 
 
 Our guide now earnestly requested to be allowed 
 to return home, urging his incompetency to be of 
 any farther service to us. On condition of his 
 procuring a substitute I acceded to his demand; 
 though, to say the truth, I did not at present much 
 care for guides, especially as our progress, owing 
 to the uncouthness of the veldt, was so slow that 
 I well knew no Bushmen would remain with us. 
 There was one consideration, however, which ren- 
 dered a guide from place to place very advantage- 
 ous to us : it was this — he would be able to tell his 
 countrymen who we were, whence we came, and the 
 object of our journey, etc. Him they would be- 
 lieve, or at least to him they would listen, while 
 our own account of ourselves would probably be 
 laughed at, and all the more suspected, as we were 
 coming from an enemy’s country. Scarcely any 
 thing, indeed, is more dangerous to a traveler than 
 suddenly, without an introduction, to present him- 
 self before a strange and uncivilized people. 
 
 The old man did not wait to be told twice that 
 he might depart. Contrary to my expectation, 
 however, he, after an absence of about thirty hours, 
 returned, bringing with him several young men to 
 serve as our future guides. I did not like their ap- 
 pearance ; they seemed much too young, and very 
 ignorant. Nevertheless, I accepted their services, 
 chiefly for the reason just mentioned, being at the 
 same time somewhat indifferent as to whether they 
 might choose to decamp or to fulfill their engage- 
 ment. 
 
AXLE-TREE BROKEN. 
 
 193 
 
 While awaiting the return of the old guide I had 
 explored the country a little ahead of us, and had 
 fortunately discovered a group of small vleys. The 
 water, it is true, was of the very worst description. 
 It had evidently been frequented for some length 
 of time by troops of elephants, whose wallowings 
 and excrements had converted it into something 
 like a cesspool. Nevertheless, I hailed the filthy 
 puddle with joy, as affording at least an escape from 
 parching drought. 
 
 Having got every thing in readiness for a start, 
 we were able, shortly after our new acquaintances 
 had joined us, to continue our journey, and on the 
 following day I had the good fortune to discover 
 a fine vley of clear water. I say discover, for our 
 guides had, as I previously suspected they would 
 do, decamped that morning. A few minutes 1 walk 
 from this vley a serious accident occurred to the 
 wagon. By the carelessness of the driver, the hind 
 axle had come in contact with a prostrate kamel 
 thorn-tree, and the shock had broken one of its 
 arms. To break an axle-tree is, under all circum- 
 stances, a serious mishap ; but when it occurs in a 
 wild, inhospitable region like the one we were trav- 
 ersing, destitute of suitable wood for repairing the 
 damage, the mischief is incalculable. In the course 
 of about 150 miles I had to renew this axle more 
 or less six different times, neither a pleasant nor an 
 easy task, especially as only one sort of tree to be 
 found in this country, namely, the Acacia giraffe, 
 
 N 
 
194 ACACIA GIRAFFE AND WHITE ANT. 
 
 indigenous to Damara Land and the adjacent tracts, 
 is suitable to this piece of wheelwright work. I 
 must mention, too, as a singular fact, that not one 
 of these trees in a hundred — nay, I might safely 
 say, not one in a thousand, is sound ! Almost all 
 of them are either decayed in the heart, or so per- 
 forated by worms and ants as to be quite useless. 
 They look fair enough as they stand in the field or 
 forest, but attempt to employ them in any species 
 of carpentry or building, and they will generally be 
 found, from the causes I have named, totally un- 
 serviceable. 
 
 One evening, while pursuing our route, we were 
 nearly poisoned by some wild beans which the cook 
 had picked up along the road. Seeing him about to 
 put them into the saucepan, I remarked, u Mortar, 
 I was once made very ill by eating those beans in a 
 raw state,” adding that I thought they might prove 
 harmless if properly prepared by fire. Finding the 
 vegetable somewhat palatable, I partook of it rather 
 freely, as did also the cook and Pereira. But scarce- 
 ly had we finished our meal when we were seized 
 wfith sudden nausea, violent headache, and throb- 
 bing of the heart. Finally, however, and providen- 
 tially, the poisonous stuff was entirely ejected by a 
 violent retching. No serious result ensued ; the 
 only effect being a nauseous taste in the mouth 
 throughout that night and the following day, accom- 
 panied by much bodily prostration, a good deal like 
 that produced by swallowing a large dose of castor- 
 oil. 
 
MONOTONY OF TOIL, ANXIETY, AND HARDSHIP. 195 
 
 This “bean,” so hurtful to man, proved quite 
 wholesome to the cattle, sheep, and goats, who ate 
 it, both leaves and fruit, greedily. 
 
 But I will not task the reader’s patience by a 
 recital of each day’s proceedings. They were gen- 
 erally days of much toil, anxiety, and hardship. 
 Sometimes we found abundance of water, while at 
 others we suffered all the tortures of Tantalus ; and 
 when not employed in mending the wagon, I was 
 always afoot or on horseback in search either of 
 game, vleys, or a passage, and sometimes of all 
 three. 
 
196 
 
 GADFLIES. 
 
 CHAPTEE XIV. 
 
 Gadflies. — Another Elephant Hunt : interrupted by a Storm 
 of Rain. — A very jeopardous Position. — An arduous Chase. 
 — An Elephant charges his Pursuer. — Wounded severely. 
 — Brought down after a long Hunt. — Another Elephant 
 bagged. — Plenty of Provision. — The Natives flock together 
 to devour the Carcasses. — Jerking and Drying. — Slow Prog- 
 ress. — The Number of Bushes and Trees cut down to clear 
 a Passage. — One hundred and seventy Bushes felled every 
 three hundred Yards. — The incredible amount of Labor to 
 advance one Mile. — Description of the Country. — Variation 
 of the Compass. — Some Alteration in my Course. 
 
 I had calculated largely on game for the support 
 of my party, but in this respect was sadly disap- 
 pointed. One of the causes of this scarcity of wild 
 animals was to be found in the swarms of gadflies, 
 of the most venomous description, which infest this 
 region. This fly attacks alike man and beast, and 
 at every sting draws large drops of blood. My na- 
 tive attendants suffered agonies from their assaults, 
 and the state of the cattle was scarcely less jntiable. 
 The bellies of the poor brutes were sometimes — and 
 I speak without exaggeration — literally one mass 
 of coagulated blood. The Bushmen assured me — 
 and I could well believe their statement — that cat- 
 tle and beasts of prey often died from the poisonous 
 stings of these bloodthirsty insects. They followed 
 
A RAIN-STORM. 
 
 197 
 
 us for days, settling at night in clusters underneath 
 the wagon. 
 
 Formidable, however, as they were, they could 
 not drive away the mighty elephant, though he, no 
 doubt, was not exempt from their torments. As 
 we proceeded, we met daily with fresh indications 
 of this animal’s propinquity ; and as our slender 
 stock of cattle for slaughter was fast decreasing, I 
 determined to go in search of my old enemies at 
 my earliest convenience. Accordingly, having, at 
 a pretty early hour one morning, come across the 
 recent trail of a fine bull, I at once started in pur- 
 suit of him. After several hours tracking, we found 
 that he had joined a group of she-elephants with 
 calves. This was any thing but a pleasant discov- 
 ery. However, we persevered, and after a couple of 
 hours farther u spooring” sighted the herd, when, to 
 my no small satisfaction, I saw the old gentleman 
 straying a little apart from the rest of the company. 
 I made instant arrangements for attacking him, but 
 could not ; for at that moment the rain came down 
 in such torrents, and with so much violence, as com- 
 pletely to darken the atmosphere, entirely obscur- 
 ing objects but a very short distance off. Under 
 these circumstances, all I could do (and that was 
 not done without some difficulty and danger) was 
 to keep the brute in view till the weather should 
 clear up. Being too, at the time, very slightly clad, 
 having on me only a pair of trowsers and a flannel 
 jacket, I doubted much whether I should be able to 
 
198 
 
 AN ELEPHANT ASTONISHED. 
 
 keep my rifle dry, a matter of the utmost conse- 
 quence ; for, if the piece should miss fire at the crit- 
 ical moment, it might cost me my life. The storm 
 having at last abated, I set a couple of men to watch 
 the movements of my intended prey, while I retired 
 behind a small brake to light a fire and dry my 
 rifle. I found my poor followers, on joining them, 
 half dead from the long, cold, soaking shower-bath 
 they had been exposed to. 
 
 At the beginning of the rain, I must here notice, 
 we had lost sight of the other elephants, but were 
 still aware of their nearness to us by hearing at 
 short intervals the trumpeting of one of the herd — 
 most probably of the leading cow — and no doubt 
 for the purpose of keeping the troop together. 
 
 The bull was, meanwhile, sauntering leisurely to 
 and fro in an open and very exposed place, where I 
 dared not attack him. At last he moved into some 
 low scattered bush, and, as the sun was fast declin- 
 ing toward the west, I determined, having no time 
 to lose, at once to approach him, which I did with 
 a stout heart. I stalked up unperceived to within 
 about sixty paces of where the animal stood, and 
 fired. The bullet sped true, for he uttered a loud 
 shriek, ran forward a short distance, then stopped 
 and remained motionless. Turning sharply round, 
 he in a few minutes passed me within one hundred 
 paces, at full speed, whereupon he received another 
 shot, which also appeared to have taken effect. He 
 was then making straight for the cows, but, fortu- 
 
GAME TO THE LAST. 
 
 199 
 
 nately, the second wound made him swerve from that 
 direction, and gave me a third shot at him. The 
 distance, however, of my mark this time, fully 200 
 yards, was too great ; my bullet nevertheless, as 
 subsequently found, struck the beast in the left fore 
 leg. He was almost immediately afterward hidden 
 among the bushes, but we, that is, myself and hench- 
 man, following quickly on his traces, soon sighted 
 him again. He was losing, we perceived, much 
 blood ; yet, whenever we tried to get within range 
 of him, he turned round and charged us with great 
 fury. The brute was evidently seriously wounded, 
 but of so savage a disposition that we were obliged 
 to approach him very cautiously. Following pa- 
 tiently on his spoor for about half an hour, we espied 
 him standing behind a small bush nearly facing us. 
 The cover was rather poor, and I waited long in the 
 hopes of seeing him move on. He did not, how- 
 ever, stir. I had therefore no alternative ; so, mak- 
 ing the best I could of his position, I at last, with 
 great precaution, succeeded in stalking up unper- 
 ceived to within a reasonable distance of my mark. 
 The bush, unfortunately, behind which he had sta- 
 tioned himself completely hid his shoulder. Guess- 
 ing at it, nevertheless, as well as I could, I fired, 
 and with deadly effect, for the poor brute, after 
 rushing forward a few paces, fell to the ground a 
 corpse. This elephant proved a very noble prize. 
 His tusks were excellent, and alone well rewarded 
 my trouble and perseverance. 
 
200 
 
 A FEAST. 
 
 The very next morning, having gone out to re- 
 connoitre, I fell in with the fresh trail of another 
 bull elephant, which I tracked, stalked, and killed, 
 without any assistance from my man ; and this 
 elephant was an enormous beast, measuring nearly 
 twelve feet in height at the shoulder; yet he was 
 quite a young animal, with comparatively small 
 tusks. 
 
 We had now meat in abundance — -indeed, more 
 than we well knew what to do with, and I was 
 anxiously looking out for Bushmen to eat it up, 
 for I hate waste, when a werft of these people, at- 
 tracted to the spot by the report of the rifle, made 
 their appearance just as the carcass of the last-killed 
 animal was about to be served up. The Bushmen 
 of these regions are as stout, well fed, and good- 
 looking fellows as one would wish to see. 
 
 Heavy rains, and the process of jerking and dry- 
 ing our meat, delayed us at this point fully a week. 
 On the 7th of February we were, however, able to 
 move forward, but made little progress on that and 
 on the following two days. Indeed, the whole dis- 
 tance we advanced might have been accomplished 
 in a single hour under favorable circumstances. 
 The late exceeding wetness of the weather and the 
 denseness of the bush, or rather forests, before us 
 were the causes of this delay. Instead of low sandy 
 ridges overgrown with low thorn coppices, we had 
 now to traverse lofty ranges, covered with splendid 
 trees, some of which were entirely new to me, while 
 
CLEARING A PASSAGE. 
 
 201 
 
 underwood or jungle too was so thick that it was 
 difficult even for a man on foot to pick his way 
 through it. The labor and time, therefore, required 
 for clearing a passage for wagons was very great 
 — the reader may judge how great when I tell him 
 that we were, more than once, as much as three 
 days in crossing ridges not above a mile wide. 
 Three or four axes were incessantly plied by me 
 from early dawn till dusk, and seven or eight men 
 were constantly engaged in the same work. An- 
 other fact will perhaps give a better notion of the 
 difficulties we had to overcome. I take it from my 
 journal as jotted down at the time. 
 
 “Had the curiosity to count the number of 
 bushes (and trees) cut down in order to open out 
 a path to a certain distance. In this calculation 
 I invariably found in 300 yards 170 bushes felled; 
 that is, about 1000 bushes a mile. I reckoned, be- 
 sides, four stalks to each bush, a very low compu- 
 tation, which gave 4000 distinct branches, every 
 stalk or branch (varying from the size of a finger 
 to that of a man’s leg) usually requiring from three 
 to four strokes of the axe ; thus one axe must act- 
 ually have descended 12,000 times in the course of 
 a single mile. Conceive the incredible amount of 
 labor the passage of one such mile supposes — in- 
 deed, we are just now proceeding something short 
 of a snail’s pace.” We have, however, about 200 
 miles of this sort of country to traverse before we 
 reach our journey’s end, so that, in round numbers, 
 
202 200,000 bushes cut down. 
 
 there must be 2,400,000 strokes of one axe, or 
 1,200,000 to each of two axes (the number usually 
 employed), delivered, and no less than 200,000 
 bushes and trees cut down before we can get over 
 this space. And this work was successfully per- 
 formed. 
 
 Between every two ridges of this uncouth tract 
 there was an open gully, a kind of Omuramba, 
 varying from 100 to 400 feet in width. These 
 Omurambas usually afforded liberal supplies of 
 rain-water, were pretty free from bush, and, pre- 
 senting a hard, smooth surface, were very favorable 
 to wagon traveling. Unfortunately, however, they 
 extended (with a regularity quite surprising) in a 
 due western and eastern direction, or nearly so. 
 
 The variation of the compass in these parts is 
 rather more than a score of degrees to the north- 
 west. By a western course, therefore, I must nec- 
 essarily have lost ground rapidly, while an at- 
 tempt to proceed on a contrary slant w^ould have 
 proved nearly equally misleading. Having thus 
 scarcely an alternative, I determined on the follow- 
 ing plan, the only one that struck me as ultimately 
 likely to issue in a satisfactory result : I resolved 
 to follow the bed of the gullies in a westerly direc- 
 tion until I should light upon a point where the 
 ridges might be crossed with less difficulty. This 
 route would enable me, at least, to keep up my 
 “ northing; 11 and, in the mean time, the country 
 might improve, possibly become more practicable. 
 
PERILOUS NAVIGATION OF THE DESERT. 203 
 
 My rather jeopardous and difficult position strong- 
 ly reminded me of seafarers in the close neighbor- 
 hood of a coral-reef or an iceberg, anxiously exam- 
 ining every aperture and break in the obstruction 
 opposing them in the hope of finding a safe passage 
 for their frail skiff. 
 
 On the well-wooded ridges just spoken of I dis- 
 covered moss, a species of vegetation I had not ob- 
 served before during my travels north of the Orange 
 River. 
 
204 
 
 HOPES RENOUNCED. 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 All Hope of finding the Omuramba described by Travelers re- 
 nounced. — Doubts about its being a Branch of the Cunene. 
 — The River pointed out by the Bushmen quite distinct from 
 the Cunene. — A sandy Country, a continuous Forest. — An 
 unexpected Visit from a Bushman, an old Acquaintance of 
 Messrs. Green and Hahn. — He consents to be our Guide for 
 some Distance. — I promise to kill an Elephant for him and 
 his People. — Encampment by a line Vley of Water. — A be- 
 nevolent Bushman. — An Elephant struck dead by Lightning. 
 — Fruit-trees and Forest-trees. — Their Description. — A For- 
 est-tree of huge Dimensions and spreading Foliage. — An- 
 other Elephant-hunt. — Elephants in Herds as numerous as 
 Cattle, like a large Army. — Their shrill Trump etings at Night. 
 
 I had now given up all hope of finding the Omu- 
 ramba TTOvambo, unless the small river-course 
 crossed on the 16 th of January, as already men- 
 tioned, should turn out to be identical with that 
 stream. That this was really the case I began to 
 entertain strong suspicions ; for if Messrs. Green 
 and Hahn’s statements and surmises were in any 
 measure correct, I must necessarily, long ere this, 
 have struck the river. As to the supposition of 
 those travelers that the Omuramba TTOvambo is a 
 branch of the Cunene, I had my doubts ; I more- 
 over thought that, instead of flowing toward Onon- 
 dova, it was merely a current from that lake, the 
 
THE OMURAMBA. 
 
 205 
 
 source of which must be looked for elsewhere — an- 
 other riddle — and that, like the Dzouga, lost for a 
 while in the sand, it might possibly join the minor 
 Omuramba Otjituo farther on. 
 
 The river to which the Bushmen now pointed 
 was evidently quite distinct from the Cunene and 
 the Omuramba U’Ovambo. It was in all proba- 
 bility the Mukuru Mukovanja, so well described to 
 Mr. Galton and myself by the Ovambo, who de- 
 clared that it was the great river. 
 
 On the 18 th of February we found ourselves 
 scarce of water, and, at the same time, lost all traces 
 of those gullies which had hitherto befriended us. 
 Instead of traversing parallel wooded ranges, we 
 now entered on a comparatively level country cov- 
 ered with one continuous forest. The soil was com- 
 posed of a fine white sand, so loose and yielding 
 that both man and beast sank into it ankle deep ; 
 and as we had no choice at present with regard to 
 routes, all I could do was to keep due north, the 
 course pointed to by the Bushmen as the directest 
 one to the river. 
 
 At about this time, just as I had returned one 
 day from a hard ride in search of water, and, having 
 been successful, was refreshing the inner man, a fine- 
 looking Bushman chief stood suddenly before us. 
 He had accidentally come across my horse’s spoor, 
 and thinking the rider might belong to some white 
 man’s party (he had seen Messrs. Green and Hahn 
 when on their journey to the Ovambo), he unhesita- 
 
 . 
 
 /] 
 
 
206 
 
 A NEW GUIDE. 
 
 tingly followed it up till lie reached the wagon. I 
 felt much gratified at this encounter, first, because 
 the man could speak well of us to his countrymen, 
 and, secondly, because he would be of the utmost 
 service in guiding us to springs, wells, and vleys, now 
 very difficult to find. He (Kanganda was his name), 
 agreed at once to accompany us for some distance, 
 and I, on my part, promised to kill an elephant for 
 him and his people at the earliest opportunity. 
 
 In the afternoon of the second day after our new 
 guide had joined us we arrived at several wells 
 scooped out of the sand, having in the mean time 
 obtained water for our cattle at a small vley. An- 
 other day’s travel brought us to a large one of good 
 clear water. Both this place and that which we had 
 just left (i. e., the wells) were resorted to regularly ev- 
 ery dry season by certain Ovambo with their cattle. 
 
 I was suffering at this time excessively from rheu- 
 matic pains in my back, so much so that neither 
 standing, sitting, nor reclining brought me any re- 
 lief — indeed, the pain was at times so excruciating 
 as almost to drive me frantic. Nevertheless, in or- 
 der to fulfill my promise to the Bushmen (who were 
 now anxious to return home), and with a view to 
 the replenishment of our own exhausted larder, I 
 made up my mind for an elephant hunt as soon as 
 we could find fresh and fair-sized spoors. This hap- 
 pened the very next morning after our arrival at 
 the vley, when the trail of a large male elephant 
 was discovered hard by our camp. Saddling the 
 
PURSUIT OF AN 
 
REPLENISHMENT OE THE LARDER. 
 
 209 
 
 ox “Seeland, 11 I was soon in pursuit, and, notwith- 
 standing the early hour, had the good fortune to 
 come up with the brute after about an hour and a 
 half tracking. I brought him down at the second 
 shot, and with a third killed him outright. The 
 beast was unusually savage, which I attributed to 
 his having several assegai wounds, one of them evi- 
 dently of recent date, on his body. He was a large 
 elephant, with excellent tusks. The Bushmen were 
 of course in ecstasy at my success, and their chief 
 returned forthwith to his werft to fetch the remain- 
 der of his people to feast on the carcass. 
 
 There was a fine vley of water in the immediate 
 neighborhood of the spot where the elephant fell. 
 Here, then, we pitched our camp ; and the jerking 
 and drying of the meat, the heavy rains, with the 
 repairs required by the wagon, occupied so much 
 time that we were long delayed at this place. Our 
 guide would go no farther ; he promised, however, 
 to find a substitute, and was as good as his word. 
 At the expiration of a very few hours he brought 
 to take his place a fine elderly Bushman, who had 
 the most benevolent countenance I ever saw. This 
 man conducted us to another werft, distant about a 
 day’s journey and a half. Indications of elephants, 
 which had lately been scarce, now became numerous ; 
 so, in order to keep the natives in good-humor, as 
 also, if possible, to divert their thoughts from what 
 they might deem the motives of my journey, I start- 
 ed on another hunt, which gave me no satisfaction, 
 
 o 
 
210 AN ELEPHANT STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. 
 
 for, though I once succeeded in coming up with a 
 good-sized bull, and even got a shot at him, the 
 chase proved a failure. 
 
 While a party of Bushmen were following up the 
 spoor of this wounded beast, they came upon the 
 carcass of a she-elephant who had been struck dead 
 by lightning. This was the first instance I had 
 known of these huge creatures being destroyed by 
 the electric fluid, though it often occasions the death 
 of the smaller kind of game. The natives, how- 
 ever, assured me that the occurrence was not at all 
 an infrequent one during the rainy season. They 
 had once stumbled, they told me, upon the remains 
 of a full-grown male, whose head had been com- 
 pletely severed from his body by a thunder-stroke, 
 and all his bones completely smashed. 
 
 As we traveled along, we observed, from time to 
 time, several trees quite new to us, some fruit-bear- 
 ing, others simply forest-trees. Of the former, one 
 bore a dark green fruit as large as an orange, and 
 nearly, when ripe, of the same color. Its shell or 
 rind is of moderate thickness, the whole of the in- 
 side consisting of a kind of pulp, in which a great 
 number of fleshy seeds or kernels are imbedded, 
 which the natives roast in hot ashes and eat with 
 their meat. When unripe these kernels are bitter 
 and unpalatable, but in their mature state they are 
 good food, and their scent is delicious. Essential 
 oil might probably be expressed from them ; indeed, 
 the Bushmen extract from this fruit a fattish kind 
 
MONOTONY OF FOREST TRAVELING. 
 
 211 
 
 of matter which they use as an ointment for their 
 bodies. 
 
 Of the forest-trees I noticed, there was one in 
 particular that attracted attention from its hand- 
 some foliage and huge dimensions. We encamped 
 one day under the wide-spreading branches of one 
 of them, which was, as we found by measurement, 
 fifteen feet three inches in circumference. Its leaves 
 look at a little distance like those of a species of 
 birch, indigenous to northern Europe, called “hang- 
 ing” birch ; its masses of foliage are, however, dif- 
 ferently disposed. Many of these trees have large 
 natural hollows in their trunks, which, during sev- 
 eral months of the year, serve as reservoirs for rain- 
 water. This peculiarity greatly benefits the natives, 
 and I myself have frequently quenched my thirst 
 from these singular cavities. The water thus ob- 
 tained is sucked up through reeds or long hollow 
 grass-stalks. Few and far between, however, was 
 aught to excite curiosity. On the whole, the land- 
 scape was monotonous in the extreme. Indeed, 
 nothing can be conceived more dreary and desolate 
 than traveling through interminable forests, where, 
 whether one ascends the highest hill or mounts the 
 loftiest tree, he can see but a few hundred yards be- 
 fore him. We could not, like the outlaws of the 
 forest of Ardennes, recline 
 
 “ Under an oak, whose antique roots peep out 
 Upon the brook that brawls along the wood.” 
 
 It had rained abundantly ; pools of rain-water, 
 
212 
 
 ELEPHANTS AS THICK AS CATTLE. 
 
 some of considerable capacity, were numerous ; and 
 having bivouacked one night by one of them, we 
 were surprised on the ensuing morning to find the 
 trail of a good-sized male elephant. Strange to say, 
 neither dogs nor men had been aware of his pres- 
 ence, though he had quenched his thirst within easy 
 gunshot of the wagon. I determined, therefore, our 
 new guides being a very suspicious and discontent- 
 ed set, to put these grumbling fellows into a better 
 humor by killing, if possible, this animal, which 
 might induce them to conduct us to some Bushman 
 werft in advance. Fortunately my efforts were 
 crowned with success, for, after a tedious and intri- 
 cate tracking, we sighted the brute, and not long 
 afterward he received my first shot. At the second 
 discharge he fell, but, though unable to move from 
 the spot, he rose to his feet, and before life was 
 quite extinct seven more bullets were lodged in his 
 body. This fact was not remarkable, for it frequent- 
 ly happens that an elephant seriously wounded will 
 patiently receive broadside upon broadside without 
 exhibiting the least symptom of distress beyond that 
 occasioned by the first wound. One might, there- 
 fore, leave the moribund brute to die a lingering 
 death ; but I could never endure the sight of an ani- 
 mal in pain. There is, besides, some danger in such 
 case of losing one’s game, for it sometimes happens 
 that he will temporarily recover and walk off. 
 
 A very remarkable instance of this fell within my 
 own experience. One night I had brought down 
 
THEIR TRUMPETINGS AT NIGHT. 
 
 213 
 
 a very large elephant, who, after lying on his side 
 above half an hour apparently quite dead, sudden- 
 ly rose to his feet and made off. I killed this ani- 
 mal ten days afterward on almost the same spot 
 where he had first fallen, and identified him by his 
 wounds, and more especially by a piece of ivory 
 that had been broken off from one of his tusks on 
 the first encounter. 
 
 I had often heard the natives say, on being ques- 
 tioned about the haunts of elephants, that in such 
 or such a locality 4 4 they walked about as thick as 
 cattle, ” but never till now had I been able to verify 
 this apparently exaggerated statement. I did so 
 at present, for the whole country in the neighbor- 
 hood of the vley lately referred to, with the adjacent 
 plains, was literally one net-work of elephants 1 foot- 
 prints. The trees and bushes, moreover, were so 
 broken down and trampled by their inroads, that 
 one might fairly suppose a large army had just 
 traversed the veldt. During the daytime the an- 
 imals were not visible, but at night their shrill 
 trumpetings would frequently startle us from our 
 sleep. If, instead of exploring, I had turned my 
 attention exclusively to elephant-hunting, I might 
 have had magnificent sport and profit too. The 
 temptation to do so was strong, but I considered 
 it ignoble, however great the allurements I had to 
 resist, to swerve from a predetermined purpose for 
 the sake of gain and personal gratification. 
 
214 
 
 DIFFICULTIES INCREASED. 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 The Difficulty of finding Way and Water increased. — Guides 
 decamp. — Conflicting Opinions about the Road to the River. 
 — I leave the Wagon to explore the Country. — The Capture 
 of a whole Werft of Bushmen. — Two of them compelled to 
 be Guides. — Tied together as Prisoners. — A Native Woman 
 captured. — A Werft of twenty or thirty Huts. — Conversa- 
 tion with the Chief of the Hamlet. — Reach Ombongo. — A 
 periodical Water-course. — Great Anxiety as I approach the 
 Water, Bushmen have often so contradictorily described. — 
 Was it merely a Valley periodically filled with Water, or a 
 mighty River ? — Our Guides hide their Arrows in the Trees 
 from fear of Robbery by the Ovaquangari. — I perceive on 
 the far-away Horizon a distinct dark blue Line. — I recognize 
 at once a great River. — This River called by the Natives 
 the Okavango. — Reflections, Description, Conjectures. 
 
 After the necessary delays occasioned by cutting 
 up and drying our meat, etc., we continued to jour- 
 ney on, the bush becoming, if possible, more and 
 more dense, harassing, and retarding to our march. 
 It would be wearisome to dwell on our wretched 
 progress ; while, to add to our embarrassment, our 
 discontented and suspicious guides threatened to 
 leave us. It was, however, to us of the utmost im- 
 portance at present to retain their services, as the 
 difficulty of finding both way and water increased 
 daily. I therefore earnestly requested them to stay 
 with us, at least till other Bushmen could be found. 
 
THE WAY LOST. 
 
 215 
 
 But no persuasions or offers of handsome rewards 
 could induce them to remain ; and one day they 
 unexpectedly decamped, leaving us to grope out 
 our way as best we could. 
 
 Elephant paths now became exceedingly numer- 
 ous, crossing and recrossing the country in every 
 possible direction. Sometimes half a dozen or 
 more of these paths might be seen converging to- 
 ward some particular point, i. e ., a vley ; it was im- 
 possible, therefore, to know how to select the proper 
 one. Yet we dared not neglect them altogether, as 
 by following them on we could alone find water. 
 At one time one of these tracks actually led us back 
 toward Damara Land. This, however, would have 
 mattered little had I known the exact course to 
 pursue ; but the Bushmen had so contradicted each 
 other’s statements that I felt completely puzzled. 
 At times these perplexing conductors would point 
 to the north, at others to the N.E., and some even 
 said that due east was our proper route for finding 
 the river. In this uncertainty, cruising about day 
 after day in the intricate bush with our cumbersome 
 vehicle was distressing in the extreme ; I therefore, 
 after a while, determined on leaving the wagon at 
 some vley, and proceeding with a few draught and 
 carriage oxen ahead, to explore the country, and, if 
 possible, discover the river. 
 
 To dispatch this business quickly, with some 
 chance of success, I packed up the smallest quan- 
 tity of necessaries possible, and, selecting a few of 
 
216 
 
 A WERFT CAPTURED. 
 
 the most light-footed and enduring of my native 
 attendants, started on the expedition. That same 
 day, at about sunset, we perceived a small column 
 of smoke issuing from a cluster of trees, and by 
 sending part of my people in a roundabout way in 
 advance, we succeeded in capturing all the inmates 
 of a small Bushman werft. The whole party cap- 
 tured consisted but of a few women and children 
 and two or three grown-up men. The poor people 
 were of course desperately frightened, but I soon 
 pacified them by presents of meat and tobacco. 
 Thinking it unadvisable at the time to make any 
 mention of my need of guides, I merely gave them 
 to understand that I was en route for the river. I 
 was determined, however, should they not decamp 
 during the night, to secure a couple of the men on 
 the following morning. My mode of proceeding 
 answered well, for at an early hour the next day, 
 on going to their werft (we bivouacked at a pool 
 of water hard by), we found them enjoying them- 
 selves, in all security, by a roaring fire. Without a 
 moment’s delay I ordered two of them to rise and 
 to accompany us. They were extremely loth to 
 comply, but I soon gave them to understand that 
 obey they must — that they had no alternative. 
 
 After several hours’ smart traveling we halted at 
 a fine vley of water and partook of some refresh- 
 ment. Before we had quite finished our humble 
 meal the Bushmen rose, saying they were return- 
 ing to their home, at the same time pointing to an 
 
AN UNPLEASANT ATTACHMENT. 
 
 217 
 
 elephant path as our route. But this would never 
 do ; so, springing at once to my feet, I seized and 
 secured one of the fellows, who then reluctantly 
 consented to accompany us. Now the office of 
 guide is naturally to lead the way, but it is an ex- 
 tremely difficult thing to induce an African aborig- 
 inal to proceed ahead of a party ; he takes always 
 every possible occasion to loiter behind ; therefore, 
 dreading the consequence of allowing the man his 
 liberty, I hit upon the following expedient to pre- 
 vent his absconding. I fastened his right hand to 
 the wrist of the left hand of one of my attendants, 
 leaving rather more than three feet of thong be- 
 tween them, so as not to embarrass their move- 
 ments. The Bushman was then ordered to pro- 
 ceed, and, in order to prevent all chance of escape, 
 I followed close at his heels. The man was in a 
 desperate fright, and stopped repeatedly, begging 
 hard to be let loose, but I turned, of course, a deaf 
 ear to all his entreaties. 
 
 Late in the afternoon of this day we came upon 
 several pretty fresh tracks of Bushmen, and, follow- 
 ing them steadily up, espied after a while a woman 
 digging for roots. She was soon secured, but until 
 addressed by our guide (whtfm I had now set at lib- 
 erty) she was in great trepidation. Five minutes 1 
 farther walk brought us to a werft consisting of be- 
 tween twenty and thirty huts. 
 
 While my men were here making every thing 
 snug for the night, I had some conversation with 
 
218 
 
 ANXIOUS DOUBTS. 
 
 the chief of the place, a fine, intelligent young fel- 
 low. He told us that by smart traveling we might 
 reach the river in a day and a half. This was 
 cheerful news, the more so as he promised to con- 
 duct us thither personally. I lay down to rest con- 
 sequently that night more contented than I had 
 been for many a day, and in much better spirits. 
 
 On the next morning we were stirring early. 
 About noon we reached an omuramba called Om- 
 bongo, the first real periodical water-course we had 
 met with for a distance of more than 150 miles. 
 At this point this course ran in a nearly northern 
 direction. In its bed we found several fine vleys 
 of water, and even some natural springs, the first 
 we had seen since leaving the calcareous tufa spoken 
 of in the preceding pages. We halted here for 
 about an hour and a half, and then continued our 
 journey till sunset, when we pitched our camp for 
 the night. 
 
 The following day was to solve the problem that 
 had so long engaged all my thoughts, and which 
 was to mark a momentous crisis, not only in my 
 present travels, but also in my entire life. I felt, 
 therefore, considerable anxiety about the description 
 of river I was on the eve of discovering. Some 
 Bushmen we had encountered in our wanderings 
 had positively spoken of it as a mere omuramba, 
 i. e., a kind of deeply depressed valley, with a suc- 
 cession of vleys periodically filled with water, while 
 others had asserted that it was a permanent stream, 
 
HIDING ARROWS. 
 
 219 
 
 traversed by the natives in canoes, and abounding 
 in hippopotami, fish, and alligators. I dreaded lest 
 the first of these accounts should turn out correct, 
 for in that case all the great expense incurred, and 
 the immense amount of labor lavished on its dis- 
 covery, would prove valueless and abortive. 
 
 At break of day we were afoot, but, the morning 
 air being raw and sharp, I had at first some diffi- 
 culty in getting the guides along. After about six 
 hours’ journeying at a rapid rate, these Bushmen 
 suddenly stopped short, and each of them, drawing 
 from his quiver two or three arrows, carefully con- 
 cealed them among the trees. On demanding an 
 explanation of this singular proceeding, I was sim- 
 ply told that the Ovaquangari were a very unscru- 
 pulous set of men, who, whenever they thought 
 themselves strong enough, would take forcible pos- 
 session of any thing that struck their fancy; apd 
 as the concealed missiles were new, and of some 
 value to the Bushmen, they w r ere, they said, loth to 
 lose them. They also warned me to be on my guard, 
 as the natives, whose villages we were now fast ap- 
 proaching, were fierce and savage. This was an old 
 tale, and, though I did not despise the warning, I 
 conjectured that our sudden and unannounced ar- 
 rival among them would cause rather fright and 
 consternation than any demonstration of hostility 
 on their part. 
 
 After this little delay we again proceeded, but 
 had not gone far before I perceived on the far-away 
 
220 
 
 THE OKAVANGO. 
 
 horizon a distinct dark blue line. 44 Ah ha !” I ex- 
 claimed to myself, 44 in the valley of which that line 
 evidently forms the border, there is surely some- 
 thing more than a mere periodical water-course. ” 
 A few minutes afterward, catching a glimpse of an 
 immense sheet of water in the distance, my antici- 
 pation was realized to its utmost. A cry of joy 
 and satisfaction escaped me at this glorious sight. 
 Twenty minutes more brought us to the banks of a 
 truly noble river, at this point at least 200 yards 
 wide. This was, then, in all probability, the Mu- 
 kuru Mukovanja of the Ovambo, which these peo- 
 ple had given us to understand flowed westward. 
 Taking it for granted that their statement was in 
 this respect correct, I had stood some time by the 
 water before I became aware of my mistake. 44 By 
 heavens !” I suddenly exclaimed, 4 4 the water flows 
 toward the heart of the continent instead of empty- 
 ing itself into the Atlantic !” For a moment I felt 
 amazed at the discovery. “East!” I continued to 
 soliloquize; 4 4 why, what stream can this then be, 
 in this latitude and longitude? Tioughe? No; 
 that channel alone is much too insignificant to form 
 the outlet for such a mighty flow of water. Well, 
 then, it must be one of the chief branches of that 
 magnificent river, the Chobe.” This was my first 
 impression, which was to some extent corroborated 
 by the natives, who described this river, called by 
 the Ovaquangari 4 4 Okavango, 1 ’ as forking off in 
 two directions in the neighborhood of Libebe, one 
 
IS IT A BRANCH OF THE CHOBE? 221 
 
 branch forming the said Tioughe, the other finding 
 its way to the Chobe. But, on more mature con- 
 sideration, I strongly question the correctness both 
 of my own impression and of the account of the na- 
 tives. 
 
 It is true Dr. Livingstone, in one of his earl} 7 
 maps, lays down a river as coming from Libebe 
 toward Sekeletu’s town ; and I myself, when at 
 Lake Ngami, heard of a water communication ex- 
 isting between these two places. But as the 
 Tioughe is known to send out a branch toward 
 Chobe considerably below Libebe, i. e ., south of it, 
 called Dzo, it is just possible that this is the stream 
 alluded to by the natives. Furthermore, the coun- 
 try for a great distance about Libebe, is known to 
 abound in immense marshes ; it is probable, there- 
 fore, that the Okavango, though of such large di- 
 mensions, is more or less swallowed up in these ex- 
 tensive swamps, leaving merely sufficient water for 
 the formation of the Tioughe and its inundations. 
 Unquestionably Dr. Livingstone, if he succeeds in 
 revisiting Sekeletu’s town, will be able to settle this 
 question. 
 
222 
 
 TERROR OF THE OVAQUANGARI. 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 The Terror of the Ovaquangari on our Approach. — The Na- 
 tives cross the River in several Canoes, armed to the Teeth. 
 — Ordered to lay aside their Weapons and talk peaceably. 
 — The Difficulty of communicating with them in the Ovam- 
 bo Language. — They are made to understand the Object 
 of our Visit. — The Chief sends us Food. — I make known 
 my Intention to visit the paramount Chief, Chikongo by 
 name. — Dispatch a Messenger to him. — He intimates a Wish 
 to see me. — A suitable Conveyance refused. — Procured at 
 last by threatening to leave the Country. — A Sail on the 
 Okavango. —The Boatman a great Blackguard. — Shows the 
 white Man as a wild Beast to crowds of Natives. — The 
 Women exceedingly ugly. — The River described. — Hippo- 
 potami and Alligators. — Picturesque Landscape. — Modes 
 of catching Fish. — Bivouac under a Tree, with the Wind for 
 a Bedfellow. — Description of a Werft. — All the Chiefs of 
 the Nation assemble to meet me. — Portrait of Chikongo. — 
 His Hospitality. — The Makololo. — Dr. Livingstone’s At- 
 tempts to civilize this People unsuccessful. 
 
 All the villages and cultivated lands of the 
 Ovaquangari being situated on the north bank of 
 the river, there was no access to them except by 
 means of canoes. For these we had to wait, and, 
 while doing so, the natives perceived our approach, 
 upon which, as I had anticipated, a general panic 
 ensued. The children and women set up a most 
 piteous howl, and the men ran about shouting like 
 
THE NATIVES CROSS THE RIVER. 223 
 
 maniacs. Each village, or rather homestead, was 
 invariably within easy hail of its neighbor; our 
 sudden arrival, therefore, was announced through- 
 out the country with almost the same speed as a 
 telegram would convey a message. 
 
 A number of men were soon seen collecting on 
 the opposite bank, and, many questions and an- 
 swers having been interchanged with the Bushmen, 
 a canoe was put out, and shortly afterward we 
 saw our friends transferred to the opposite shore, 
 where no doubt they were closely questioned about 
 the strangers. 
 
 After about two hours 1 conversation with our 
 guides, the Ovaquangari seemed to be in some de- 
 gree satisfied; for, at the expiration of that time, 
 several canoes full of men were observed issuing 
 from the reeds and advancing toward us. Having 
 landed at some little distance below our camp, these 
 men, armed to the teeth, came on with great cir- 
 cumspection. And as my party was small and no 
 match for such numbers, I, after exchanging a few 
 words with them, ordered our new acquaintances 
 to lay aside their weapons, when, I said, we could 
 talk peaceably together. The head man of the sur- 
 rounding homesteads was among them — a remark- 
 ably fine-looking savage, with a countenance stamp- 
 ed with good sense and intelligence. But, indeed, 
 all the men were tall, well-built fellows, richly be- 
 daubed with grease and ochre, the wealthier being 
 also profusely covered over with iron and bead 
 ornaments. 
 
224 
 
 THEIR HOSPITALITY. 
 
 The Bushmen had given us to understand that 
 these people spoke a dialect of the Ovaherero ; I 
 had therefore flattered myself that our interview 
 would prove both easy and profitable, but soon dis- 
 covered that it might not be so satisfactory as I 
 had anticipated. Indeed, though many of the na- 
 tives understood a little of the Damara language, 
 it was evident that their tongue was identical with 
 that of the Ovambo. Notwithstanding, however, 
 this disadvantage, we quickly made them under- 
 stand that the object of our visit was simply to see 
 and explore the country, and that, above all, toward 
 themselves we entertained no sentiments but those 
 of peace and good-will. 
 
 Our broken conversation having lasted for some 
 time, the chief rose, saying that, as we might be 
 hungry, he would return to his werft and get us 
 some food. I felt thankful for this proffered sup- 
 ply, as our own scanty stock was all but exhausted. 
 The promised fare, however, was not forthcoming 
 till the following day, when we were presented with 
 four or five small baskets of meal, some fresh ripe 
 mealies, several pumpkins, and a cow. The vege- 
 tables especially were very acceptable, for, to speak 
 the truth, dry elephant flesh had been for the last 
 two months our principal nutriment. 
 
 The great chief of the nation we were now 
 among, Chikongo by name, resided at a considera- 
 ble distance to the southward of the point where 
 I first struck the river. To him a messenger was 
 
THE CHIEF CHIKONGO. 225 
 
 dispatched on the day we reached the Ovango, to 
 apprise him of our arrival in his dominions, which 
 expressed, at the same time, my desire to have an 
 interview with his highness. To this message an 
 answer was received in the afternoon of the third 
 day. The chief intimated a wish to see and speak 
 with me at his werft, as he was not able, he said, 
 to make me a visit in person. Being, therefore, 
 really anxious to see the man, I at once acceded to 
 his request. On demanding, however, whether suit- 
 able conveyances had been provided for myself and 
 party, I was unceremoniously informed that I must 
 go on foot. But that I was not at all disposed to 
 do, and told the messengers that I would not visit 
 their chief in so beggarly a way. “Well, there are 
 no canoes for you,” was the reply. “Very good,” 
 I rejoined ; “if you do not choose to convey me to 
 my destination in a proper manner, I shall at once 
 retrace my steps f adding, “that no doubt Chikon- 
 go would be much displeased at such a result of 
 my visit to his country.” At this remark they 
 laughed outright, telling me, in plain terms, that 
 though Chikongo was the head of the nation, every 
 man was captain of his own homestead and master 
 of his own property. This independence was no 
 doubt very fine, but showed but little respect for 
 their chief, whose influence over the tribe I natu- 
 rally concluded to be very limited. Such, indeed, 
 was the case, and is almost universally so with re- 
 spect to the great heads of tribes throughout Africa. 
 
 P 
 
226 
 
 A THREAT. 
 
 One hears of such and such a chief being very pow- 
 erful ; from certain established customs, and, above 
 all, by the support of the principal men of his na- 
 tion, he may be so ; if, however, he neglects them, 
 he is left to his fate, which is too frequently assas- 
 sination. 
 
 To return to my story. My determined language 
 had ultimately the effect of procuring me the prom- 
 ise of two canoes ; these were to be placed at my 
 disposal at an early hour on the following morn- 
 ing. At break of day, therefore, I was stirring, but 
 neither men nor canoes appeared. Patience is a 
 virtue that should be especially cultivated by the 
 African traveler; but that desirable quality failed 
 me in the present instance, and I angrily dispatch- 
 ed one of my servants to hasten the men on, with a 
 threat that in case they disappointed me I should 
 decidedly, as I had already declared, leave the coun- 
 try without farther delay. Suiting my actions to 
 my words, I thereupon ordered up the oxen, and 
 began to make preparations for a start “home- 
 ward.” This, as all our operations could be seen 
 from the opposite bank, had the desired effect. In 
 double-quick time one of the promised canoes made 
 its appearance — only one ; and it was a dirty, nar- 
 row little dingy, not capable of holding more than 
 my few “traps,” myself, and the paddle-man. I 
 felt annoyed at the bad faith of the natives, yet, as 
 any altercation would only have caused additional 
 delay, I put the best face I could on the matter, 
 
THE WHITE MAN A SHOW. 
 
THE WHITE MAN A SHOW. 
 
 229 
 
 and at once embarked. The Bechuana lad, Tom, 
 was my only attendant, and he, together with the 
 chief’s men, took an overland route, a place of 
 rendezvous having been previously fixed upon be- 
 tween us. 
 
 My boatman was a stout, sturdy fellow, but a 
 great blackguard. The stream on which we had 
 embarked has rather a rapid flow, estimated at from 
 two and a half to three miles per hour ; by keeping 
 within its current, great progress might consequent- 
 ly have been made. But this did not suit the views 
 of my boatman, who, in order, he said, to avoid hip- 
 popotami, kept poking the canoe among reeds and 
 shallows, stopping at every spot where he had a 
 friend or acquaintance, and calling out, at the top 
 of his voice, to the inhabitants far and near to come 
 and have a look at the white man. Thus very fre- 
 quently twenty or thirty people might be seen issu- 
 ing from a single homestead to have a stare at me. 
 The whole scene reminded me of visitors to a men- 
 agerie stopping outside some wild beast’s den curi- 
 ously to examine the monster. On these occasions 
 I had favorable opportunities of surveying the fair 
 sex. I found them an exceedingly ugly-looking 
 lot — thick-.set, square, with clumsy figures, bull-dog 
 lips, and broad, flat faces. Even without the grease 
 and ochre, so delicious and ornamental to the body 
 in the opinion of all savages, some of the females 
 would have been perfectly hideous. With their 
 crisp woolly hair standing erect in little tangled 
 
230 
 
 A ROW ON THE RIVER. 
 
 knots, they might, had their countenances been 
 more animated and intelligent, have been reckoned 
 good models for the Furies. 
 
 Notwithstanding the little annoyances I have 
 mentioned, I enjoyed the trip very much. After 
 traversing for so many years the eternal “deserts” 
 of Damara and Namaqua Land, the sight of so 
 much water was naturally very welcome ; besides, 
 as in my native country I had from infancy been 
 accustomed to navigating rivers and lakes of the 
 first magnitude, a row on this truly fine stream 
 could not but be delightful. It had at this point a 
 remarkably straight course, winding nevertheless in 
 short curves, here and there, in many places, while 
 its width did not fall short of three hundred yards. 
 Occasionally little islands — the favorite resort of 
 hippopotami and alligators — were seen emerging 
 from its bosom, a clear channel of deep water, at 
 least one hundred yards broad, being always on the 
 one side or the other of them. The surrounding 
 landscape was not particularly striking, but, on the 
 whole, pretty and effective ; indeed, many parts af- 
 forded a positively picturesque scenery. The higher 
 parts of the valley were luxuriantly covered with 
 tall, handsome, dark-foliaged forest-trees, beautiful- 
 ly set off by the lighter vegetation of the lower 
 grounds, where vast corn-fields, interspersed with 
 occasional huge wild fruit-trees, groups of acacias, 
 etc., spread pleasantly before the eye. The north 
 bank of the river, with very few exceptions, was 
 
LANDSCAPE. 
 
 231 
 
 alone cultivated; yet I do not think this inferred 
 inferiority in the productive qualities of the other 
 bank, but simply fear of foreign invasions. The 
 soil was composed of fine sand and clay thorough- 
 ly intermixed, the underlying rock of the country, 
 consisting of calcareous tufa, being strongly impreg- 
 nated with iron. The rocks, however, were rarely 
 visible, never except in the immediate neighbor- 
 hood of the river, where the strength of the current 
 had probably removed the overlying strata of sand. 
 These rock-ledges were invariably luxuriantly over- 
 grown with rank and varied growths of sea-weeds 
 gracefully overhanging the stream, which washed 
 and sprinkled them as it swept by the rocks 1 base 
 with a purling and meandering murmur. Addi- 
 tional attractions were given to many parts of the 
 river by great numbers of water-fowl, especially of 
 ducks and geese. One species of the latter struck 
 us from its gigantic size, the goose standing when 
 erect, as far as I could judge, at least four feet high, 
 while its body certainly looked as large as that of a 
 good-sized terrier dog. 
 
 Fish abounded, and the natives employed vari- 
 ous means for capturing them. I was much struck 
 by the resemblance of their toils to those used by 
 the fishermen of the north of Europe. But more 
 of this hereafter. 
 
 Late in the afternoon we landed, and encamped 
 for the night under a noble sycamore, measuring 
 (five feet from off the ground) twenty-five feet in 
 
232 
 
 THE WIND A BEDFELLOW. 
 
 circumference. We could not possibly have select- 
 ed (though, to be sure, we had no choice in the pres- 
 ent instance) a worse spot for bivouacking; for, 
 though the trunk afforded some protection, the 
 wind, on this cold, blowy night, swept round the 
 sides of the tree in eddies, one current of air pass- 
 ing down our backs and another up our legs. To 
 add to our discomfort, not a stick of fuel was to be 
 had, and that villain, the boatman, would not budge 
 an inch to help us until compelled by force. Some 
 coarse meal and hot porridge, presented to us by 
 the inmates of a neighboring village, constituted 
 our supper. This meal finished, we at once resign- 
 ed ourselves to sleep. 
 
 On the following morning we were early stirring, 
 but were unexpectedly informed that we must have 
 the permission of Chikongo before we could pro- 
 ceed farther. Now, as this gentleman’s residence 
 was still far off, I remonstrated strongly against 
 this hinderance ; and fortunately, after a delay of 
 about an hour and a half, we were allowed to re- 
 sume our onward course. 
 
 Between ten and eleven o’clock A. M. we reached 
 our destination. We were not, however, permitted 
 to land at the village ; so, while waiting for instruc- 
 tions, Tom and I set about preparing a light break- 
 fast, which we had hardly time to dispatch when 
 orders arrived for us to present ourselves before the 
 chief. Five minutes’ walk brought us to a werft — 
 a most filthy, poverty-stricken, miserable -looking 
 
A KING OF SAVAGES. 
 
 * 233 
 
 burrow. It consisted of a great number of low 
 huts, constructed in the bee-hive fashion, crowded 
 into a very limited space, each hut being partition- 
 ed off from its neighbor, and surrounded by verti- 
 cally placed mattings, made of thin split wood, pre- 
 cisely similar to those manufactured by the peas- 
 antry of the north of Sweden for the purpose of 
 being converted into panniers. Places set apart for 
 palavers or consultation, and friendly chat, dancing- 
 rooms, etc., were also environed, and separated from 
 each other in the same way. The whole hamlet 
 was besides encompassed by a stout palisading. 
 Weeds and rank grasses grew and thrived amazing- 
 ly every where all over the place. A spot had just 
 been cleared of this waste vegetation for my recep- 
 tion ; it was thronged by the elite of the nation, 
 who had assembled there in great numbers. 
 
 Having waited a few minutes, a tall, rather spare- 
 made, middle-aged, and not unprepossessing-looking 
 man made his appearance. This was the chief, 
 Chikongo. His person was less decorated than 
 that of most of his followers, but round his neck 
 he wore an immense coil of fine beads — a common 
 ornament with the well-to-do class of his country- 
 men. By being constantly bedaubed and plastered 
 over with grease and ochre, these decorations had 
 become one solid and compact mass. The upper 
 parts of his arms were encircled by bracelets form- 
 ed entirely of the white valuable shell so often al- 
 luded to by travelers, while from his waist depend- 
 
234 
 
 THE MAKOLOLO. 
 
 ed several handsome dagger-knives of native work- 
 manship. The whole of his body was moreover 
 shining and dripping with ochre and butter. 
 
 One of the men sent me by the chief spoke the 
 Sichuana language fluently, and as my attendant 
 was a native Bechuana, I had now considerable fa- 
 cility in explaining to Chikongo the object of my 
 journey, my wants and my wishes. He listened 
 patiently, but made few or no remarks ; and the in- 
 terview having lasted a short time, broke it sudden- 
 ly off, saying, “Now you are probably hungry and 
 must eat. It grieves me from my heart that I can 
 not entertain you as I should wish. Till the Mako- 
 lolo came and robbed me of my cattle I was rich, 
 and lived well ; at present I can only bid you wel- 
 come as a Bushman . 11 This was but too true. 
 
 The reader will probably recollect allusions hav- 
 ing been made in the preceding pages to a report, 
 which had reached me at Omanbonde, viz., that a 
 party of white men had, the year previous to my 
 visit, attacked the Ovaquangari nation, and carried 
 off much cattle, besides making captives of men, 
 women, and children. The aggressors, however, 
 were not white men, but that scourge of central 
 South Africa, the Makololo. 
 
 This was, then, the result of all Dr. Livingstone’s 
 earnest endeavors to dissuade these people from 
 committing depredations on their neighbors ! All 
 their fine promises to that noble explorer, with their 
 professions of peaceful dispositions, were, as we here 
 
MISSIONARY IMPOTENCE. 
 
 235 
 
 see, mere delusions, to use tlie lightest word, on both 
 sides. I very much fear that this tribe have two 
 faces for Dr. Livingstone. There is no doubt that 
 he possesses very great influence over them, a fact 
 which has been abundantly proved by the very 
 handsome manner in which they have treated and 
 assisted him ; and when that admirable man is on 
 the spot, unquestionably every thing goes on well 
 and smoothly ; but no sooner, I suspect, is his back 
 turned, than the old Swedish saw — u Nar katten 
 dr borta , dansa rattorna pa bordef 1 — literally, when 
 the cat is away, the rats dance on the table — is at 
 once fully verified. After all, a missionary, be he 
 ever so practical a man, or ever so much esteemed, 
 is never likely to know the secrets of a savage com- 
 munity. That such is the case has been abundant- 
 ly proved in almost all countries where missions 
 have been established. My own experience tells 
 the same tale. Human nature is loth to confess its 
 frailties (for the knowledge of good and evil is in- 
 herent in every human bosom) where in these frail- 
 ties there is no participation, and where they find 
 but a sentimental sympathy. “ Men,” as a certain 
 historian finely says, “ may praise, but they seldom 
 love those who elevate themselves above the or- 
 dinary passions and prejudices of their race.” 
 
236 
 
 THE MAMBARI. 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 The Mambari. — Traders from the Confines of the Kingdom 
 of Benguela. — Visit the Ovaquangari every Year. — Peddler 
 Expeditions as far as Libebe. — Much valuable Information, 
 especially respecting the North and its Natives, to be de- 
 rived from these Traders. — They convey a Letter for me to 
 the Governor of Benguela. — They also forward one to the 
 R. G. S. of London. — I think of returning to my Men left 
 with the Wagon. — Chikongo objects to this Proposal, as 
 his People have not yet “ had time to stare at me.” — The 
 Savages quite on a Par, in Point of Intelligence, with the 
 Ovambos. — Agricultural Pursuits. — Trades of the Ovaquan- 
 gari. — Various Tribes to the Northeast of this People.— No 
 permanently settled Nations. — Only Bushmen. — Rejoin my 
 Wagon. — Tremendous Penalty for my successful Enter- 
 prise. — Attacked by a malignant Fever. — Five of my Men 
 prostrated by the same Disease. — Anticipate a like Fate for 
 the Remainder of my Party. — I hesitate about incurring the 
 Responsibility of persisting in my Enterprise. — Determine, 
 on Reflection, to do so. 
 
 At Chikongo’s werft I encountered several Mam- 
 bari, i. e ., black traders from the confines of the 
 kingdom of Benguela. If these were true repre- 
 sentatives of their tribe, little could be said in their 
 favor either physically or mentally. They were be- 
 low the average stature of men, very slenderly built, 
 with low foreheads, and generally unimpressive and 
 unintelligent features. They brought with them 
 
THE MAMBARI. 
 
 237 
 
 slaves and ivory, for which they received in ex- 
 change the usual African commodities, beads, guns, 
 ammunition, etc. I was grieved to find that they 
 had also introduced into the country ardent spir- 
 its, which appeared to be extravagantly in demand 
 among the Ovaquangari. 
 
 The Mambari visit this people regularly once a 
 year, and afterward push their excursions as far 
 eastward as Libebe. But, though their route lies 
 in these peddler expeditions for many days along 
 the Okavango Biver, they never make use of canoes 
 for transporting their merchandise. The ivory is 
 always carried on men’s shoulders. 
 
 It was clear, however, despite their uninviting 
 appearance, that these men, having frequent com- 
 mercial communications with people inhabiting the 
 North imperfectly or not at all known to Euro- 
 peans, could furnish me with much and valuable 
 information respecting that country and its natives. 
 Unfortunately, my interpreter flatly refused to in- 
 terrogate the traders — for reasons no doubt best 
 known to his chief Chikongo. I managed, never- 
 theless, to get from them a promise to convey to 
 the Governor of Benguela, or to some other officer 
 in authority in his majesty’s dominions, a letter, in 
 which I informed his excellency that I purposed, in 
 the course of the year, paying a visit to the district 
 under his government, and requested his kind as- 
 sistance toward the accomplishment of this design. 
 I also profited by the same opportunity to write to 
 
238 
 
 CURIOSITY OF THE NATIVES. 
 
 Dr. Shaw, secretary to the Royal Geographical So- 
 ciety of London. These epistles duly, I believe, 
 reached their destination. 
 
 As my absence had been already sufficiently pro- 
 longed to create uneasiness in the minds of the men 
 left behind with the wagon, I naturally felt anxious 
 to retrace my steps ; I accordingly acquainted the 
 chief with my intention. But he would hear of no 
 such abrupt departure, saying, with great simplici- 
 ty, that it would not even allow him or his people 
 time to stare at me. u Moreover,” added he, “who 
 knows that you will ever return to us ?” Anxious 
 as I was to regain my wagon without farther delay, 
 I was no less anxious to stand so well with my new 
 friends as to insure to future visitors a safe and 
 hearty welcome among them. Demurring, there- 
 fore, no longer to yield to the chief’s request, I 
 passed that and the following day beneath his hos- 
 pitable roof. 
 
 The people, though, like all savages, somewhat 
 rude, behaved, on the whole, with propriety. They 
 were exceedingly merry, but evinced much curios- 
 ity, and made many clever inquiries as to the uses, 
 fabrication, etc., of various utensils we had brought 
 with us. It was evident I was once again among 
 an intelligent race of men — quite on a par, in this 
 respect, with their western neighbors, the Ovambo, 
 whom they so closely resemble in language, habits, 
 costume, and domestic customs, that any separate 
 description of them would be superfluous. A refer- 
 
TRIBES OF THE NORTH AND WEST. 
 
 239 
 
 ence to “Lake Ngamr 1 will satisfy tlie curious on 
 this head. 
 
 Like the Ovambo, the Ovaquangari engage in 
 agricultural pursuits, and ply many trades, that of 
 blacksmiths more especially. They manufacture 
 all the ornaments, household utensils, farming im- 
 plements, arms, etc., in use among their own peo- 
 ple ; they also export these articles largely. Their 
 principal traffic is, however, confined to iron and 
 copper, both ores being indigenous to their country 
 — at least that part of it which lies north of the 
 Okavango River. 
 
 This tribe are also very much addicted to barter, 
 and keep up thereby a constant intercourse with 
 their numerous neighbors — an intercourse greatly 
 facilitated by their fine navigable stream. 
 
 East of the Ovaquangari are the Ovabundija, the 
 Ozomboo, and the Bavickos, of which the capital is 
 the well-known Libebe. To the southward only 
 Bushmen and impoverished Ovaherero exist, while 
 to the west we find the Ovambo, as also a powerful 
 nation called Ovakuenyama, North and north- 
 west again, a great number of small tribes flourish. 
 The following are those best known: the Datie- 
 kombo, Morodi, Papero, Masaka, Chirongo, Majam- 
 bi, etc. These live along the river in the order 
 here enumerated. West of these, and north of the 
 Ovakuenyama, we find Kazima, Evari, Ehanda, 
 Vasipongo, etc. To the northeast there are no per- 
 manently settled nations ; the only inhabitants of 
 
240 
 
 A MALIGNANT FEVER 
 
 these regions are Bushmen, and the scattered rem- 
 nants of black tribes, once rich in corn-land and 
 cattle, but now impoverished — the Bakalahari, in 
 short, of this desolate part of the world. 
 
 On the third day from my arrival at Chikongo's 
 I departed, and next morning joined that portion 
 of my party left where we first struck the river. 
 Three days more, and I regained my wagon in safe- 
 ty. But, alas! had I then been aware of the tre- 
 mendous penalty my successful enterprise had im- 
 posed, and was farther to impose upon myself and 
 party, it is very doubtful whether I should not 
 have returned homeward at once, instead of revis- 
 iting, as I had determined to do, Chikongo ; for, on 
 the night after my return, I was attacked by a ma- 
 lignant fever, from the. effects of which I have never 
 to this day recovered, which brought me speedily 
 to the verge of the grave. It is impossible to de- 
 scribe the terrible agony that seized me when I felt 
 the first symptoms of this malady. It was but a 
 slight quivering of the body, but I knew it too well 
 to entertain any doubt about what it betokened. 
 Of course it was not a coward anticipation of pain, 
 however severe and lasting, that so much distressed 
 me. Ah ! no : it was the certain knowledge that 
 all my energies, bodily and mental, would be pros- 
 trated, and that, too, at a time when they were most 
 needed, that so shocked and unnerved me. My 
 first impulse was, as I have said, to hasten home ; 
 but then there rose before me the promise I had 
 
SPREADS AMONG MY FOLLOWERS. 
 
 241 
 
 made to the chief, and the prospect of future suc- 
 cess should I recover, which, with many other equal- 
 ly cogent reasons, urged me to persevere in the 
 course I had decided upon from the moment I 
 caught sight of the Okavango River, which was to 
 prosecute my discoveries to the very utmo°t as long 
 as there remained the smallest and most remote 
 chance of their being crowned with success. 
 
 After a day or two devoted to rest, we therefore 
 pushed forward, but had not proceeded far before 
 five out of the six men who had accompanied me 
 to the river were seized with the same malignant 
 disease as myself. Of these, after an illness of only 
 two or three days, one died. This sudden death 
 seriously alarmed the others ; and feeling certain 
 that their ignorant and superstitious fears would 
 greatly retard, if not altogether hinder their re- 
 covery, I once more paused. I felt convinced, too, 
 that on reaching the river again the remainder of 
 my party would also be seized with fever. The 
 reader need not therefore be surprised that I once 
 more hesitated to jeopardize so many lives. My 
 uncertainty, however, did not last long ; after care- 
 fully weighing all the pros and cons , I determined 
 to continue the journey. Thus I argued : u Let us 
 suppose the worst, viz., that my whole party is laid 
 prostrate ; well, with care and good nursing, most 
 of them, including myself, may, in the course of two 
 or three months, be sufficiently restored to health 
 to go forward. The invalids, if any remain, I can, 
 
 Q 
 
242 
 
 A VAIN RESOLUTION. 
 
 should he continue friendly to my plans, and I 
 have no reason to think otherwise, leave with the 
 chief. My stock of provisions, dead or alive, is, it 
 is true, not very great, yet there is sufficient to sup- 
 port life for at least seven or eight months. More- 
 over, I am amply provided with articles of ex- 
 change, for which I can always command com and 
 other vegetables for an almost unlimited period. ” 
 These considerations encouraged me to persevere. 
 But, alas! how true the proverb, “Man proposes, 
 and God disposes,” the sequel will show. 
 
 Here, however, to vary the monotony of my nar- 
 rative, let me pause for a while, while I invite my 
 readers to accompany me on a sporting excursion, 
 wherein occurred an incident or two of sufficient in- 
 terest, I think, to be chronicled in a chapter apart. 
 
A LEOPARD HUNTED BY DOGS. 
 
 243 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 A Leopard hunted by Dogs. — An extraordinary Leap. — Leop- 
 ards and Panthers. — Their stealthy, fawning Mode of attack- 
 ing their Prey.— The Chetah. — An Antelope Hunt. — Among 
 the Elephants again. — A Presentiment and a Prophecy. — 
 An exciting Chase. — A Night Hunt. — A pastoral Picture of 
 Elephants enjoying themselves. — A dangerous Position. — 
 A Mistake. — Two Elephants shot instead of one. — A glori- 
 ous Day’s Sport. — Three Elephants bagged.— A new Attack 
 of Fever. 
 
 One evening, a little before sunset, while I was 
 still suffering from the effects of fever, all my dogs 
 suddenly began to give chase to some animal, which 
 the distance did not enable us to distinguish. To 
 judge, however, from the rapid alternating attacks 
 of the pursuers, they evidently had a formidable an- 
 tagonist before them. I was too weak to keep quite 
 up with them, but my curiosity was so strong that 
 I almost did so. They were, I conjectured from 
 their steady, unbroken, deep bay, close upon the 
 haunches of their enemy, yet I could not distinctly 
 see either the dogs or the object of their pursuit, 
 when all at once a magnificent leopard sprang right 
 before me, from the topmost branches of a tall aca- 
 cia, clearing, with a single bound, all his fierce as- 
 sailants. I was so astounded at the magnitude of 
 
244 STEALTHY MODE OF ATTACKING THEIR PREY. 
 
 the leap — without having witnessed it one can hard- 
 ly form a notion of the distance oversprung — that, 
 looking first at the tree, and then at the spot on 
 which the beautiful beast had alighted, I could not 
 withdraw my eyes from the scene of it. Had the 
 dogs followed my example — that is, had they been 
 equally fascinated with the fine muscular action of 
 the comely creature, they would certainly have lost 
 their prey ; but rage alone animated them, and be- 
 fore the panther had proceeded a hundred yards 
 they had overtaken and torn him with such force 
 and ferocity to the ground, that by the time I reach- 
 ed him the poor brute gave no other signs of life 
 than the quivering of his panting limbs. Pereira 
 put him out of his pain by firing a rifle into his 
 heart. 
 
 Before I proceed farther, I must add a few words 
 about the leopard and panther. These creatures 
 are most remarkable for the perseverance and pa- 
 tience with which they watch their prey. They 
 lurk in ambush among bushes or verdure on the 
 borders of forests, and spring with a sudden and 
 tremendous leap on such animals as may pass by. 
 So prompt, so rapid, and well-timed are their move- 
 ments, that few whom they attack escape. They 
 resemble the cat in their mode of seizing their prey. 
 They approach by drawing themselves along on 
 their bellies, by gliding softly through shrubs and 
 bushes, by concealing themselves in ditches, or, if 
 showing themselves, by assuming a mild and fawn- 
 

THE LEOPARD AND HIS PREY. 
 
LEOPARDS AND CHETAHS. 
 
 247 
 
 ing appearance, and watching the favorable moment 
 for darting on their victims. At one leap they 
 fasten on the back of any poor brute they may be 
 lying in wait for,* which they seize with the left paw 
 and teeth in a way that it is impossible for it to es- 
 cape, while with the right paw they in a dew min- 
 utes tear it in pieces. They then suck the blood, 
 devour a part of the flesh, and carry the carcass into 
 the nearest wood for a future meal. The chetah, 
 or hunting leopard, is frequently tamed in India, 
 and used in the chase of antelopes. It is carried 
 in a kind of small wagon, chained and hooded, lest, 
 on approaching the herd, it should be too precipi- 
 tate, and not make choice of a proper animal. 
 When first unchained, it does not immediately 
 spring toward its prey, but winds, with the utmost 
 caution, along the ground, stopping at intervals, 
 and carefully concealing itself till a favorable op- 
 portunity offers ; it then darts on the herd with as- 
 tonishing swiftness, and overtakes them by the ra- 
 pidity of its bounds. If, however, in its first at- 
 tempt, which consists in five or six amazing leaps, 
 it does not succeed, it loses breath, and, giving up 
 the point, at once returns sulkily to its cart. 
 
 On one occasion I saw three chetahs in the field. 
 Coming on a herd of antelopes, one of them was 
 quickly unhooded and loosed from his bonds. As 
 soon as he perceived the deer, he dropped quietly 
 off the cart on the opposite side to that on which 
 they stood, and approached them at a slow, crouch- 
 
248 
 
 A HUNT. 
 
 ing canter, masking himself at every bush and ine- 
 quality that lay in his way. As soon, however, as 
 they began to show alarm, he quickened his pace, 
 and was in the midst of them at a few bounds. He 
 singled out a doe, and ran it close for about two 
 hundred yards, when he reached it with a blow of 
 his paw, rolled it over, and in an instant was suck- 
 ing the life-blood from its throat. One of the other 
 chetahs was then slipped at the same time, but, aft- 
 er making four or five desperate bounds, by which 
 he nearly reached his prey, suddenly gave up the 
 pursuit, and came growling sulkily back to the wag- 
 on. As soon, on these occasions, as the deer is pull- 
 ed down, a keeper runs up, hoods the chetah, cuts 
 the victim’s throat, and, securing some of the blood 
 in a wooden ladle, thrusts it under the leopard’s 
 nose. The antelope is then dragged away, while 
 the chetah is rewarded with a leg for his pains. 
 
 And now let the reader accompany me once more 
 to a- scene among 1 he grandest of the denizens of the 
 wilds— the elephant. The story I am about to re- 
 late is chiefly remarkable from the singular present- 
 iment of success that preceded its occurrence, which 
 I not only felt, but announced to several persons. 
 
 We had been traveling for the last two or three 
 days in the bed of the Omuramba, and my illness 
 had taken for a time a favorable turn, when traces 
 of elephants became very numerous. Our larder 
 was also all but exhausted, so I determined on re- 
 plenishing it by a hunt for some of this big game 
 
a huntsman's presentiment. 249 
 
 as soon as we could fall in with a fresh trail. I 
 had not long to wait. Early on the morning of 
 the third day after entering this Omuramba, we 
 crossed a fresh spoor of a fair-sized male elephant. 
 In five minutes’ time I was in pursuit of the brute, 
 and in less than an hour found myself in his pres- 
 ence. But, as ill luck would have it, he had be- 
 come aware of my approach, and was, unknown to 
 me, cautiously retracing his steps. We thus sud- 
 denly found ourselves face to face in a dense brake, 
 at a distance certainly not exceeding fifteen paces. 
 I felt at first, foreseeing the consequences that might 
 ensue, averse to fire in my awkward position ; but 
 there was no alternative. [Raising the rifle, there- 
 fore, steadily to my shoulder, and taking a deliber- 
 ate aim at the forehead of the animal, I pulled 
 the trigger. The result was as I had anticipated; 
 my life was probably saved, but my game was 
 gone. With one of those terrific screams so pe- 
 culiar to his species, the monster wheeled round 
 with the rapidity of lightning, and the next mo- 
 ment was out of sight. I followed his spoor close- 
 ly up for a long time, but failed in again encounter- 
 ing him. I thereupon rejoined my wagon, both 
 sick and dispirited, yet determined to have another 
 shot or two at some of the fugitive’s comrades be- 
 fore the fever should resume its fatal sway over my 
 enervated frame. Turning this resolution over in 
 my mind, I, just before retiring to rest, hallooed 
 out to one of my servants: u Pereira, keep a sharp 
 
250 
 
 A NIGHT CHASE. 
 
 look-out, for I feel quite certain that elephants will 
 stray this way to-night. 1 ’ 
 
 I had soon fallen into a deep hut perturbed slum- 
 ber, my fancy busily depicting, in a broken way, the 
 scene of my day’s adventure, and wildly shaping 
 the chances of better success on the following morn- 
 ing, when, at about midnight, I was startled by the 
 cry, “Sir! sir! two elephants are passing us on 
 yonder bank.” To spring to my feet and to seize 
 the rifle was the work of an instant ; and as soon 
 as my eyes had become sufficiently clear of their 
 sleepy film, I perceived, at no great distance, not 
 two, but three elephants, which, from their tower- 
 ing height, I at once concluded to be males. They 
 were walking with a steady but quick step ; and 
 supposing they were about to quench their thirst 
 at some rain-pools hard by, I hastened to intercept 
 them. It soon became evident, however, that they 
 had taken the alarm ; while, being afraid myself 
 to lose sight of them in the dimness of a starless 
 night, I deemed it most advisable to postpone my 
 attack on them till daylight. Halting thereupon, 
 I said to Pereira, who was following me with a 
 spare rifle, “No, don’t let us disturb them now; 
 to-morrow morning, at break of day, we will take 
 up their spoor.” I then added, half speaking to 
 myself and half addressing my servant, “Two of 
 those brutes, as I certainly foresee, must and shall 
 bite the dust before the setting of to-morrow’s sun. ” 
 Accordingly, the first gray streaks of dawn had 
 
ELEPHANTINE PASTORALS. 
 
 251 
 
 hardly announced the arrival of the blushing day 
 when I was in pursuit of my night quarry. One 
 of these animals had evidently visited a rain-pool 
 in the neighborhood ; the excessive rankness, nev- 
 ertheless, of the grass, and the numerous trails of 
 other elephants of very little earlier date, made it 
 so difficult to follow their spoor, that the sun was 
 high in the heavens before we had fairly tracked 
 them on their way to their daily haunts. Fortu- 
 nately, they had moved along very leisurely, which 
 enabled me to make up for lost time. Indeed, an 
 uncommonly short tracking brought us in full view 
 of the noble brutes. Two of them were saunter- 
 ing to and fro ; here cropping tender shoots, there 
 thrusting their massive tusks under the roots of 
 trees, in order, by toppling them over, to feed more 
 conveniently on their delicate sprigs and sweet ten- 
 drils ; while one of the party was loitering in the 
 rear, scooping the sand carelessly out from some 
 favorite and savory root or bulb. Interesting as 
 was the picture, I gave but very few moments to 
 its contemplation. Hiding away my ox and men 
 (with the exception of one of the latter), I lost, as 
 is my wont, no time in coming to the attack. A 
 few minutes’ stalk sufficed to bring me alongside 
 the laggard ; the instant following, the still morn- 
 ing air was sharply disturbed by the booming of 
 my noble and trusty rifle ; a shrill shriek announced 
 its effect, and the brute who had received the shot 
 was, with his companions, immediately lost to view, 
 
252 
 
 A LUCKY MISTAKE 
 
 but not for long — I soon overtook him. Owing, 
 however, to a sudden change in his position while 
 I was taking my aim, and to the great distance at 
 which I fired, the second bullet did not seem to do 
 much harm, for the beast, on being hit, turned quiet- 
 ly round, peered deliberately in all directions with 
 his small sinister-looking eyes, and, before I had 
 reloaded, was once more out of sight I had not, 
 however, proceeded more than a dozen paces when 
 I caught a glimpse of a huge stern slipping behind 
 a large tree, surrounded by tall, thick bushes. Tak- 
 ing it for granted that this was the elephant I had 
 wounded, I approached the dangerous spot with 
 the utmost caution and circumspection. Well for 
 me it was that I did so, for I had no sooner fairly 
 rounded the tree than I discovered the animal still 
 hiding there. Rubbing his hide against the bushes, 
 he faced me only obliquely. Seeing me, neverthe- 
 less, he at once drew back a step or two, preparing 
 to charge, when a well-directed bullet, lodged in 
 his right shoulder, changed instantly his intended 
 charge into a precipitate flight. This shot so ef- 
 fectually crippled the animal that in a few seconds 
 I found myself a match for him. By taking a 
 short cut I managed to intercept his retreat ; a sec- 
 ond bullet brought him to a stand, while a third, 
 fired almost immediately afterward, stretched him 
 on the ground a corpse. The whole chase and en- 
 counter scarcely occupied ten minutes, and I natu- 
 rally felt pleased and gratified at its speedy and 
 
DISCOVERED. 
 
 253 
 
 successful issue. Yet, on a near inspection of the 
 carcass, I felt some disappointment at its compara- 
 tive smallness, while Kamoja, my henchman and 
 tracker, exclaimed, on seeing it, “This is not the 
 elephant you first fired at ; that was a larger one/'’ 
 “ Impossible,” I replied ; “I have surely not made 
 the same blunder as at Omanbonde ; no, I am sure 
 I have not.” “You have, though,” doggedly ejac- 
 ulated the man. “Very well, let us examine the 
 ground,” I rejoined, and moved off. And certain- 
 ly, in the examination we then made, we could dis- 
 cover no trace of any other elephant, either dead 
 or wounded. Kamoja, for all that, continued to 
 look positive, though much perplexed. 
 
 Having returned to the carcass, we were shortly 
 joined by the remainder of my party, one of whom 
 called out to me as he approached, “Sir, in coming 
 here, we came across an elephant walking very 
 slowly and stiffly, as if much hurt.” “By Jove! 
 Kamoja is perhaps right, after all,” I exclaimed; 
 “let us go and see.” We had not proceeded above a 
 hundred yards in an opposite direction to that just 
 examined, when we noticed another blood spoor, 
 quite distinct from that of the animal I had killed. 
 Pointing with exultation to these marks, Kamoja, 
 with a smile full of meaning and satisfaction, look- 
 ed full into my face, and said, as plainly as looks 
 can speak, “Did I not tell you so, sir? For the 
 future, trust to my eyes and ears. ” To cut a long 
 story short, I will only add that, notwithstanding 
 
254 
 
 A FRESH ATTACK OF FEVER. 
 
 the serious wound the animal had evidently re- 
 ceived, he cost us many hours hard walking and 
 running, much dodging, much suffering from thirst, 
 and exposure to many perils before we finally suc- 
 ceeded in bringing him down. At length, my per- 
 severance being well rewarded, and my presenti- 
 ment and prophecy fulfilled, the penalty to be paid 
 for all this enjoyment was to follow. The excite- 
 ment and exertion of the hunt had been too much 
 for me ; the next morning I was delirious, and 
 months elapsed before I could again shoulder a 
 gun. 
 
THE SICK-LIST INCREASES. 
 
 255 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 On the Okavango again. — The Numbers on our Sick-list in- 
 crease. — Partial Recoveries and Relapses. — The numerous 
 Species of Fish in the River all edible, and some delicious. 
 — Fishing. — Singular Contrivances for catching Fish. — Al- 
 ligators and Hippopotami, Otters. — My original Project of 
 proceeding northward. — Generosity of Chikongo. — Pereira 
 and Mortar take the Fever. — Obliged to abandon my long- 
 cherished Scheme. — A precipitate Retreat. — The Okavango 
 perfectly unknown to Europeans. — An Excursion toward its 
 Source recommended. — The native Portuguese not aware 
 of the River’s Existence. — The TJnhealthiness of the Climate 
 confined probably to the Spring Season. — Malaria from the 
 Lagoons. 
 
 After many delays and much trouble, we at last 
 found ourselves once more on the banks of the river 
 in safety. But, alas ! though hope had by no means 
 deserted me, my feelings were very different from 
 those with which I first beheld it. I ivas very ill, 
 and there was little or no improvement in the health 
 of my men ; rather the contrary, for the numbers 
 on our sick-list increased daily. The inactivity to 
 which I was thus condemned was most distressing. 
 My mind suffered by it still more than my body. 
 At length the fever abated — that is, a temporary 
 and favorable change took place in my health, to 
 be followed, as on a previous occasion, by a return 
 of the malady with increased violence. I had, how- 
 
256 GREAT VARIETY OF FISH. 
 
 ever, if the truth be told, myself in a great measure 
 to blame for these relapses ; for no sooner was I 
 able to crawl about than, instead of nursing my- 
 self, I exposed myself, in my usual heedless way, to 
 hardships and fatigues which would task a strong 
 man’s best energies. 
 
 Nevertheless, I occupied myself a good deal dur- 
 ing these convalescent intervals in collecting such 
 information as I could get at respecting the Ova- 
 quangari, their country, their manners, modes of 
 life, their trades and occupations. I endeavored to 
 pick up, besides, some knowledge of the ornithology 
 peculiar to this region, and was particular in inquir- 
 ing about the various sorts of fish inhabiting its 
 noble stream. Of what I learned, much was to me 
 new. My mind had consequently ample scope for 
 interesting employment, and, had I been blessed 
 with my usual health and strength, I might have 
 passed my time both pleasantly and profitably. 
 Yet to me this was but a sorry season; care and 
 anxiety were my chief companions. 
 
 The River Okavango abounds, as I have already 
 said, in fish, and that in great variety. During my 
 very limited stay on its banks I collected nearly 
 twenty distinct species, and might, though very in- 
 adequately provided with the means of preserving 
 them, unquestionably have doubled this number, 
 had sufficient time been afforded me. All I dis- 
 covered were not only edible, but highly palatable, 
 some of them possessing even an exquisite flavor. 
 
AQUATIC YARDS. 
 
 257 
 
 Many of the natives devote a considerable por- 
 tion of their time to fishing, and employ various 
 simple, ingenious, and highly effective contrivances 
 for capturing the finny tribe. Few fish, however, 
 are caught in the river itself. It is in the numer- 
 ous shallows and lagoons immediately on its bor- 
 ders, and formed by its annual overflow, that the 
 great draughts are made. The fishing season, in- 
 deed, only commences in earnest at about the time 
 that the Okavango reaches its highest water-mark, 
 that is, when it has ceased to ebb, and the temporary 
 lagoons or swamps alluded to begin to disappear. 
 
 To the best of my belief, the Ovaquangari do not 
 employ nets, but traps of various kinds, and what 
 may not inaptly be called aquatic yards, for the 
 capture of iish. These fishing yards are certain 
 spots of eligible water, inclosed or fenced off in the 
 following manner: A quantity of reeds, of such 
 length as to suit the depth of water for which they 
 are intended, are collected, tied into bundles, and 
 cut even at both ends. These reeds are then spread 
 in single layers flat on the ground, and sewn to- 
 gether, very much in the same way as ordinary 
 mats, but by a less laborious process. It does not 
 much matter what the length of these mats may 
 be, as they can be easily lengthened or shortened 
 as need may require. When a locality, then, has 
 been decided on for fishing operations, a certain 
 number of these mattings are introduced into the 
 water on their ends, that is, in a vertical position, 
 
 E 
 
258 ALLIGATORS. — HIPPOPOTAMI. — OTTERS. 
 
 and placed either in a circle, semicircle, or a line, 
 according to the shape of the lagoon or shallow 
 which is to be inclosed. Open spaces from three 
 to four feet wide are, however, left at certain inter- 
 vals, and into these apertures the toils, consisting 
 of bee-hive shaped masses of reeds, are introduced. 
 The diameter of these at the mouth varies with the 
 depth to which they have to descend, the lower side 
 being firmly fastened to the bottom of the water, 
 while the upper is usually on a level with its sur- 
 face, or slightly rising above it. In order thor- 
 oughly to disguise these ingenious traps, grasses 
 and weeds are thrown carelessly over and around 
 them. 
 
 This river abounds also in alligators and hippo- 
 potami, animals, from the constant traffic going on 
 on the stream, wary and exceedingly shy, conse- 
 quently difficult to approach. The natives occa- 
 sionally destroy one of the latter by spearing ; they 
 are far, nevertheless, from being bold hunters — in- 
 deed, invariably give wide berths to the haunts on 
 the water of these formidable creatures. Otters 
 are also to be found in the Okavango, but of not 
 more, I believe, than one species. 
 
 Though both myself and my people still contin- 
 ued seriously ill, I never for a moment lost sight 
 of my original purpose to proceed northward, and 
 had all along been steadily making the necessary 
 arrangements for a start as soon as our health 
 would admit of this movement. I had also com- 
 
NEW INROADS OF FEVER. 
 
 259 
 
 municated my intentions to the chief, and was high- 
 ly gratified at finding that, instead of making ob- 
 jections to my proposed advance beyond his terri- 
 tories, as is usually the case under such circum- 
 stances, he not only readily acquiesced in my scheme, 
 but, of his own accord, offered me guides for a cer- 
 tain distance. Moreover, he considerately under- 
 took the charge of such men and beasts as were 
 either unfit for the journey or not required. Nay, 
 he even went so far as spontaneously to promise 
 my people, should they run short of food during 
 my absence, an abundant supply of whatever they 
 might want. This was, of course, a great relief to 
 me ; for, though I ran a certain amount of risk in 
 thus placing myself in his power, it was certainly 
 the least disagreeable of the alternatives before me. 
 
 With one or two exceptions, all my native serv- 
 ants were at this time prostrated by the fever, Pe- 
 reira and Mortar alone being still unaffected by it ; 
 and as I had at an early period taken the precau- 
 tion of administering to these men quinine and 
 brandy, antidotes, I believed, against the disease, I 
 had some faint hopes that they might escape the 
 infection, and thus afford me at least some help in 
 carrying out my plans. But in this hope I was 
 disappointed ; for, after about a month’s stay on 
 the river, both these men were suddenly confined 
 to their beds. To add to my dismay, the other pa- 
 tients, instead of improving, were rapidly getting 
 worse — in short, sinking into their graves. Had I 
 
260 A PRECIPITATE RETREAT. 
 
 then, under these circumstances, persisted on pros- 
 ecuting my long-cherished project, I should cer- 
 tainly have been much to blame, for I had the sad 
 experience and melancholy fate of former explorers, 
 who had obstinately, in a similar situation, perse- 
 vered in darling schemes, become hopeless, ever be- 
 fore me, ever forcibly present to my mind. What, 
 then, was to be done ? To linger where we were 
 seemed certain death, and any visions of future 
 success I might still entertain were too remote to 
 justify me in imperiling so fearfully the lives of my 
 fellow-creatures. A precipitate retreat appeared, 
 therefore, quite imperative. It cost, nevertheless, 
 a severe struggle between duty and ambition before 
 I could resolve upon it. I obeyed at last the mo- 
 nitions of conscience, and bade with a sigh farewell 
 to the pursuit of fame and glory forever. That 
 this act of self-renunciation was not determined on 
 without acute pangs, it would be useless to deny. 
 After such toils, such hardships, such sacrifices, and 
 with the prospect of a final crowning success just 
 dawning upon me, it may well be imagined that I 
 turned my back on the land of promise with droop- 
 ing spirits and a heavy heart. 
 
 Thus ended my short but memorable visit to the 
 Okavango River. I sincerely trust that future ex- 
 plorers of these parts may meet with better suc- 
 cess. An excursion up this stream toward its 
 source would undoubtedly prove very interesting, 
 for it is, I believe, perfectly unknown to Europeans ; 
 
MALARIA FROM THE LAGOONS. 261 
 
 I doubt, even, whether the native Portuguese are 
 aware of its very existence ; they are certainly 
 quite insensible to its importance in a commercial 
 point of view. Navigable it must be throughout 
 a great (if not the greater) portion of its course, 
 even to vessels of some pretension. Numerous 
 tribes, more or less intelligent, more or less traders 
 and acquainted with the art of agriculture, possess 
 permanent habitations along its banks. The un- 
 healthiness of the climate may, it is true, be con- 
 sidered as prohibitive of any frequent or constant 
 intercourse with this country. I strongly suspect, 
 however, that this objection would only apply to a 
 certain season, i. e , ., to the time when, the annual 
 flow of the river ceasing, exhalations from the sur- 
 rounding swamps and marshes poison the atmos- 
 phere. In the months of June, July, and August, 
 one might, I firmly believe, visit the Okavango with 
 comparative safety. It is only, I think, in the 
 spring, when I was unfortunately in its neighbor- 
 hood, that the malaria from the lagoons is so fatal. 
 
262 
 
 DEPARTURE. — SLOW PROGRESS. 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 Departure from the Okavango. — Very slow Progress. — The 
 Country retraced devoid of natural Springs. — No Water to 
 be procured for Cattle on our Retreat. — Obliged to halt till 
 the rainy Season set in. — A Return to Ombongo in prospect. 
 — Live-stock getting very low. — Too ill for Elephant-hunt- 
 ing. — Pereira recovers. — He is dispatched with an Attend- 
 ant or two to Otjimbingue, to inform Friends of my awk- 
 ward Position, and to procure Provisions. — Visit from Bush- 
 men sent by a Party of the Ovambo encamped about two 
 Days’ Journey from us. — Suspicions of the Intentions of this 
 Party. — Spies in the Camp. — Dangers threaten. — The Camp 
 fortified. — Description of fortified Camp in the Desert. 
 
 On the 6th of J une we took our departure from 
 this most interesting, but to us most melancholy 
 region. On that very morning I had to perform 
 the sad task of burying another of my men. My 
 wagon was now again put into requisition, and, not 
 being large enough to hold our stores and the sick 
 at the same time, I was obliged to send it on each 
 day, first with one portion of our luggage and hos- 
 pital, and then, on its return, with the remainder. 
 Our progress was consequently extremely slow, so 
 much so that, after a lapse of nearly six weeks, I 
 found myself only about five or six days’ journey 
 from my camp on the Okavango. I had greatly 
 hoped, notwithstanding this tardy advance, that 
 
NO WATER FOR THE CATTLE. 
 
 263 
 
 change of air and place would have improved both 
 my own and my patients 1 health, but here again I 
 met with disappointment. 
 
 The country, as already stated, was throughout 
 the district we were retracing totally devoid of nat- 
 ural springs ; the season, however, not being much 
 advanced, and the rains having fallen abundantly 
 on my way northward, I did not for a moment 
 doubt that our retreat, as far as the Omuramba, 
 might be effected in safety. Nevertheless, I dis- 
 patched, while rectifying some rather serious de- 
 fects in the wagon, a couple of men ahead on our 
 old route to reconnoitre; and, on their return, learn- 
 ed, to my utter surprise and dismay, that for sev- 
 eral days 1 journey no water was to be had for cat- 
 tle, and scarcely any for ourselves. This blow, for 
 which I was wholly unprepared, totally upset all 
 my present plans. I shuddered at the idea of be- 
 ing cooped up in these dreary solitudes for several 
 consecutive months, and that at a time, too, when 
 we were so completely unprepared for any prolong- 
 ed stay in a desert which afforded no resources; 
 for five, if not six months, I was fully aware must 
 elapse before the next rain fell, at least in sufficient 
 quantities to enable us to go forward. I anxiously, 
 therefore, and earnestly questioned the Bushmen liv- 
 ing in the neighborhood about water, and particu- 
 larly about the possibility of finding any outlet 
 among the waste lands around us by which we 
 might escape from our difficulties. They, in reply, 
 
264 
 
 LOCKED UP IN THE DESERT. 
 
 as earnestly protested their ignorance of any such 
 practicable passage through the country. Unfor- 
 tunately, I believed them. There was, as we dis- 
 covered many months afterward, a route of which 
 we might have availed ourselves much more eligi- 
 ble than that by which we had arrived. 
 
 In the predicament in which we now found our- 
 selves, we could evidently do nothing but resign 
 ourselves cheerfully to our fate, and quietly await 
 the return of the rainy season. There was still 
 some rain-water here and there in pools around our 
 camp, at a place called Sasseb. This certainly could 
 not last us long; but I was given to understand 
 that, by digging in a certain spot, a permanent suf- 
 ficiency of water might be obtained ; should this re- 
 port turn out incorrect, and it should come to the 
 worst, we were still near enough to Ombongo to 
 effect a retreat to that locality at any time, when 
 all anxiety about water would be at an end. One 
 thing only gave me a good deal of uneasiness ; my 
 stock of cattle for slaughter was fast disappearing, 
 and game, with the exception of elephants, was ex- 
 ceedingly scarce. Indeed, had it been abundant, 
 we could hardly have profited by the circumstance, 
 as but very few of my party were strong enough to 
 engage in the chase. For my own part, I could 
 not yet put a gun to my shoulder. 
 
 Pereira and two or three of my native attend- 
 ants were the first to recover their strength. Why, 
 then, I reasoned, on perceiving this, not send them 
 
A VISIT FROM A PARTY OF THE OVAMBO. 265 
 
 away ? By so doing I shall relieve the larder, and 
 as soon as they get back to Otjimbingue they can 
 inform my friends of my awkward position, and 
 procure me a fresh supply of live and dead stock, 
 with other necessaries ; at the same time — not the 
 least important item in the mission — they can con- 
 vey letters to my friends, and bring me letters from 
 them. 
 
 I thought this a very feasible plan ; for, though 
 the attempt to return “home 11 with my whole party 
 would have been utterly impracticable, two or three 
 men, with the same number of oxen, might success- 
 fully accomplish the enterprise. Moreover, I felt 
 sure that Pereira would not be disheartened by or- 
 dinary difficulties, and would do his utmost to effect 
 the important objects I had in view. I therefore, 
 without much hesitation, decided on this step as the 
 best mode of utilizing the time, and of renewing our 
 scanty supplies, etc. 
 
 On the very day fixed for Pereira’s departure 
 several unknown Bushmen paid us a visit. They 
 had, they said, been expressly sent on by a party 
 of Ovambo, encamped about two long days 1 jour- 
 ney from our werft, to ascertain whether this place 
 afforded sufficient water for a herd of cattle. I 
 felt, I confess, a little uneasy at this piece of intelli- 
 gence ; for ever since their memorable and treacher- 
 ous attack on my friends on the plains of Ondonga, 
 the mere mention of an Ovambo was sufficient to 
 arouse my very worst suspicions. Could, I asked 
 
266 
 
 WERE THEY SPIES? 
 
 myself — and they were questions that naturally sug- 
 gested themselves — this party be en route for the 
 Okavango for purposes of traffic, or were they spies 
 sent to watch my movements ? I was inclined to 
 believe that the former supposition might be the 
 correct one ; for not only were the people of On- 
 donga in the habit of annually making trading 
 trips to their neighbors, but this was actually the 
 season in which they were accustomed to do so. I 
 was, besides, perfectly well aware that I was in the 
 very highway of communication between the two 
 nations. There was also another way of account- 
 ing for the presence of the party in these parts ; 
 they might be simply an outpost in charge of the 
 remnants of old cattle-folds which abound herea- 
 bouts. 
 
 Whatever might be its cause, their near neigh- 
 borhood did not for a moment deter me from dis- 
 patching Pereira on his destined journey. I merely 
 warned him from too free or too friendly an inter- 
 course with these men, should he fall in with them ; 
 and the necessary preparations being completed, he 
 took his departure (August 3d), accompanied by the 
 hearty wishes of my whole camp, who knew that 
 our comfort, and, in a great measure, safety, depend- 
 ed on his successful and speedy return. 
 
 A fortnight since Pereira left us had passed 
 away, and nothing had occurred to confirm the sus- 
 picions I had entertained about the Ovambo in our 
 vicinity. Still I could not altogether divest myself 
 
OVAMBO SPIES. 
 
 267 
 
 of uneasiness ; their very silence and avoidance of 
 all communication with us kept me in a constant 
 state of anxiety, till at last my suspicions were so 
 far corroborated as to leave hardly a doubt that our 
 movements were watched by these savages. 
 
 Thus it happened : I was tossing to and fro on 
 my pillow one evening in great pain and distress, 
 when Mortar entered the tent, saying half aloud 
 and half in a whisper, “Sir, there are strange peo- 
 ple lurking about the camp ; I came suddenly upon 
 a fellow just now crouching close to the cattle, and 
 evidently spying into our doings. Shall I give the 
 rascal a shot ?” Deadly ill as I was, I could scarce- 
 ly refrain from a smile at my attendant’s readiness 
 for action. “No, 11 1 at length gasped forth, “don’t 
 fire, but keep a sharp look-out, and let me know 
 the result.” Nothing more, however, was seen or 
 heard that night, though from that moment I felt 
 convinced mischief was seriously meant me, and 
 that the spies detected by my servant were emissa- 
 ries of the Ovambo party. Mortar and two native 
 herdsmen were all the force I could at this time 
 muster, the remainder of my followers having gone 
 out on foraging excursions to cater for themselves. 
 About the safety of these men I naturally felt some 
 alarm ; perhaps, thought I, they have already been 
 surprised ; and I will not deny that, though not a 
 timorous man, I felt very anxious and restless. 
 Moreover, no news had reached me of Pereira. 
 Might not he too, poor fellow, have fallen a victim 
 
268 
 
 THE CAMP FORTIFIED 
 
 to the revenge and treachery of these barbarians? 
 As the sequel will show, I had ample cause, though 
 some of my conjectures may have been wrong, for 
 my very worst fears, which were not far from being 
 realized. 
 
 My first care under the apprehensions I now suf- 
 fered was to recall my foragers or huntsmen, which 
 I happily effected without delay. My next step 
 was so far to fortify the camp as to guard it at 
 least against surprise. This I accomplished by sur- 
 rounding the encampment with a lofty and dense 
 , fence of thorns, piled up in serried order in the 
 form of a square. At each of the four corners of 
 this square I projected similar thorn fences, about 
 eight feet by six, within which, again, I erected 
 stout palisadings, open only on the side facing and 
 leading to the large kraal. I next raised the ground 
 within this paling about three feet, which gave me 
 a command not only of the two sides of the fence 
 joining at each of the four corners, but of the 
 whole camp. I was, of course, aware that but two 
 of these corner projections were necessary, accord- 
 ing to the simplest rules of engineering, to enable 
 me to guard the access to our thorny fort — that is, 
 had it been built on a proper scale ; but of this the 
 nature of the ground on which our tents were pitch- 
 ed did not admit. It was, in fact, too spacious to be 
 guarded in this manner, especially on dark nights, 
 when the range of vision was necessarily very lim- 
 ited. Close to each of the four watch-towers, for 
 
BY A THORN FENCE. 
 
 269 
 
 so I may call them, I erected a hut (of course with- 
 in the great inclosure, my own tent forming one), 
 within which a man or two, well armed, always 
 slept, and were always in readiness, at the first sig- 
 nal of alarm, to hurry to their post. I was thus 
 pretty well defended. But had there been no other 
 barrier to oppose a wild enemy than the fence (it 
 could not be burned, as it was green), it alone would 
 have enabled us to resist the united efforts of hund- 
 reds of men. In brief, had it been my fate to die 
 by the hands of savages, they would at least have 
 found their victory dearly purchased, for I had vow- 
 ed to perish as became a man. 
 
270 
 
 TIDINGS OF PEREIRA. 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 Tidings of Pereira. — He falls in with a suspicious-looking Party 
 of Ovambo. — The Country all around on Fire. — Suspect the 
 Ovambo wish to burn me out. — Visit from Chikongo, an 
 Ovambo Chief, Brother of the Chief of the same Name be- 
 fore mentioned. — The whole Neighborhood again in a Blaze 
 within a hundred Yards of the Camp. — Interview with Chi- 
 kongo, escorted by sixty Attendants fully armed. — The 
 Chief’s Professions most friendly. — On my Guard against 
 Treachery. — Showed him I had nothing to fear from him, but 
 he had much to fear from me. — Chikongo’s Invitation. — 
 Presents interchanged. — My Illness continues. — Study of 
 Natural History. — A Collection of Birds and Insects. — Par- 
 tridges. — Antelopes. — Another Elephant shot. — Anticipa- 
 tion of a Feast. 
 
 We could now once more sleep in comparative 
 security ; and just at this time had tidings of Pere- 
 ira. A Bushman chief, Kanganda, of whom men- 
 tion has already been made, unexpectedly made his 
 appearance at our encampment, and brought a few 
 lines from our messenger. He had encountered 
 him in the neighborhood of an Ovambo cattle-post, 
 belonging to a powerful though subordinate cap- 
 tain, by name Chikongo — brother, as I afterward 
 discovered, of the chief of the Ovaquangari bearing 
 the same name. Pereira informed me that thus far 
 he had, though not without difficulty, proceeded sue- 
 
SUSPICIOUS PRESENTS. 
 
 271 
 
 cessfully, but spoke rather despairingly of the route 
 before him to the Omuramba U’Ovambo, certain 
 Bushmen having assured him that the whole inter- 
 vening veldt was destitute of water. He also gave 
 me to understand that he had fallen in with a werft 
 of Ovambo, who had not only received him in a very 
 friendly manner, but had presented him with an ox, 
 which he had slaughtered, and was then making a 
 halt in order to jerk and dry it. A thrill of horror 
 shot through my whole frame when I came to this 
 part of his letter. u Poor man ! 11 thought I, u how 
 little you know the nature of savages ! Why, if 
 harm is really meant you, this is the very means 
 they would employ to lull you into a fatal securi- 
 ty.” I cherished the hope, however, that his de- 
 parture from their werft would take place ere the 
 villains had time to mature their plan for his de- 
 struction ; for I conjectured that before they put 
 that into execution they must communicate with 
 their paramount chief. But I must not anticipate 
 my story. * 
 
 Kanganda had left us, and nothing had occurred 
 for some time to divert our attention from our daily 
 monotonous occupations, when suddenly, one morn- 
 ing, the veldt was observed to be every where on 
 fire. Fires of the kind are, however, so usual at 
 this season of the year, that I should have taken no 
 notice of the occurrence had not the almost simul- 
 taneous breaking out of many of these conflagra- 
 tions roused my suspicions, or at least left a very 
 
272 
 
 THE COUNTRY ON FIRE. 
 
 disagreeable impression on my mind. Was it pos- 
 sible that the Bushmen had set fire to the dry veg- 
 etation of these torrid tracts for the express purpose 
 of fairly burning us out of the country ? This may 
 seem a rather far-fetched conjecture, yet an incident 
 of a similar nature occurred not long afterward, 
 which greatly strengthened my belief in its correct- 
 ness. I had just had, on the occasion alluded to, a 
 visit from Chikongo (with a number of his follow- 
 ers), the Ovambo chief already mentioned, of whom 
 more anon, when all the remaining patches of pas- 
 turage that had escaped the first fire were observed 
 to be at the same moment in a blaze. This occur- 
 red at night. On the afternoon of the next day, 
 while amusing myself with mending my camp chair, 
 I was startled by a loud rushing noise at a distance, 
 not unlike that caused by a great whirlwind, which 
 also, at this period of the year, is not here uncom- 
 mon. My back happened at the time to be turned 
 toward the aperture answering for a door ; so, with- 
 out rising to witness the wind-storm, I remarked 
 only to Mortar,, who was employed on some work 
 close to me, “That’s a lusty blusterer.” “Yes,” 
 replied he, “but he won’t come this way ; the wind 
 is in our favor.” We each mistook the other’s 
 meaning. A few minutes after, finding the uproar 
 both increasing and apparently approaching, I rose, 
 and looked in the direction whence the noise came. 
 To my astonishment, and, let me add, horror, I then 
 discovered that, instead of a whirlwind, there raged 
 
CONFLAGRATION EXTINGUISHED. 
 
 273 
 
 a fearful fire within less than 500 yards of us. 
 Hitherto, as Mortar had rightly judged, the wind 
 had been favorable to us; but at this moment it 
 changed and blew right in our teeth, while, before 
 we had got over our amazement, the fire had ad- 
 vanced with rapid leaps and strides almost to within 
 gunshot. Seizing a blanket, I called out to my men 
 to follow me, and then made a dash at the flames, 
 which drove us back faster than we had rushed for- 
 ward. Destruction seemed for the moment inevi- 
 table. There was no grass, it is true, within the in- 
 closure, and little or none on the outside, that is, 
 within fifteen or twenty feet ; there were, however, 
 several huts covered with dry grass and other inflam- 
 mable substances, and as the flames often bounded 
 at one spring to a distance of forty and fifty feet, 
 there was more than a probability that our camp 
 would catch fire and be destroyed. Fortunately the 
 wind was fitfully changeable, which enabled us, after 
 considerable exertion, to battle with, and in the 
 most dangerous places to subdue, the devouring ele- 
 ment. Yet many hours elapsed before we deemed 
 ourselves safe. 
 
 To return to my story. One morning, a few 
 days previous to the conflagration just described, 
 I unexpectedly received a first visit from Chikongo. 
 He was escorted by about thirty Ovambo, and the 
 same number of vassal Bushmen — that is, alto- 
 gether by about sixty followers, armed to the teeth. 
 Eight of these men carried muskets, a weapon, 
 
 S 
 
274 
 
 INTERVIEW WITH A NATIVE CHIEF. 
 
 knowing the aversion to, not to say contempt of 
 the tribe for fire-arms, I was totally unprepared to 
 see in their hands. But, though surprised, I took 
 care not to appear so. Chikongo was personally 
 unknown to me ; I had, however, heard of him, and 
 he of me often, and that years ago. He had been 
 described to me as a chief possessing much power 
 and influence over his own nation, and one of the 
 very few native potentates well disposed toward 
 Europeans. His friendliness, indeed, to white men 
 had, he assured me, drawn upon him the ill will of 
 Tjipanga, the paramount chief of the Ovambo, and 
 added that the offense he had thus given was so 
 hateful to the majority of his countrymen that he 
 had been threatened, should it be repeated by any 
 endeavor on his part to promote free intercourse 
 between the two races, with immediate expulsion 
 from Ondonga. Of course, I listened with all due 
 deference to this and to many other protestations 
 of his sincerity, coupled with abundant professions 
 of friendship. Not for a moment, however, did I 
 allow myself to be taken off my guard. My com- 
 paratively unprotected and helpless position re- 
 quired the utmost circumspection and vigilance. 
 1 was not, therefore, to be lulled into a false secu- 
 rity by the fine speeches of a barbarian, who, being 
 at the head of a foe delighting in treachery, might, 
 had he found me too confiding, have fatally en- 
 snared both myself and my party. There was, I 
 grant, good reasons for believing in the chief’s sin- 
 
FRIENDLY PROFESSIONS DISTRUSTED. 
 
 275 
 
 cerity, for he was a man of sense, penetration, and 
 judgment, consequently well able to understand 
 the benefits that might result to his country from 
 the establishment of intimate relations between Af- 
 ricans and Europeans. Moreover, his nation had 
 been recently taught, by the severe defeat inflicted 
 on them by Mr. Green, fully to appreciate the en- 
 ergy and determination of white men when once 
 roused to enmity. Thus he might, purely to secure 
 our good-will, and his own and his followers’ safe- 
 ty, be really in earnest in his professions of amity 
 toward us. I gave him, nevertheless, clearly to 
 understand, and I begged him to convey this infor- 
 mation to his chief, that I neither feared Ovambo 
 outposts, nor their whole national force combined. 
 And this assertion was not idle boast or empty 
 defiance; for I could, in case of need, have confi- 
 dently reckoned on the assistance of almost all the 
 Europeans in Damara Land, among whom were 
 dare-devils in abundance, to say nothing of the nu- 
 merous and powerful Hottentot tribes who, under 
 the pretext of aiding an ally, and in order to enrich 
 themselves, would have been but too eager to join 
 in any fray. A signal from me, or from any of 
 my friends, was all they wanted to incite them to 
 imbrue their hands in the blood of their enemies, 
 and of this the chief and his followers could not be 
 ignorant. 
 
 Knowing all this, Chikongo pressed me hard to 
 abandon my camp and resort to his village, distant 
 
276 
 
 STUDY OF NATURAL HISTORY. 
 
 two or three days 1 journey ; but, for obvious rea- 
 sons, I declined the invitation. With renewed as- 
 surances, therefore, of friendly feelings, he, after 
 having enjoyed my hospitality for a couple of days, 
 took his leave. We separated, to all appearance, 
 mutually satisfied with one another. On his de- 
 parture I presented him with a few articles I thought 
 he would prize, while he, on his part, kindly offered 
 to supply me with cattle for slaughter, should I 
 pass by his homestead before he broke up for his 
 return to Ondonga — a move he contemplated as 
 soon as the rainy season set in. 
 
 I continued still to suffer severely from the ef- 
 fects of fever, which seemed determined not to leave 
 me. My debility was indeed extreme ; I could 
 not remain standing on my legs for a few moments 
 together, yet, strange to say, I could, though not 
 without much pain, walk a good while. This en- 
 abled me to vary the monotony of my solitary life 
 by indulging in my favorite pursuit — the study of 
 Natural History. 
 
 Regularly every morning I sauntered out with 
 my fowling-piece, and rarely returned without a 
 few specimens of either birds or insects. It' is true 
 I met at first with but sorry success, but on the re- 
 turn of spring, i. e., of vegetable and insect life, the 
 winged tribes became gradually more numerous 
 and varied, and by dint of perseverance I succeed- 
 ed, in the course of three months, in shooting and 
 preserving no less than nine hundred birds and 
 
ANTELOPES AND PARTRIDGES. 
 
 277 
 
 bats. To be sure, the exertion was sometimes rath- 
 er too much for my broken health, but, on the 
 whole, I enjoyed the exercise amazingly ; so much 
 so that I sometimes congratulated myself on my 
 illness, as, by confining me for a considerable time 
 to one locality, it enabled me to collect many val- 
 uable and interesting data relative to the natural 
 history of birds, insects, etc. ; I besides became 
 acquainted with many, to me, new species of the 
 winged creation, and learned much of the migra- 
 tory habits of the birds indigenous to these parts. 
 
 Of minor game we saw now little or none, with 
 the exception of partridges, and one or two species 
 of diminutive antelopes. I was too weak, however, 
 to pursue either with any success. On our first ar- 
 rival in the neighborhood elephants had been rather 
 numerous, but in proportion as the water dried up 
 these animals deserted us. Still a few of them occa- 
 sionally strayed to our wells to quench their thirst ; 
 and Kamapjie, who was at present convalescent, was 
 upon several occasions sent without any successful 
 result in pursuit of one or two of these lingerers in 
 the vicinity. One day he came up with an old bull, 
 and gave him no less than seven bullets from my 
 big rifle, yet, strange to say, he afterward followed 
 up the brute’s spoor for nearly two days unavail- 
 ingly. Want of water compelled him finally to give 
 up the chase in despair. 
 
 At about four o’clock in the afternoon, precisely 
 a week after the incident just mentioned took place, 
 
278 
 
 A DANGEROUS STALK. 
 
 I had occasion to go outside our camp. Now paral- 
 lel with it, and within one hundred yards’ distance, 
 there ran a well-trodden elephant footpath ; I had 
 often before noticed it, and was just about re-enter- 
 ing the inclosure, when my eyes chanced to fall upon 
 this very path, along which, to my great surprise, I 
 saw a huge elephant shaping his course at a quick 
 step directly for the water, distant some six or seven 
 hundred yards. Quick as thought I rushed back to 
 my wagon, seized upon my rifle, bullet-pouch, and 
 powder-flask, and was instantly on the animal’s 
 track. But the vley whereto he was wending his 
 way was very much exposed — in fact, quite unfit 
 for stalking ; consequently, no shelter being near in 
 which to take refuge in case of an attack, I natu- 
 rally dreaded an encounter with the monster. Rec- 
 ollecting, however, the penury of our larder, I de- 
 termined boldly to face the. danger.* It was an 
 anxious and exciting moment, for a single shot was 
 to decide the brute’s fate. Stalking cautiously for 
 some time, I succeeded in approaching unperceived 
 to within seventy-five yards of where he stood. He 
 was at that time thirstily taking his fill at one of 
 the wells, with, as ill luck would have it, his snout 
 just lifted up, full fronting me. There was, there- 
 fore, no time to lose, and, relying fully on my rifle, 
 I took a deliberate aim at his fore leg, and fired. 
 As I had anticipated, the bullet did its work well, 
 smashing completely the bones of the member it 
 had struck. In an instant the huge animal came 
 
279 
 
 A “ blow-out” in the desert. 
 
 down in a kneeling position, his head resting heav- 
 ily on the ground. Endeavoring, nevertheless, to 
 drag himself away, he exposed his other fore leg, 
 which in another moment shared the fate of its fel- 
 low. A few more seconds, and he rolled over on 
 his side a corpse. 
 
 The whole scene witnessed by my men from the 
 wagon had afforded them unlimited gratification, 
 derived chiefly from their anticipation of a glorious 
 “blow-out 11 of meat and fat. For my part, I was 
 not only gratified at my success, but truly thankful, 
 as from this supply I should now be able to fatten 
 both bipeds and quadrupeds, who had certainly, of 
 late, lost very much of the rotund comeliness of 
 their proportions. “Sir , 11 said trusty Mortar, on 
 viewing the enormous carcass, “this is indeed a 
 God-send. It is like the arrival of a long-expected 
 vessel, laden with many goodly things . 11 I heartily 
 concurred in my servant’s happy and appropriate 
 allusion. 
 
 The dead animal was, on examination, identified 
 as the one hunted and fired at by Kamapjie, but he 
 did not appear to have suffered much inconvenience 
 from the wounds received on that occasion. 
 
280 
 
 ANXIETY ABOUT PEREIRA. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 Anxiety about Pereira. — His safe Return. — Rejoicings. — He 
 brings Intelligence that Mr. Frederick Green is on his Way 
 to join me. — The extreme Precariousness of my Situation. — 
 Native Politics. — A u Commando” with a numerous Escort^ 
 dispatched from Ondonga to destroy me. — This fearful In- 
 telligence brings Mr. Green to my Rescue. — An heroic Act 
 of Friendship. — The Expedition sent against me arrives. — 
 The murderous Project abandoned. — The Dangers escaped 
 by Pereira. — Green’s Difficulties in advancing. — I go to 
 meet him. — A rather arduous Enterprise.— The joyful Meet- 
 ing. — Prospects not much mended by it. — Resolved, after 
 much Hesitation on my Part, to proceed to Mr. Green’s En- 
 campment on the Omuramba. — Singular Hardships and Fa- 
 tigues of this Journey. — Scarcity of Water. — Thirst. — Suf- 
 fering from excessive Heat. 
 
 The time had at last approached when I might 
 look for the return of Pereira and his party. As 
 it drew nearer and nearer, my anxiety naturally 
 increased, for I had never been able to ascertain 
 whether he had succeeded or not in forcing his way 
 through the savage tract he had to traverse back to 
 Otjimbingue. Great God ! he might, for aught we 
 knew to the contrary, have succumbed to the phys- 
 ical difficulties on all sides besetting him, or, still 
 worse, have fallen a sacrifice to the treachery of the 
 Ovambo. Either of these suppositions was too 
 
THE RETURN OF PEREIRA. 
 
 281 
 
 painful to dwell upon. Happily, when expectation 
 and hope deferred had nearly reached their climax, 
 our anxieties were removed by Pereira’s most wel- 
 come appearance ; an event which, after he had been 
 absent nearly three months and a half, took place 
 on the morning of the 17th of November. He 
 reached the camp in good health and spirits, hav- 
 ing, in almost every respect, acquitted himself to 
 my entire satisfaction. To add to my delight, he 
 brought me the joyful and unexpected intelligence 
 that my friend, Mr. Frederick Green, was in the 
 neighborhood. He had come, as I was assured, 
 and saw at once, to render me, in my jeopardous 
 position, all the assistance in his power. This un- 
 looked-for re-enforcement was indeed most season- 
 able, for I now learned for the first time the ex- 
 treme precariousness of my situation. I will de- 
 scribe it as briefly as possible. 
 
 At about the time that Pereira reached the 
 southern confines of Damara Land, two distinct 
 parties of Ovambo arrived also in those parts from 
 Ondonga. The former were embassadors from the 
 paramount chief Chjipanga, while the others rep- 
 resented a certain portion of the Ovambo popula- 
 tion, dissatisfied at the elevation of Tjipanga, on 
 the decease of his elder brother Nangoro, to the 
 chieftainship. Each of these parties had more than 
 one object in view. The emissaries of the chief were 
 anxious to establish friendly relations with J onker, 
 to ascertain as spies the temper of the country, and 
 
282 
 
 NATIVE POLITICS. 
 
 to gather particulars about your humble servant, 
 i- e., to learn as distinctly as possible what my 
 views and intentions, etc., were; while the rebel- 
 lious embassy, if I may so call them, were bent on 
 gaining Jonker over to their *cause, professing at 
 the same time to have come for the purpose of 
 warning my friends of the terrible fate that threat- 
 ened me. What that fate was they very clearly 
 pointed out by stating that, on their departure from 
 Ondonga, a “commando,” with a numerous escort, 
 had been expressly dispatched into my neighbor- 
 hood on an avowed mission to destroy me or any 
 of my men they might chance to fall in with. 
 
 This fearful intelligence reached my friend just 
 on his return from a distant and harassing expe- 
 dition to the Matibili nation, far to the eastward 
 of Lake Ngami. Its effect upon him was such that, 
 to his undying honor, he determined, without a 
 moment’s hesitation, incurring thereby huge hard- 
 ships and perils, to hurry to my assistance, or, in 
 the worst event, to avenge my death, should he be 
 too late to prevent the execution of the murderous 
 and hellish designs of the Ovambo. Most deeply 
 was I affected by this noble deed. Indeed, this 
 single act of devotion was to me infinitely more 
 gratifying than would be all the wealth the world 
 has to bestow. It was heart-warming to know that 
 at least one human bosom beat genuinely for the 
 solitary wanderer. Dear Green ! an approving 
 conscience must be your greatest reward; but, 
 
A NARROW ESCAPE. 
 
 283 
 
 should these lines ever reach you — and God grant 
 they may ere long! — I beg you will here accept 
 my poor but warm and sincere thanks for your 
 spirited resolve to come to my rescue when dangers 
 so great, of which I was unaware, encompassed me. 
 Believe me, this one act of heroic friendship has, in 
 my own estimation, much more than outweighed 
 any trifling service it has been in my power to ren- 
 der you. Whatever may be our future fate, when 
 life itself shall no longer possess the charms and 
 illusions of youth, u haec olim meminisse juvabit” 
 — it will be pleasant to recall to remembrance the 
 days of yore, and gratefully to dwell on the recol- 
 lection of your humane and brotherly conduct. 
 God speed you in your present interesting but haz- 
 ardous pursuit ! 
 
 Shortly after Pereira had joined us, I learned 
 that the expedition sent against me had actually 
 arrived in my neighborhood. From some unex- 
 plained cause, however, its leader had thought fit to 
 abandon his murderous purposes, and to evacuate 
 the country without any attempt to molest me. 
 It appeared certain, nevertheless, that the party he 
 commanded had earnestly sought the destruction 
 of poor Pereira ; they had again visited the post 
 where he had been detained under the plea of par- 
 taking of their hospitality, a snare, as I had sus- 
 pected, to lull him into a sense of security till the 
 proper moment should arrive to put him to death. 
 Fortunately, the villains only reached their destina- 
 
284 
 
 A week’s TRAVELING IN AFRICA. 
 
 tion a few hours after Pereira had left it, and, night 
 coming on, they had, deeming farther pursuit use- 
 less, retraced their steps to Ondonga. It was thus 
 evident that I and my whole party had narrowly 
 escaped destruction. Had the villains been as 
 prompt and determined as they were viciously in- 
 clined, or had they attacked us separately, they 
 might surely have massacred us all. 
 
 I said just now that Pereira had brought news 
 of Mr. Green being in our neighborhood ; in so say- 
 ing I was not quite correct, for my friend had un- 
 fortunately, in consequence of the drought, been 
 stopped on the U’Ovambo, a circumstance which 
 placed between us a country of no less than eight 
 days 1 journey in extent — a week’s traveling, dear 
 reader, being in the inhospitable regions of South 
 Africa too often a question of life and death. So 
 it nearly proved in the present instance. Indeed, 
 Green was now at the very veldt where I had been 
 stopped four months previously in my endeavors 
 to return homeward. There seemed, therefore, but 
 little chance of his joining us before the rains fell, 
 an event that appeared still very distant. Even 
 Pereira, accompanied by only one or two individ- 
 uals, and one or two beasts of burden, had nearly 
 perished on his route from want of water. He 
 was on one occasion three days without a drop of 
 the precious liquid, and was actually obliged, in 
 order to obtain a supply, to retrace his steps to the 
 spot whence he had started. How, then, accom- 
 
A WILL AND A WAY. 
 
 285 
 
 plish this transit with twenty men, and thrice that 
 number of cattle ? 
 
 Thus the situation, both of myself and of my 
 new ally, was, to say the least, at present very un- 
 pleasant. Our forces once combined, we should, 
 however, be tolerably secure from any attack our 
 foes might still meditate — nay, strong enough to 
 set them at defiance. Such being the case, I was 
 determined to test to the utmost the truth of the 
 good old saying, “Where there is a will there is a 
 way.” Accordingly, I wrote to Green to say that 
 I was on the start to join him, requesting him, at 
 the same time, to make a similar move from fhe 
 south, that we might, if possible, meet half way. 
 This letter I intrusted to the care of Kanganda, 
 who fortunately happened to be on another visit 
 to my camp. I gave the messenger strict injunc- 
 tions to use all dispatch, and not to leave my friend 
 (after he had once reached him) till our junction 
 should be effected. 
 
 As previously stated, we had been induced firmly 
 to believe that the surrounding country was totally 
 impracticable for a large party at this season of the 
 year. We had been brought, partly by our own 
 explorations, and partly by the assertions of Bush- 
 men, to this conclusion. It was, we now learned, 
 quite a mistake. Pereira, on his return journey, 
 had taken an entirely different route, and had for- 
 tunately discovered one or two spots where he was 
 fully convinced a sufficiency of water might, with 
 
286 
 
 THE FRIENDS MEET. 
 
 a little labor and patience, be obtained. On this in- 
 formation, referable only to the first portion 7 of our 
 road — hardly more than a third of the whole dis- 
 tance to be traversed — rested all our hopes of suc- 
 cess. But I had made up my mind for the enter- 
 prise, and, to use a homely phrase, was determined. 
 u come what come might,” at all hazards, to carry 
 it out. 
 
 While the necessary preparations for this pur- 
 pose were being completed, I sent a party in ad- 
 vance to clear a passage and to dig for water, etc. ; 
 and on the 23d of November broke up my camp, 
 and proceeded southward with the wagon and the 
 rest of my party. By dint of great exertions, we 
 succeeded in performing several days’ journeys in 
 safety, till we came to a dead lock at a place call- 
 ed Orujo. From this point to the Omuramba 
 U’Ovambo there was positively no water for cattle, 
 and little or none for men. Before determining 
 on my future proceedings, I decided, therefore, on 
 awaiting here my friend’s arrival. He was longer 
 in making his appearance than was pleasant. In- 
 deed, growing weary of expectation, I dispatched 
 fresh messengers to bring me tidings of his where- 
 abouts. They fortunately crossed his track almost 
 immediately, and in a very little time afterward I 
 had the gratification of once more shaking hands 
 with this stanchest of friends. 
 
 I need scarcely say that our meeting was hearty 
 and joyful. It did not, however, materially bright- 
 
A DIFFICULT ENTERPRISE. 
 
 287 
 
 en our prospects. An uncouth country of vast ex- 
 tent, abandoned alike by man and beast, and thickly 
 covered with bush, lay before us. Its soil, more- 
 over, was so soft as to yield most distressingly to 
 the foot at every step, while, to the best of our 
 knowledge, there was no water whatever to be found 
 for our cattle. The transit through this tract, un- 
 der a tropical sun so broiling as to blister feet and 
 hands, and on the slightest exertion to - cover the 
 body from head to foot with perspiration, would re- 
 quire at least four days, including many hours bor- 
 rowed from the night, for its accomplishment. 
 There were, besides, many other difficulties to be 
 encountered. My driver, for example, had just at 
 this time a most severe relapse of fever, and most 
 of the men were still in a very debilitated state. 
 It may not, therefore, appear suprising to my read- 
 ers that I hesitated and flinched somewhat in dread 
 of an enterprise that, to say the least, had a very 
 desperate look. It is true I had, as the reader will 
 probably remember, confronted and successfully 
 overcome difficulties quite as formidable as those 
 now facing us — perhaps more so ; but in this case 
 there were circumstances which made the undertak- 
 ing particularly trying and dangerous. Mr. Green, 
 however, accustomed to deeds of daring, urged me 
 unceasingly to make the attempt, and I yielded at 
 last to his solicitations. The journey being determ- 
 ined on, our plan was to push on as fast as men 
 and beasts could travel to a certain point, where it 
 
288 
 
 THE CAMP REACHED. 
 
 was said we might chance to find a little water. 
 Should this resource fail us, which was highly prob- 
 able, Green was to advance as rapidly as possible 
 with the loose cattle, and such men as could be 
 spared from the wagon, while I followed at an easier 
 but still unusually quick pace. It was farther ar- 
 ranged that, as soon as my friend succeeded in find- 
 ing water, and had given a drink to the beasts of 
 burden, he, or some trustworthy servant, should im- 
 mediately return to me with a portion of the re- 
 freshed cattle. But I will not trespass on my read- 
 er’s patience by entering into all the details of our 
 harassing march. Let it suffice to say that, with 
 immense exertions— suffering the most painful anx- 
 iety all the time — we finally reached Green’s camp 
 on Omuramba in safety, having sustained no farther 
 loss than that of a dog and two or three new-born 
 goat-kids. 
 
 During the five days this journey lasted we had 
 had little to satisfy either hunger or thirst. Its hap- 
 py issue was, under Providence, mainly owing to 
 the cheerful co-operation and indefatigable exer- 
 tions of my friend. Nothing less than his energy 
 could have given us so prompt, and, comparatively, 
 so cheap a success. 
 
HOMEWARD COURSE PURSUED. 
 
 289 
 
 CHAPTER XXIY. 
 
 Homeward Course pursued. — The Omuramba Water-course. 
 — Whence, being sometimes dry, does it derive its frequent 
 Flood of Water ? — The rainy Season. — Sufferings from Wet- 
 ness and Wind. — A Bushman devoured by a Lion Man-eater. 
 — A Lion Hunt. — A marvelous Shot in the Dark. — A Duel 
 in the Desert. — A Lion killed. — A perilous Position. — A 
 wonderful Escape. — A Lion’s Grief for the Loss of his 
 Friend. — The History of two Lions, the Terror of the Dis- 
 trict. — Three Men carried off in the Night from a Village 
 by the Man-eaters. — A hundred human Beings fall a Prey 
 to them. — The Country thereabouts abandoned by human 
 Beings. 
 
 After a few days devoted to rest and recreation, 
 our wagons having in the mean time been put in 
 good repair, we diligently pursued our homeward 
 course. Our passage now lay along the banks and 
 in the bed of the Omuramba U’Ovambo, which was 
 several days 1 journey west of the northern route I 
 had formerly followed. This water-course was the 
 same as the one that has all along puzzled me so 
 much. At this point it had been noted by previous 
 explorers as a current of some pretensions — broad, 
 deep, and running through regular, well-defined 
 banks. Just a year before Messrs. Green and Hahn 
 had found it an almost continuous stream, abound- 
 ing in water flowing westward, and finally forming 
 
 T 
 
290 
 
 THE OMURAMBA WATER-COURSE. 
 
 the Lake Onondova. It was now quite dry, or, at 
 most, capable only of occasionally filling pits and 
 wells. How, then, or whence does it receive its 
 temporary flood? It appears utterly impossible 
 that such a stream should take its rise in the sandy 
 districts stretching far and wide to the eastward. 
 Nor is it likely that it is fed by the great permanent 
 river Okavango (though this supposition seems at 
 first sight apt to solve the mystery), for at this point 
 the Omuramba ITOvambo (according to boiling- 
 water observations) is several hundred feet higher 
 than any of those parts of the Okavango visited by 
 me, while the travelers I have just named could not 
 possibly be deceived as to the direction of the flow 
 of water. The configuration of the country, too, 
 equally forbids one to connect this water-course 
 with the Omuramba Ua’ Matako, as the main out- 
 let whereby it is drained off is certainly Tioughe. 
 To hazard, then, a last conjecture, let us suppose its 
 chief source to be in the mountains of Otjihejnenne, 
 whence the Omuramba, flowing northward and join- 
 ing the ITOvambo in about 19° of S. latitude, is 
 known to spring. 
 
 The Omuramba ITOvambo is a great resort of 
 elephants in the dry season. Mr. Green had some 
 excellent sport in this country before he joined me, 
 and we still had hopes of encountering some of 
 these animals. The setting in of the rains, how- 
 ever, put an end to them completely ; for the com- 
 mencement of this season is the signal for all wild 
 
WETNESS AND WIND. 
 
 291 
 
 quadruped game to abandon permanent water, of 
 which they have an instinctive dread, and which, 
 knowing well that traps of one kind or another are 
 invariably, in such localities, set for their destruc- 
 tion, they frequent only from necessity. 
 
 The rains now fell in torrents for many consecu- 
 tive days, and the country south of the Omuramba 
 being unusually level, the wagon -wheels sinking 
 often in the soil above their naves, we had some dif- 
 ficulty in getting along. Doubtless we had abund- 
 ance of water at present ; yet, despite this great ad- 
 vantage, the exceeding wetness of the weather was 
 both inconvenient and uncomfortable. Our attend- 
 ants were the greatest sufferers ; as the wagons were 
 too crowded with stores and baggage to give shelter 
 to more than one or two persons, they were ex- 
 posed to perpetual drenchings. 
 
 On reaching the point where my own and my 
 friend’s routes joined, I detached three or four men 
 with instructions to push ahead to Otjimbingue. 
 My object in this move was to acquaint our friends 
 of our safety, etc., and to get whatever news there 
 might be from that settlement. This party was to 
 proceed via Okamabuti and Omanbonde, while we 
 ourselves struck off to the eastward, in order to 
 reach the Omuramba ITa’ Matako at Otjituo — a 
 country where we were likely to meet elephants. 
 But here, as elsewhere, the rain had forestalled us. 
 No game of any description was to be seen, though 
 the animals had evidently only lately dispersed. 
 
292 
 
 MAN-EATERS. 
 
 The fresh remains of a giraffe destroyed by a lion 
 at Otjituo afforded good proof of this. 
 
 The place just named was one of those of which 
 mention has already been made, haunted so fiercely 
 by man-eaters. A Bushman chief, who had some 
 time before come to pay Mr. Green a visit, fell a 
 prey to one of them. Here is the narrative of this 
 horrid event, in Mr. Green’s own words : 
 
 June 20th , 1858. At about eleven o’clock last 
 night I was startled out of my sleep by a dreadful 
 shriek, such as I had never heard uttered by any 
 human being before. The thought at once struck 
 me that the two lions which had given us such 
 trouble on a former occasion were again prowling 
 about, and had perhaps seized some of the Bushmen 
 lately come to pay me a visit, who were encamped 
 at the back of my kraal. Snatching up my rifle 
 and pistol, I bounded out of bed, and soon found 
 my suspicions confirmed by the dismal howls and 
 wailings of several terrified Bushmen whom I met 
 hastening toward my wagon for protection. A 
 poor lad whom we had captured the day before 
 was giving vent to his distress in piteous lamenta- 
 tions for the loss of his father, whom one of the 
 lions had destroyed. Calling to some of my people 
 to follow, I hurried away in the direction pointed 
 out by this poor fellow. The night, in itself in- 
 tensely dark, received an additional deep gloom 
 from the shadow of a cluster of thick -boughed 
 trees under which we were encamped. In order, 
 
THE REMAINS OF A VICTIM. 
 
 293 
 
 therefore, to throw some light on surrounding ob- 
 jects, we set fire to our temporary huts and com- 
 menced our search. Mr. Hahn also came to our 
 assistance with a lantern ; the dogs meantime kept 
 up a furious barking ; yet, with the certain knowl- 
 edge that the brute was only a few paces distant 
 from us, we could not obtain a glimpse of the cow- 
 ardly murderer. At length, to the horror of us 
 all, we stumbled on the mangled remains of the un- 
 fortunate Bushman who had fallen a victim to the 
 monster. One of his arms was bitten short off 
 at the shoulder, while his hand still convulsively 
 clutched a portion of his “dress.'” This, and some 
 portion of his intestines, was all that remained of a 
 man alive and quite unconscious of the fate that 
 awaited him only a few minutes before ! The sight 
 was both shocking and sickening in the extreme, 
 and as it was now useless to continue a farther 
 search in the dark, we returned to our respective 
 bivouacs. Sleep was of course out of the ques- 
 tion. The dreadful scene haunted my imagination 
 unceasingly, and I resolved, as soon as the day 
 should dawn, to pursue the horrible man-eater, and 
 terminate, if possible, his existence. 
 
 Accordingly, every man possessed of a gun join- 
 ed this morning in the chase. At a short distance 
 from the camp the brute was discovered, but, though 
 we followed him up for a long time, we got no shot 
 at him. The cowardly night-prowler took care not 
 to expose himself; and, unfortunately, only two 
 
294 
 
 A SHOT IN THE DARK. 
 
 dogs ventured to face him. Had the whole pack 
 assailed him, he would certainly have been brought 
 to bay and dispatched. We were on several occa- 
 sions close upon him, but the tenseness of the bush 
 always helped him to escape before we could get a 
 good aim at him. At length, losing his track, and 
 endeavoring in vain to recover it, we were com- 
 pelled to face homeward without ridding the coun- 
 try of so dire a scourge. 
 
 On a subsequent occasion, however, when return- 
 ing from the Ovambo journey, Mr. Green encoun- 
 tered this lion, and others of the same species, when 
 his endeavors to destroy them proved more success- 
 ful. This hunt is thus noticed in my friend’s diary 
 of September, 1858 : 
 
 u On the night of the second instant I made one 
 of the most marvelous shots at an animal in the 
 dark that perhaps has ever been made by any man. 
 I had just arrived at Otjiomavare, the old haunt 
 of the man-eaters, and was nightly expecting a visit 
 from some of them, firmly resolved to kill a few, if 
 possible, when an opportunity of doing so occurred 
 in a rather unexpected way. 
 
 66 It was about three o’clock in the morning ; the 
 moon had sunk below the horizon, and all nature 
 was enveloped in darkness, when the humor took 
 me to have a night ramble. Seizing my trusty 
 double-barreled gun and my revolving rifle, I stood 
 for some minutes a silent and solitary listener to 
 the terrific roarings of two male lions, who after a 
 
A MARVELOUS HIT. 
 
 295 
 
 while passed along the bank of the river opposite 
 to that on which we were encamped, when, sudden- 
 ly halting again, they commenced another duet in 
 as loud a strain as their lungs could pour forth. I 
 was, by this time, joined by John Mortar, Bonfield, 
 and two of my native servants, all in readiness with 
 their guns, like myself, in case the brutes should 
 attempt an aggressive move. I now advanced a 
 few paces from the wagon toward the river, and, 
 raising my double-barreled gun, called to my Da- 
 mara Gukub (for, from deafness in one ear, I can 
 not distinguish accurately the direction of sound) 
 to point as near as he could to the quarter whence 
 he heard the lions. This done, I placed the gun 
 on an elevation of about 300 yards, the distance as 
 I supposed of the animals, and fired. No sooner 
 had the explosion taken place than one of the lions 
 abruptly ceased roaring, uttering at the same time 
 a startling growl, such as always announces the re- 
 ceipt of a gunshot wound by these brutes. The 
 “clap 11 of- the bullet against the beast’s hide, so 
 well known to sportsmen, was not to be mistaken, 
 and the by-standers simultaneously shouted out, 
 “The lion is struck! 11 I stood amazed, scarcely 
 able to credit the fact, and might, perhaps, have 
 thought that my hearing had deceived me, had not 
 Mortar, Bonfield, and others present declared with 
 one voice that the lion must unquestionably have 
 been hit. 
 
 “After a short interval of silence the roaring 
 
296 
 
 FRIENDSHIP OF LIONS. 
 
 again commenced, much to the left, however, of the 
 sp,ot at which I had directed my shot. We all 
 now listened anxiously for the other brute, from 
 whom, at last, there came a faint outcry, as if from 
 an animal in extreme pain. His unwounded com- 
 panion, not being able to induce him to flee, ap- 
 peared to hurry back to his aid, roaring all the 
 while most lustily. All his exertions to remove 
 his sick mate proved nevertheless unavailing, for 
 he remained still on the same spot, uttering occa- 
 sionally, instead of his accustomed haughty roar, 
 a most sickly moan. 
 
 “It was with intense impatience that I awaited 
 the break of day to give me correct information 
 respecting my night’s performances. As soon as 
 it was sufficiently light to hunt a wounded lion 
 with safety, I mustered all my dogs, and, accom- 
 panied by all my people possessed of guns, pro- 
 ceeded in search of the enemy. They were soon 
 discovered by the dogs both together, trotting slow- 
 ly away. The banks of the river at this point were 
 somewhat elevated ; I sent, therefore, most of my 
 party along their base, and chose the higher ground 
 myself. The dogs flew rapidly past me on the 
 scent, and I followed as quickly as my crippled 
 condition (being still lame from rheumatism) would 
 permit me. One of the lions was some distance 
 in the rear of the other, and I set the laggard, of 
 course, down for the brute I had wounded. Being 
 closely pursued by two of the dogs, he was brought 
 
HORRIBLE SURPRISE. 
 
A HORRIBLE SURPRISE. 
 
 299 
 
 speedily to bay. Now was my time, and, stepping 
 smartly out, I was soon within fifty paces of my 
 mark, when, stooping down, I took a deliberate aim 
 with the elephant rifle, and fired. The bullet pass- 
 ed through both the animal’s shoulders, and he fell, 
 managing, nevertheless, to raise himself on his 
 haunches, in which position, growling hideously, he 
 lashed alternately his sides and the ground furious- 
 ly with his tail. I therefore, followed by Bon field, 
 advanced farther toward him, and was about to put 
 an end to his struggles, when the other lion, who 
 had stationed himself in the rear, in a thick bush 
 a hundred yards or so off, came bounding along 
 with a ferocity of purpose in his royal countenance 
 such as I never saw matched in one of his species. 
 I was then in a kneeling posture, in a perfectly ex- 
 posed situation, about twenty yards distant from 
 his wounded companion. Charging past his crip- 
 pled mate, this infuriated brute made directly at 
 me. It was an awful moment, one that required 
 all my self-possession ; but, having implicit confi- 
 dence in my revolver rifle, I did not budge an inch. 
 Leveling at the full, broad chest of my assailant, I 
 pulled the trigger, when — imagine the horror and 
 consternation of the moment — my rifle missed fire ! 
 and missed again, and again ! His next bound or 
 two would, it seemed inevitable, bring me within 
 the monster’s gripe ; but, whether terror-stricken at 
 my defiant attitude, or at the click of my weapon, 
 he turned abruptly off to the right, and was in a 
 
300 
 
 THE PERIL OF FEAR. 
 
 few seconds back in his former hiding-place, the 
 bush, where he was lost completely to view. While 
 retreating, I once more pointed the rifle at the fugi- 
 tive, equally in vain. To what was I to attribute 
 these successive failures ? I supposed, at first, that 
 the caps had become damp from exposure to the 
 night air, but subsequently discovered an exploded 
 cap between the hammer and its passage, which had 
 prevented the former from striking with full force 
 on the nipple. Bonfield, who stood behind me at 
 the critical moment I have described, raised his gun 
 to fire at the lion the moment he commenced his 
 flight, but I stopped him at once ; for, had the beast 
 been merely wounded by the shot, he would, in all 
 probability, have vented his fury upon my defense- 
 less person. 
 
 u The reader may well imagine that a thrill of 
 dread ran through me when I found my weapon 
 so unexpectedly failing me. The charge of the 
 lion was so determined, and his eyes were fixed so 
 steadily upon me, that there could be no doubt 
 about the purpose of the brute. My escape I at- 
 tributed solely to the fact that I did not move, but 
 kept my ground. Any attempt to flee the danger 
 would most assuredly have ended fatally. 
 
 u Having put my rifle into good working order 
 again, I went in pursuit of the fugitive, first put- 
 ting a ball through the disabled animal, who was 
 still defending himself gallantly against a multitude 
 of dogs, assailing him on all sides. I was now 
 
a lion’s lament. 
 
 301 
 
 joined by the rest of my people, as well as by a 
 crowd of Damaras from the wagons, whp, on hear- 
 ing the report of the big rifle, hastened forward to 
 witness the fall of their much-dreaded enemy. The 
 hunted beast led us through many a thick bush, 
 where we expected every moment to catch a glimpse 
 of him ; but he eluded all our efforts to come up 
 with him, and fairly, as we found afterward, doubled 
 on us, returning (such tenderness can dwell in lions’ 
 bosoms) to the corpse of his now lifeless companion. 
 Evidently, however, not relishing the idea of shar- 
 ing his fate, he resumed his flight, and we were 
 never afterward able to overtake him. Seriously 
 afflicted the royal brute must really have been by 
 the loss of his friend, for on the following night he 
 returned again to the spot, and roared most sonor- 
 ously a loud lament, after which he took his depart- 
 ure, to return no more. 
 
 “On examining the dead lion, I was much sur- 
 prised to find that my night shot had hit him close 
 behind the left shoulder ; he must have been then 
 rather facing me, as the bullet had taken a diagonal 
 direction, and had thus not proved fatal. The dis- 
 tance between myself and the lion, on receiving 
 the wound, was, as I ascertained by stepping the 
 ground, somewhat more than three hundred yards. 
 I had the skin of this animal carefully removed, and 
 intend to keep it as a reminiscence of one of the 
 most extraordinary incidents of my hunting expe- 
 rience. 
 
302 
 
 A VILLAGE DEPOPULATED. 
 
 “I learned a few days afterward, from a party of 
 Damaras from the eastern side of the Omuramba, 
 the history of the two lions who had led me such 
 a chase. It would appear from this account that 
 these brutes had followed up the wagons of the Bev. 
 Messrs. Hahn and Hath from their old quarters, 
 Otjituo, and that, on reaching a village of Damaras, 
 where my reverend friends halted for the night, one 
 of them had carried off a native from this werft. 
 The animals were then traced in the direction of the 
 fountain where we found them, and where one of 
 them met with his deserts. 
 
 “The Damaras described these lions so accurate- 
 ly that there could not be a doubt about their be- 
 ing the same as those who had been long the terror 
 of this district. The smaller of the two was, they 
 assured us, the one who provided for the other; 
 they added, farther, that this daring monster has 
 been known to attack' a village, and seize no less 
 than three individuals successively in one night, re- 
 turning in the daytime, with his companion, to feast 
 upon the remains of the unfortunate victims. If 
 any credit is to be attached to the report of these 
 people, no fewer than one hundred human beings 
 had already fallen a prey to this pair of formidable 
 man-eaters. Bushmen, we were besides told, had 
 been obliged to fly the country in consequence of 
 the dreadful ravages committed on their ranks by 
 these wild beasts. A Bushman I found in this 
 locality when on my journey northward fully cor- 
 
THE MAN-SLAYER SLAIN. 
 
 303 
 
 roborated this statement. On being interrogated 
 as to whether there were any villages of his coun- 
 trymen along the Omuramba to the eastward, he 
 replied at once that they could not live there, as the 
 lions destroyed so many of them. The Damaras, 
 indeed, when speaking of these formidable foes, al- 
 ways say, ‘ Those two lions — the smaller alone kill- 
 ing the people — are known throughout this coun- 
 try (pointing north, south, east, and west), and are 
 the dread of all the Damaras and Bushmen, who 
 will, like ourselves, rejoice to hear that the man- 
 slayer is dead.’ 
 
 “Now it was of the smaller of the two animals 
 that I so happily rid the country, and I consequent- 
 ly felt more pleased at the deed than if I had killed 
 the largest bull elephant that roams the wastes of 
 Africa. I had by this act conferred a benefit on 
 my friends, the ‘children of the desert,’ and had 
 doubtless been the means of saving many from the 
 horrible fate that had of late fallen to the lot of 
 numbers of their friends and relatives. ” 
 
304 
 
 MORE LION ADVENTURES, 
 
 CHAPTER XXV, 
 
 More Lion Adventures. — A Cow carried off. — An Ambush, 
 baited by a Goat, laid for the Thief. — A Lion Hunt.- — Beat- 
 ing up the Country. — Retreat of the Enemy in a Brake. — 
 Courage of a Dog. — The Animal driven out of the Brake by 
 setting it on fire. — Cowardice of most of the Party in run- 
 ning away as soon as the Lion appears. — The Lion attacks 
 his Assailant. — A Shot takes no Effect. — Bodily Encounter 
 with the Lion. — He receives a Shot in the Shoulder while 
 struggling with his human Antagonist, who escapes. — Is 
 precipitated to the Ground by an Accident. — Tussle with 
 the Lion while on the Ground. — Terribly mutilated. — The 
 Lion shot by D while mangling his Victim. — The Nar- 
 
 rator’s Account confirmed by his runaway Party. 
 
 As only one of the terrible man-eaters had been 
 certainly destroyed, though it is not impossible the 
 brute shot by me, as already mentioned at Oman- 
 bonde, was the second, we were not without appre- 
 hension that the survivor might still be lingering 
 in the neighborhood, in which case he was pretty 
 sure to pay us a visit. At least so we thought, and 
 in the apprehension we were not altogether wrong, 
 for at least lions did ere long visit us ; whether of 
 the same species as the one so lately killed our ex- 
 perience fortunately did not inform us. As there 
 was, however, a striking incident or two in our en- 
 counter with one of these monarchs of the wilds, 1 
 will briefly relate the adventure I allude to. 
 
A COW CARRIED OFF. 
 
 305 
 
 We had one night encamped as usual, and had, 
 previous to retiring to rest, taken care to kraal our 
 beasts of burden and live-stock — a precaution omit- 
 ted on that occasion by some Damaras possessing 
 cattle, and journeying in our company under our 
 protection. For this negligence they suffered ; for, 
 on the morning following, at break of day, a bril- 
 liant moon still illuminating the sky, just as I had 
 risen and given orders for a start, I observed one 
 of the dogs darting forward at full speed, and bark- 
 ing in a most excited manner, while his alarmed and 
 startled movements indicated clearly the objects of 
 his fear, and I instantly and instinctively called out, 
 “Lions! lions! 1 ’ And a lion sure enough there 
 was, within a hundred or two yards of us, in full 
 view of our wagons and bivouac fires. The beast 
 was quietly devouring a cow which he had recently 
 slain. I could at first scarcely believe the fact. 
 How he could have caused the death of his victim 
 on a spot so perfectly exposed, within gunshot of 
 several hundred human beings, surrounded by some 
 dozens of curs, without attracting the slightest no- 
 tice, seemed to me a perfect mystery. I mentally 
 exclaimed, “Has then man no cause to fear such a 
 creature?” adding promptly, “It will be our turn 
 at you next time, old fellow, and that when you 
 least expect it.” Nor was I disappointed; for we 
 fell in with him shortly afterward in the way I am 
 about to relate. 
 
 As I had anticipated, the lion just alluded to, or 
 
 U 
 
306 AN AMBUSH BAITED BY A GOAT. 
 
 rather lions — for there were two — followed us up, 
 and on the second night after our encounter played 
 us the same trick as the one above narrated, only 
 on this occasion the victim was slain quite close to 
 our camp, though the fact, as a dense bush hid the 
 assailant from our view, was less difficult than his 
 former achievement. 
 
 Being informed of this new invasion of our folds, 
 I said to my friend, “If we do not destroy those 
 lions, they will continue to plague us ; and as they 
 have not, it is likely, had time to consume much of 
 the carcass of their last prize, they are sure to visit 
 the spot again to-night. Let us then lay an ambush 
 for them . 11 “Agreed , 11 responded my friend. Ac- 
 cordingly, a few bushes having been cut down, and 
 a sort of skarm constructed, we both ensconced our- 
 selves at nightfall therein, having first tied a goat 
 to a small bush within a few paces of our place of 
 concealment, near the spot where the cow had been 
 killed on the previous night. 
 
 The moon had just risen, but was hidden in pass- 
 ing clouds, while the denseness of the surrounding 
 bush threw a deeper gloom over objects than was 
 quite desirable. For a while we strained our eyes 
 and ears ineffectually to catch a glimpse or a sound 
 of the enemy. Suddenly my friend bent toward 
 me, and whispered in my ear, pointing straight be- 
 fore us : “Don’t you see something moving there T' 
 Now I rather pride myself on my cat-like sight in 
 the dark; but in this instance, whether it really 
 
A PRECIPITATE ADVANCE AND RETREAT. 307 
 
 failed me, or that my eyes did not exactly follow 
 the direction indicated, I saw nothing; the next 
 moment, however, the unfortunate goat began to 
 struggle desperately, and by a sort of instinct I in- 
 stantly detected the presence of the foe, as instantly 
 — as if Green’s warning had only then fallen on my 
 ear — cocking my rifle. My companion cocked his 
 almost simultaneously. And it was high time we 
 did so, for a second had not elapsed, when out 
 sprang a lion from behind a bush directly in front 
 of us, and trotted briskly up to the terrified goat, of 
 whose fate neither of us could entertain any doubt, 
 though we had determined that there should, in- 
 stead of one, be two victims on this occasion. The 
 old adage, “ There’s many a slip ’twixt the cup and 
 the lip,” was nevertheless, in this instance, rather 
 ludicrously verified ; for the brute had no sooner 
 opened his immense jaws to seize on his intended 
 prey than he perceived us, and turned on his heels 
 as quick as lightning. I was, I confess, a good deal 
 taken aback by this sudden balk, and so I believe 
 was my friend ; but our discomfiture was of short 
 duration, for the lion had scarcely retreated two or 
 three steps before both our rifles were leveled at 
 him and fired. A growl followed, and then a cloud 
 of smoke hid every thing in darkness, which lasted 
 long enough for the brute to escape out of sight. 
 “Surely,” I exclaimed, “we did not both miss.” 
 “I certainly did not hear the clap of the bullet,” 
 replied Green; “nevertheless,! think your shot 
 
308 
 
 A DEAD SHOT. 
 
 took effect, and perhaps mine too.” Had I not 
 had a long experience in night-shooting, I should, 
 in all probability, have judged differently ; but the 
 more I considered the matter, the more I felt con- 
 vinced that I had hit my mark. Indeed, a sports- 
 man of any experience knows almost to a certainty 
 when a gun fits his shoulder, however hurriedly 
 raised, whether in broad daylight or in darkness. 
 On arriving at the camp we asked the men about 
 the fugitive, but they were no wiser than ourselves. 
 We then tried, bull’s-eye lantern in hand, to obtain 
 a glimpse of his retreating spoor. In vain : the 
 hardness of the soil had left no trace of his flight, 
 neither was there any track of blood to follow up ; 
 and as it would have been next to madness to pene- 
 trate farther into the bush with such a feeble light, 
 we reluctantly abandoned our search, and threw 
 ourselves on our rude couches till the morning 
 light should enable us to renew it with better suc- 
 cess. We were fully resolved, should he not al- 
 ready have received his mortal wound, to hunt our 
 foe to death. Thanks to our trusty rifles, however, 
 we were spared farther trouble; for with the re- 
 turn of daylight the lion was discovered stone dead 
 within thirty paces of our ambuscade. Both bul- 
 lets had taken effect, mine traversing the entire 
 length of the animal’s body, penetrating lungs and 
 heart, and burying itself deep in the neck, while 
 Green’s had hit the monster, though perhaps with 
 less deadly effect, on the rump. This lion was not 
 
A LION HUNT. 
 
 309 
 
 large, but in splendid condition. My friend courte- 
 ously resigned all claim to the carcass, and its hide 
 now forms one of the spolia opima of my African 
 campaigns. 
 
 One more story about lion-hunting before I quit 
 the subject. This story was related to me by the 
 gentleman who is really, both as actor and sufferer, 
 its hero, and who exhibited, in circumstances most 
 perilous, a presence of mind and determination of 
 which, on a similar occasion, I only know one other 
 example. The narrative may then be relied upon 
 as strictly true; I have heard* it, word for word, 
 from several of the actors in, or rather the specta- 
 tors of the facts related, for such only, to their 
 shame, as the reader will presently see, they were 
 contented to remain, while their comrade was on 
 the point of being torn to pieces before their eyes 
 by an enraged lion. 
 
 “In the year 185 — said the narrator, “while 
 staying with some Europeans and Namaquas in the 
 interior of the country, several lions made their ap- 
 pearance on a certain night, and killed and carried 
 off an ox. We thereupon, on the following morn- 
 ing, determined to get up a hunt in search of the 
 marauders. Accordingly, mounted on such horses 
 and carriage-oxen as we could muster, we were soon 
 in hot pursuit of the delinquents. Having follow- 
 ed their track for a short time, we reached the spot 
 where the ox had been killed, a remnant of the car- 
 cass still remaining as a last meal. Continuing on 
 
310 
 
 LIONS IN COYER. 
 
 the spoor, we came, in about half an hour’s time, 
 upon the enemy, five in number. They were hid- 
 den, or rather sheltered in a dense reedy thicket. 
 To this we immediately set fire, while men were 
 placed round about in all directions, so as to com- 
 mand every outlet. For a long time the fire 
 crackled and hissed to no purpose ; at length the 
 brake got too hot for its inmates, and out they 
 dashed, one of them passing close to the spot where, 
 followed by a solitary dog — the only one out of 
 about forty that we could induce to follow us — I 
 had taken up my* post. Finding himself hotly 
 pressed, and with no suitable shelter before him, 
 the brute soon tacked about, retreating back to his 
 original cover. Before, however, he could reach it, 
 I fired, and apparently with effect. Yet he was 
 shortly afterward again seen escaping, and so suc- 
 cessfully this time as to take refuge in a small patch 
 of green reeds ; out of this new strong-hold it was 
 now my object to expel him, but my efforts to ef- 
 fect this proved at first quite unavailing. Once, in- 
 deed, he showed himself for a moment in a pursuit 
 of the dog, who had followed him into the reeds. 
 But, alas ! my canine follower’s bravery on this oc- 
 casion had nearly proved fatal to him, for he re- 
 ceived the contents of one of our guns, and was too 
 badly wounded to escape from the thicket. I was 
 determined, however, to extricate him at all hazards 
 from his perilous situation. Accordingly, having, 
 after much persuasion, succeeded in inducing my 
 
THE COYER IN ELAMES. 
 
 311 
 
 companions to range themselves within a short dis- 
 tance of the cover, aiid having handed my piece to 
 a by-stander, I darted into the copse, where, spy- 
 ing my poor dog, I immediately caught him up in 
 my arms, and the next moment found myself and 
 my burden in safety. I could not possibly have 
 been above a couple of paces from the lion when I 
 picked up my dog, as I am confident the whole ex- 
 tent of the reedy patch was not above thirty feet 
 square ; I did not, nevertheless, in consequence of 
 the denseness of the bush, see the brute. I only 
 heard his growl. 
 
 “Having placed my quadruped companion in 
 safety, we now ranged ourselves within pistol-shot 
 of the reeds, taking care to have a clear view all 
 around us ; we then rent the air with deafening 
 shouts, and pierced the brake with numerous bul- 
 lets. All in vain; the animal remained motion- 
 less. The fire which we had originally lighted was 
 now, however, quickly approaching the spot on 
 which all eyes were fixed, and we hoped that it 
 might effect what we had been unable to accom- 
 plish, when, to our great vexation and disappoint- 
 ment, a slight veering of the wind drove the flames 
 in another direction. "We should now have been 
 fairly baffled if the ingenuity of a Berg Damara 
 had not come to our aid. Collecting a quantity 
 of dry reeds, with other inflammable matter, and 
 setting fire to the same, this intelligent native seized 
 the fagots at one end, and, running at the top of his 
 
312 
 
 A PANIC. 
 
 speed, hurled the whole lighted mass into the very 
 centre of the lion’s hiding-place. The effect was 
 almost instantaneous, for in a very few minutes aft- 
 erward we had the satisfaction of seeing the enemy 
 dash through the flames. It had been previously 
 agreed on that, upon his first appearance, those who 
 possessed double-barreled guns should fire only one 
 barrel, reserving the other for the charge, should he 
 turn upon us. The mere sight, however, of the 
 lion seems to have so frightened several of our par- 
 ty that their barrels were indiscriminately fired in 
 every direction, and some even blazed away in the 
 empty air. 
 
 u On receiving our fire the animal made straight 
 for us, on which every one, with the exception of 
 Mr. S and myself, took to his heels. The for- 
 
 mer gentleman, who had never seen a lion in its 
 wild state, became so terrified that he was unable 
 either to fire or to attempt to make his escape. He 
 remained fixed and motionless on the spot, like one 
 entranced. I had by this time taken a few steps 
 backward, yet without ever averting my eyes from 
 our foe, who, having approached to within a few 
 
 paces of S , prepared himself to make the fatal 
 
 spring. I had already fired when he burst out of 
 his cover ; but one barrel still remained to me, and, 
 seeing my friend’s imminent danger, I no longer 
 hesitated. Clapping the gun to my shoulder, I 
 took a steady aim at the side of his head ; unfor- 
 tunately, just as I pulled the trigger, he made a 
 
A FRIGHTFUL ACCIDENT. 
 
 313 
 
 slight movement, and the consequence was that, 
 instead of smashing his skull, the bullet merely 
 grazed it, passing in the same manner all along the 
 left side of his body. Quick as thought, the en- 
 raged animal left his first intended victim, and 
 turned with a ferocious growl upon me. To escape 
 was impossible ; I thrust, therefore, no other re- 
 source being left me, the muzzle of my gun into the 
 extended jaws opened to devour me. In a moment 
 the weapon was demolished. My fate seemed in- 
 evitable, when, just at this critical juncture, I was 
 
 unexpectedly rescued. D fired, and broke the 
 
 lion’s shoulder. He fell, and, taking advantage of 
 this lucky incident, I scampered away at full speed. 
 But my assailant had not yet done with me. De- 
 spite his crippled condition, he soon overtook me. 
 At that moment I was looking over my shoulder, 
 when, unhappily, a creeper caught my foot, and I 
 was precipitated headlong to the ground. In an- 
 other instant the lion had transfixed my right foot 
 with his murderous fangs. Finding, however, my 
 4 left foot disengaged, I gave the brute a severe kick 
 on the head, which compelled him for a few seconds 
 to suspend his attack. He next seized my left leg, 
 on which I repeated the former dose on his head 
 with my right foot ; he once more, thereupon, let 
 go his hold, but seized my right foot for a second 
 time. Shortly afterward he dropped the foot and 
 grasped my right thigh, gradually working his way 
 up to my hip, where he endeavored to plant his 
 
314 DEATH-GRAPPLE WITH A LION. 
 
 claws. In this he partially succeeded, tearing, in 
 the attempt, my trowsers and body-linen, and graz- 
 ing the skin of my body. Knowing that if he got 
 a firm hold of me here it would surely cost me my 
 life, I quickly seized him by his two ears, and, with 
 a desperate effort, managed to roll him over on his 
 side, which gave me a moment’s respite. He next 
 laid hold of my left hand, which he bit through 
 and through, smashing the wrist, and tearing my 
 right hand seriously. I was now totally helpless, 
 and must inevitably have fallen a speedy victim to 
 his fury had not prompt assistance been at hand. 
 In my prostrate position I observed, and a gleam 
 of hope sprung up, D advancing quickly to- 
 
 ward me. The lion saw him too, and, with one of 
 his paws on my wounded thigh, throwing his ears 
 well back, he couched, ready to spring at his new 
 
 assailant. Now, if D had fired, in my present 
 
 position I should have run great risk of being hit 
 by the bullet ; I hallooed out to him, therefore, to 
 wait until I could veer my head a little. In time 
 I succeeded, and the next instant I heard the click 
 of a gun, but no report. Another moment, and a 
 well-directed ball, taking effect in his forehead, laid 
 the lion a corpse alongside my own bruised and 
 mutilated body. Quick as lightning, I now sprang 
 to my feet, and darted forward toward my compan- 
 ions, whom I saw at no great distance. Once or 
 twice I felt excessively faint, but managed, never- 
 theless, to keep my head up. 
 
V 
 
DEATH-GRAPPLE WITH A LION. 
 
MUTILATION AND RESCUE. 
 
 317 
 
 u No sooner had D so successfully finished 
 
 the lion than he mounted a horse hard by, and gal- 
 loped off in the direction of our camp. In the 
 mean time I was lifted on to a tame ox, which was 
 led by a man preceding us. At about half way to 
 
 our camp D and B came to meet me, 
 
 bringing with them, to refresh me, some water and 
 a bottle of eau de Cologne. A drinking-cup we 
 had not, but the crown of a wide-awake hat was a 
 good substitute for one, and I drank the mixture 
 of the two liquids greedily off. A few minutes aft- 
 erward we were met by some of the servants carry- 
 ing a door. Exchanging then my ox for this more 
 commodious conveyance, I was carefully borne into 
 camp. , Up to this time I had retained perfect self- 
 possession, but the moment my wounds were wash- 
 ed and dressed I swooned, and for three entire weeks 
 remained in a state of complete unconsciousness. 
 I have since perfectly recovered my health, but, as 
 you see, I am totally crippled in my left arm. 
 
 “I must not omit to mention that my brave dog, 
 although shot through one of his fore legs, on see- 
 ing the lion rush upon me, came forward at the best 
 of his speed, and, in his turn, sprang upon my 
 grim assailant, and clung desperately to him until 
 D ’s bullet put an end to the combat.” 
 
318 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 Introduction. — Saldanha Bay. — St. Helen’s Bay. — The Berg 
 River. — Lambert’s Cove. — Cape Donkin and Donkin’s Bay. 
 — The Oliphant River. — Mitchell’s Bay. — Hondeklipp Bay. 
 — The Koussie River. — Cape Yoltas.— Homewood and Pea- 
 cock Harbors. — Alexander Bay. — The Orange River : De- 
 scription, Scenery, precious Stones ; central Course unknown. 
 — Boundary of British Dominions. — Angras Juntas. — Pos- 
 session Island. — Elizabeth Bay. — Angra Pequena. — Pedes- 
 tal Point. — Robert Harbor. — Ichaboe. — Hottentot Bay. — 
 Rae’s Bay. — Spencer’s Bay. — Mercury Island. — Hollam’s 
 Bird Isle. — Sandwich Harbor. 
 
 As the present work professes, cursorily at least, 
 to treat geographical subjects, it may be proper for 
 me briefly to describe the west coast of Southern 
 Africa, i. 6 ., that part of it extending from the Cape 
 of Good Hope to Benguela — a country with which 
 I myself am somewhat acquainted, inasmuch as I 
 have often visited and examined its rivers, bays, 
 harbors, islands, etc. It must be borne in mind, 
 however, that the greater part of this coast is still 
 but imperfectly known and surveyed, and that, n<?t 
 having the means of delineating it with the accu- 
 racy and detail that would be desirable, I must con- 
 tent myself with laying before my readers such in- 
 formation about it as I myself have been able per- 
 sonally to acquire and collect. 
 
AUTHORITIES CONSULTED. 
 
 319 
 
 The authorities I have chiefly consulted are Cap- 
 tain Owen, R.N. ; Bennet; Findlay; Captain Mes- 
 sum ; and Captain Morrell, of the United States, 
 who some years ago published a book descriptive 
 of various sealing voyages along the coast of Africa 
 and elsewhere. 
 
 I must premise that, in quoting from this last- 
 named explorer, I have been much on my guard ; 
 for, though on many points, more especially such 
 as relate to charts of the coast, he is very accurate, 
 yet on others — and this remark particularly applies 
 to his descriptions of inland localities, scenery, and 
 the like — he is a somewhat unsafe guide ; so much 
 so that, had I not been intimately acquainted with 
 the countries of which he speaks, I might have been 
 led into very serious errors. 
 
 In Captain Messum, on the other hand, to whom 
 I am chiefly indebted for the information I possess 
 respecting that portion of the west coasts lying be- 
 tween, Walwich Bay and Benguela (a part of some 
 importance and very little known), I place every 
 confidence. Captain Messum was for many years 
 occupied in exploring this coast for guano and other 
 valuable products, during which time he surveyed 
 the whole marine tract, from Table Bay to the Por- 
 tuguese settlements, and has, besides affording me 
 much verbal and written information, kindly placed 
 at my disposal a chart of all his explorations from 
 Walwich Bay to the Cape. Unfortunately, how- 
 ever, time and circumstances prevented the comple- 
 
320 
 
 SALDANHA BAT. 
 
 tion of this chart. I have, therefore, not thought 
 it advisable to introduce it in a separate form, but 
 have merely added it to my own map. (See “Lake 
 Ngami.’’) 
 
 Sailing northward from Table Bay, at about sev- 
 enty miles from the Cape of Good Hope, the first 
 commodious, indeed, the only safe port within the 
 boundary of the colony on this side is Saldanha 
 Bay. This bay, nearly three miles broad (between 
 33° 3 ; and 33° 6' S. lat.), runs through a ridge of 
 granite which extends north and south throughout 
 its whole length — that is, about fifteen miles. It 
 affords excellent anchorage to ships of every size, 
 and may be safely entered with all winds and at all 
 seasons of the year. 
 
 “On entering, ” says Morrell, “this well-protect- 
 ed harbor, attention should be paid to the following 
 circumstances and localities : On the north of its 
 entrance is a small island called c Mallagassen and 
 on the south, in a bend of the land, near the shore, 
 is another named Jutten. Two miles eastward of 
 the first-mentioned island is a third, called Marcus. 
 Each of these islands has a reef, which juts off from 
 its shore about a cable’s length ; and as all three 
 of them are low, and can be seen but at a short dis- 
 tance, accuracy in the vessel’s latitude is very requi- 
 site. The widest passage, and the best for stran- 
 gers, is on the south of the Marcus island, which 
 may be passed within forty fathoms.” 
 
 The northern portion of Saldanha, called Hoetjes 
 
 i 
 
GAME AND FISH IN ABUNDANCE. 
 
 321 
 
 Bay, has no fresh water, which may be obtained, 
 however, at no very great distance, and in any quan- 
 tity. Besides, in the year 1841, a spring was dis- 
 covered on a small island named the Schaapen, 
 which, having been cleansed, yielded, according to 
 Findlay, no less than ten gallons a minute, or 
 144,000 gallons in twenty-four hours. 
 
 Several farmers reside in the neighborhood of 
 Saldanha Bay, from whom fruits, vegetables, and 
 refreshments of various kinds may be obtained on 
 short notice and at moderate prices. Game, such 
 as small antelopes, hares, partridges, etc., are found 
 in great numbers in the vicinity. The bay itself, 
 moreover, abounds in numerous varieties of fish, of 
 which many have an excellent flavor. At certain 
 seasons the Boers resort to this place with their 
 nets for the purpose of catching and curing large 
 draughts of the finny tribe, which they either con- 
 sume themselves or sell to inland neighbors. For 
 ships that require refreshments few places offer bet- 
 ter accommodations than Saldanha Bay. 
 
 From this bay northward the coast is rugged, 
 and beset with rocks stretching a good way from 
 the shore, which makes the navigation both intri- 
 cate and dangerous. The next place of importance 
 is St. Helena Bay, formed by Point St. Martin 
 (which projects from the coast in a N.W. direction) 
 on the south, and Cape Deseada on the north, the 
 distance between the two being nine leagues. The 
 bay itself is about four leagues deep, running E. and 
 
 X 
 
322 ST. HELENA BAY. — THE BERG RIVER. 
 
 S.E. toward the head of the harbor, or south shore. 
 The soundings, from twenty to four fathoms, are 
 very regular. 
 
 St. Helena Bay is by far the largest indentation 
 in this part of the coast, but, though well sheltered 
 from S.E. winds, is quite open to the N.W. Nev- 
 ertheless, from the great depth of the water, the 
 wind seldom reaches the interior of the port with 
 sufficient force to injure a vessel at any season of 
 the year. It is high water here at 2 h ‘ 3CT P. M. 
 
 At the opening of the bay stands a huge rock, 
 called the Britannia, and in the bay itself the Pa- 
 ternosters. The country in the background is rath- 
 er mountainous ; the Piquet Berg is indeed very 
 conspicuous from its height. From this mountain 
 a river discharges itself into St. Helena Bay, but, 
 like all other water-sheds in this neighborhood, its 
 entrance is crossed by a bar, which is constantly 
 shifting. Once within this barrier, however, the 
 stream, which takes its rise in the mountains that 
 inclose the vale of Drakenstein, is navigable by 
 small craft for from about fifteen to twenty miles. 
 Its water is very pure and wholesome, and more 
 than one vessel used, in former times, to stop here 
 to replenish their empty butts. Casks may be float- 
 ed about five miles up with the flood, and then filled 
 and floated back to the ship with very little trouble. 
 
 Hippopotami are said to have once abounded 
 (one or two still exist there) in the BergBiver. The 
 Dutch government, in order to preserve this animal 
 
Lambert's cove. — oliphant river. 323 
 
 in the colony, imposed a fine of a thousand guilders 
 on any person that should put one of them to death. 
 
 From St. Helena Bay the coast is open and al- 
 most free from danger. Pursuing a N. N. W. course 
 from Cape Deseada, which is a low, sandy beach in 
 front of bluff sand-hills, one comes next upon Lam- 
 bert’s Cove. The entrance to this little shelter, for 
 about a mile, is from the N. to the S.S.E. Small 
 vessels can anchor here in perfect safety in three 
 fathoms’ water. Many loads of grain are annually 
 embarked at this place for the Cape market. 
 
 Hence, and steering about the same course, Cape 
 Donkin is reached in lat. 31° 54' S. This cape is 
 the south point of a small bay of the same name, 
 within which vessels may find partial anchorage, 
 with a sandy bottom, in from ten to six fathoms 
 of water. 
 
 About four leagues to the northward of Donkin’s 
 Bay is the Oliphant (or Elephant) Biver, which de- 
 bouches in the Atlantic in lat. 31° 38' S. Except 
 in summer, the anchorage here is dangerous ; and, 
 if I am not mistaken, more than one wreck has oc- 
 curred on this spot. The entrance to the bay is 
 blocked up by a bar of sand with only about two 
 feet of water on it, and, as a westerly swell is con- 
 stantly “ heaving in” on the coast, there are gener- 
 ally heavy breakers on the bar. Like the Berg 
 River, however, once within, there is plenty of wa- 
 ter, and the stream is navigable for a short distance. 
 “This river,” says Morrell, “enters from the south, 
 
324 
 
 MITCHELLS BAY. HONDEKLIPP BAY. 
 
 running N. N. W. for about two miles, when it turns 
 to the E. and E.S.E., carrying a strong current of 
 water for a long distance inland. If there could be 
 a passage cut through the bar at the mouth of this 
 river, it would be the finest harbor on the west 
 coast of Africa. 1 ’ 
 
 Fish is found plentifully in the Oliphant Fiver ; 
 and at no very remote period huge elephants, as 
 may be inferred from the name, frequented its sandy 
 banks. 
 
 Farther north, and near the mouth of the Spoek 
 Fiver, is Foodenall, or Mitchell’s Bay, a small cove 
 surrounded by cliffs of red sandstone, affording fair 
 anchorage for small craft. 
 
 Near the mouth of the Zwarte Lintjie Fiver lies 
 Hondeklipp Bay, which is only accessible to schoon- 
 ers and other small craft — vessels employed chiefly 
 in carrying to the Cape the copper ore brought 
 down from the interior. This bay, which is very 
 unsafe, has been the scene of several wrecks with- 
 in a very few years. From its proximity to the 
 copper-mines, it has, however, much commercial im- 
 portance. 
 
 The Koussie or Kowsie, not long ago the bound- 
 ary of the colony, enters the sea at about lat. 29° 
 40 7 S. The water of this river is, for a distance 
 of ten to fifteen miles inland, perfectly salt ; and, 
 though its channel is accessible to boats, it fre- 
 quently happens that its mouth is closed up by a 
 bar of sand. 
 
HOMEWOOD AND PEACOCK HARBORS. 325 
 
 Cape Yoltas of the Portuguese, a high bluff point 
 projecting into the sea, with several outlying rocks 
 to the west of it, next arrests attention. From 
 Point St. Martin to this cape the coast is open, 
 and almost free from clanger to within half a mile 
 of the land. 
 
 South of Cape Voltas, anchorage, though much 
 exposed, is to be found in a small bay in the neigh- 
 borhood. Immediately to the north, again, we have 
 Homewood and Peacock Harbors, and Alexander 
 Bay; all, however, small, open, and affording but 
 very indifferent anchorage. I once nearly suffered 
 shipwreck in the last-named bay, which, notwith- 
 standing its present deficiencies, may, from its prox- 
 imity to the Ovambo Biver, and the lately discover- 
 ed copper-mines in the vicinity, become some day a 
 place of considerable importance. It would neither 
 be very troublesome nor very expensive to make it 
 a safe and commodious haven. 
 
 Between Cape Yoltas and the Orange Biver the 
 coast is strewn with immense quantities of drift- 
 wood, carried down by that stream to the sea, and 
 thrown back on the beach by the waves of the At- 
 lantic. The land is very low, sandy, barren, and 
 desolate, characteristics it retains a long way in- 
 land. It afterward swells into gentle undulations, 
 and at last rises into lofty hills, which stand out in 
 bold relief on each side of the river. 
 
 We now come to one of the most important, as 
 well as one of the most interesting objects on the 
 
326 
 
 THE ORANGE RIVER. 
 
 map of South Africa, the Orange River, or the 
 Garip, as it is called by the natives. Traversing 
 the great continent from east to west, divided in its 
 upper course into three considerable branches — the 
 Nu, Ky, and Maap (the black, yellow, and muddy) 
 — the waters of this river, rolling down from a lofty 
 mountain range to the ocean, intersect a distance of 
 upward of one thousand, while they drain a basin 
 of no less than one hundred thousand square miles. 
 Unfortunately, however, like nearly every other 
 river on the coast, its mouth is blocked up almost 
 totally by a bar of sand, against which the waves of 
 the Atlantic beat with great violence. Its entrance 
 has even more than once, within the memory of the 
 present generation, been closed up entirely, whereby 
 a sudden inundation, overflooding the country, has 
 given it the appearance of a vast lake. Near its 
 embouchure this river expands to a breadth of 
 about four miles, and is dotted over with numerous 
 reedy isles. 
 
 Of the Orange River that portion alone is navi- 
 gable which very nearly adjoins the sea, and then 
 only for small craft, and at certain periods of the 
 year ; in the dry season shoals and sand-banks are 
 every where visible in its channel. Even higher 
 up the navigation is frequently impeded by rapids 
 and waterfalls, some of which are very grand and 
 beautiful. 
 
 Mr. Thompson, the South African traveler, has 
 thus described the impression a first view of one of 
 these cataracts made on him : 
 
A MAGNIFICENT CATARACT. 
 
 327 
 
 “At length we halted, and the next moment I 
 was led to a projecting rock, where a scene burst 
 upon me far surpassing my most sanguine expecta- 
 tions. The whole water of the river (except what 
 escapes by the subsidiary channel we had crossed, 
 and by a similar one on the north side), being pre- 
 viously confined to a bed of scarcely one hundred 
 feet in breadth, descends at once in this place in a 
 magnificent cascade of fully four hundred feet in 
 height. I stood upon a cliff nearly level with the 
 top of the fall, and directly in front of it. The 
 beams of the evening sun fell full upon the cascade, 
 and occasioned a most splendid rainbow ; while the 
 vapory spray arising from the broken waters, the 
 bright green woods which hung, as it were, from 
 the surrounding peaks, the astounding roar of the 
 waterfall, and the tumultuous boiling and hissing 
 of the headlong flood, rending and crushing its way 
 through precipitous cliffs, then striving with agony 
 to escape along its deep, dark, and narrow cavities, 
 formed altogether a combination of beauty and 
 grandeur such as I have never before witnessed. 
 As I gazed on this stupendous spectacle, the fol- 
 lowing splendid lines from Childe Harold burst 
 spontaneously from my lips : 
 
 “ 4 The roar of waters ! from the headlong height 
 Yelino cleaves the wave- worn precipice; 
 
 The fall of waters ! rapid as the light 
 The flashing mass foams shaking the abyss ; 
 
 The hell of waters ! where they howl and hiss, 
 
328 
 
 THE ORANGE RIVER. 
 
 And boil in endless torture ; while the sweat 
 Of their great agony, wrung out from this 
 Their Phlegethon, curls round the rocks of jet 
 That gird the gulf around, in pitiless horror set, 
 
 “ 4 And mounts in spray the skies, and thence again 
 Returns in an unceasing shower, which round, 
 
 With its unemptied cloud of gentle rain, 
 
 Is an eternal April to the ground, 
 
 Making it all one emerald : how profound 
 The gulf! and how the giant element 
 From rock to rock leaps with delirious bound, 
 
 Crushing the cliffs, which, downward worn and rent 
 With his fierce footsteps, yield in chasms a fearful vent.’ ” 
 
 Notwithstanding the barren and arid nature of 
 the ground about the lower course of the Orange 
 River, it is an exceedingly fine stream, and becomes 
 more and more so as one ascends its current to the 
 eastward. “The Orange River here,” says the 
 Rev. Mr. Mofifat, “presents the appearance of a 
 plain, miles in breadth, entirely covered, as it were, 
 with mimosa-trees, among which the many branches 
 of the river run, and then tumble over the preci- 
 pices, raising clouds of mist when there is any 
 volume of water.” Again: “All those who have 
 had the good fortune to see the Garip,” writes Sir 
 James Alexander, “agree in praising its beauty — 
 its broad stream at one time rushing tumultuously 
 over a rocky and shelving bed, now spreading out 
 into a translucent lake, then hurrying over a rock 
 four hundred feet high, thus forming a grand cata- 
 ract, which sweeps in its course round numerous 
 
THE ORANGE RIVER. 
 
 329 
 
 islands, some of them inhabited by banditti, and 
 others by hippopotami. 1 ’ 
 
 The banks of this mighty stream are indeed every 
 where clothed with a broad belt of thorn and mi- 
 mosas, with willow and a species of rhus and ebony, 
 and are quite alive with the notes of birds ; while 
 the strangely wild and fantastic-shaped hills, which 
 so frequently involve the river in their embraces, 
 form one of the most picturesque and exciting 
 scenes it is possible to conceive. 
 
 Even Burchell appears to have been in raptures 
 with the Orange River: “The first view to which 
 I happened to turn myself in looking at the 
 stream,” says that distinguished traveler, “realized 
 those ideas of elegant and classic scenery, at once 
 fantastic and romantic, which are created in the 
 minds of poets. The waters of the majestic river, 
 flowing in a broad expanse resembling a smooth 
 translucent lake, seemed with their gentle waves 
 to kiss the shore and bid it farewell forever, as they 
 glided past in their way to the restless ocean, bear- 
 ing on their limpid bosom the image of their wood- 
 clothed banks, while the drooping willows leaned 
 over the tide, as if unwilling to lose it, and the long 
 pendent branches, dipping their leafy twigs in the 
 stream, seemed fain to follow.” 
 
 Almost from our earliest acquaintance with this 
 river rumors were rife, and they still prevail, of the 
 existence of precious stones in its bed, but I believe 
 there is no well-attested instances of any having 
 
330 BOUNDARY OF OUR COLONY ON THE WEST. 
 
 been found there. It abounds, it is true, in opals, 
 agates, carndlians, etc., of every hue and form, but, 
 though often very beautifully variegated, these cu- 
 rious pebbles are coarse and imperfect. Cart-loads 
 of them might be collected in some parts of the 
 river in a very few hours. 
 
 In its lower course the banks of the Orange 
 River consist of sand, clay, and mica, intermixed 
 with very considerable portions of oxide of iron ; 
 the latter, in a particular form, has been mistaken 
 for pulverized rubies ! 
 
 Until quite lately our knowledge of the central 
 course of this stream was very scanty. Mr. Moffat, 
 son of the worthy and well-known missionary of 
 that name, has, however, very recently followed its 
 course from its junction with the Vaal to the sea, 
 and, I am informed, sketched a very interesting and 
 instructive chart of his explorations. 
 
 During the guano fever (of which more anon), 
 the British government at the Cape, in order to 
 secure to themselves the right of granting licenses 
 to the crowds of adventurers that flocked to this 
 coast in search of guano, endeavored to prove that 
 the English dominion really extended as far as the 
 Portuguese settlements ; but it is now known that 
 the Orange River is the boundary of our colony on 
 the west coast. 
 
 “ Beyond this boundary, and at the place called 
 Angras Juntas,” says Morrell, “there is a small 
 bend in the land, a mile and a half wide where it 
 
PLUM-PUDDING. ALBATROSS. POSSESSION. 331 
 
 commences, running about a mile to the eastward. 
 Here, when the wind is southerly, ships may find 
 tolerable shelter. There is also a small rock that 
 stands about two miles to the S.W. of this point 
 which has deep water all round it. 
 
 “At the entrance of this bay there are fourteen 
 fathoms of water, which gradually lessen to five 
 within about half a mile from the land. The bot- 
 tom is sandy. The best anchorage is under the 
 south shore (one fourth of a mile from the point 
 to the S.W.), in six fathoms of water. 11 This is 
 the account given of it by Morrell; but Captain 
 Messum, who visited the spot at a much later pe- 
 riod, informs me that the cove has since filled up. 
 
 Hence, with the exception of a few small islets, 
 or rather rocks, viz., the “Plum-pudding, 11 and the 
 “Albatross, 11 there are scarcely any more points to 
 be noticed on the coast until we arrive at the “Pos- 
 session, 11 an island situated (according to Captain 
 Owen) in 26° 56' 30" S. lat. This island, about 
 three miles in length and one in width, has been 
 long known to navigators for its good anchorage 
 and as a depository for guano — a manure which at 
 one time abounded there. The place was formerly 
 a favorite resort of seals. It affords at present a 
 good shelter, as I have said, to vessels at all sea- 
 sons, though the navigation is not without danger ; 
 for there are sunken rocks off its south point, and 
 a reef, about three miles in extent, projects from its 
 N.E. extremity, over which the sea often breaks 
 
332 ELIZABETH BAY. ANGLIA PEQUENA. 
 
 with great fury. The rocks and reefs, however, to 
 the eastward, keep the sea pretty well out of the 
 harbor. Between the extreme points of this reef 
 and the main land the channel is three miles wide, 
 with a depth of water of from eleven to seven fath- 
 oms, and with a sandy bottom, making altogether a 
 safe haven. It is much exposed, nevertheless, both 
 to northerly and southerly winds. On the east side 
 is a landing-place for boats. Ships intending to 
 anchor while the south winds are fresh should ap- 
 proach the anchorage from the south, and leave it 
 by the opposite passage. 
 
 In the months of August, September, and Oc- 
 tober, vast quantities of penguins’ eggs may be ob- 
 tained in this island; along its shores there is at 
 all times an abundance of fish of excellent quality. 
 
 Elizabeth Bay, a small indentation of the coast, 
 is exactly fronted by Possession Island. u Between 
 this place and Cape Voltas there are many small 
 islets and reefs, lying half a mile from the shore, 
 but at double that distance from the land there are 
 no dangers to be encountered, and ships, if becalm- 
 ed, may anchor five miles from the coast in from 
 fifteen to twenty fathoms, on a sandy bottom : these 
 soundings extend along the whole range of coast.” 
 
 About five leagues north of “Possession,” in lat. 
 26° 38' S., Angra Pequena (a small bay) forms a 
 very conspicuous break in the coast. The extrem- 
 ity of the little peninsula forming the southern por- 
 tion of this harbor is called Pedestal Point (lat. 
 
THE NATIVES VICTIMS TO BRANDY. 333 
 
 26° 38' S.). It derives its name from a marble 
 pedestal, said to have been erected here by Bar- 
 tholomew Diaz in 1486. This monument of the 
 perseverance and skill of that great navigator has, 
 however, long since disappeared; the tradition is 
 that it was destroyed by some ignorant or mischiev- 
 ous person, in the hope of finding treasures beneath 
 its foundation. 
 
 The aspect of Angra Pequena is as dreary and 
 melancholy as it is possible to conceive. Scarcely 
 a vestige of vegetation is to be found within some 
 miles of the place ; dry sand and rocks, time-worn 
 and buffeted by centuries of bad weather, constitute 
 the whole landscape. Moreover, there is no fresh 
 water to be had here. To remedy this deficiency, 
 an attempt was made, some time ago, to sink a 
 well in one of the granite rocks, but the task proved 
 a failure. Yet, despite these disadvantages, Angra 
 has long been resorted to by traders, who have a 
 depot here, which is occasionally visited by the na- 
 tives of the interior, who bring with them for sale 
 cattle, fur skins, ostrich feathers, etc. For these 
 goods they receive in exchange clothing, tobacco, 
 guns, ammunition, etc., but more especially spirits, 
 to which the Namaquas, who have once tasted the 
 fiery liquid, are fearfully addicted ; they will sacri- 
 fice their last ox or sheep to procure intoxicating 
 drinks. Indeed, this portion of the country, which 
 never could boast of much wealth, has been nearly 
 ruined by brandy. 
 
334 THE SEAL. THE SHARK. ROBERT HARBOR; 
 
 The sailors of the different whaling, sealing, and 
 guano ships that have touched at Angra for fresh 
 provisions have frequently, it is affirmed, taken ad- 
 vantage of this failing of the natives to cheat them 
 of their property in the most scandalous manner. 
 By promises (probably never intended to be kept) 
 of presents, etc., they have been in the habit of in- 
 ducing the poor savages to come on board with 
 their cattle, when, either by frightening them to 
 part with their live-stock for trifles, or by making 
 them drunk, they usually contrived to take posses- 
 sion of the property of their simple guests, and to 
 send them on shore without any remuneration. 
 
 There are several islands about Angra Pequena, 
 such as the “Penguin,” the “Seal,” the “Shark, 1 * 
 etc. (none exceeding a mile in length), which, to- 
 gether with the neighboring bays and inlets, afford 
 most excellent anchorage. 
 
 “Between the main land, Penguin and Shark 
 Island, Robert Harbor has also a good sheltered an- 
 chorage, in five fathoms of water, with clay bottom. 
 This harbor may be entered and left with perfect 
 safety, either from the N. or S. end of Penguin Isl- 
 and, but the southern entrance is to be preferred. 
 The best situation to cast anchor is on the east side 
 of the bay, near its centre, about two cables 1 length 
 from the shore, leaving a single rock that lies level 
 with the surface of the water, and nearly in mid- 
 channel, about half a mile to the north of this pas- 
 
A SPECULATION ABANDONED. ICHABOE. 335 
 
 At Angra Pequena, before noon, light northerly 
 winds are prevalent, and in the afternoon fresh 
 S. W. breezes. At 2 h ‘ 30 m ' P.M. on full and change 
 of moon it is high water ; the spring tides rise eight 
 feet. 
 
 Many years ago specimens of copper ore were 
 discovered in the neighborhood of Angra Pequena, 
 and a company was shortly afterward formed in 
 England for the purpose of working the supposed 
 mines ; after some time and much money had been 
 expended, the speculation was found, however, to 
 be a losing one, and the establishment was in con- 
 sequence broken up. 
 
 From Angra Pequena a dangerous reef extends 
 along the coast to near the island of Ichaboe (lat. 
 26° 18' S.) — once so famous for its guano, of which 
 more anon. 
 
 The first place one meets of any consequence after 
 leaving this reef is Ichaboe itself. Hottentot Bay, 
 which is situated about fifteen miles north of that 
 island, is spacious and well-sheltered from the pre- 
 vailing southerly winds. It has a moderate depth 
 of water, gradually shallowing toward the shores ; 
 the bottom is a mixture of clay and sand, and forms, 
 in consequence, most excellent holding-ground. In 
 the summer time a vessel may be hove down here 
 with ease. 
 
 On the authority of Captain Livingstone, it is 
 stated that an excellent bay, not previously marked 
 in any chart, was discovered by Mr. P. Eae, master 
 
336 
 
 RAE BAY. 
 
 of the “ Gallovidia” schooner, in 1844. It has been 
 called by the name of its discoverer ; its position 
 is laid down in lat. 26° 8' S. 
 
 “This bay,” says Mr. Findlay, “is three and a 
 half miles long, with a breadth of about three miles. 
 A point, somewhat similar to that which runs out 
 to the southward of Ichaboe, stretches out from the 
 main land, and shelters the haven from the south- 
 ward. It forms, on the whole, a secure anchorage, 
 having a clean bottom of blue sand and mud, with 
 gradual and regular soundings of from eleven to 
 three and a half fathoms. 
 
 “The point just alluded to is in part rocky and 
 cliffy, but near the main land low and sandy, so 
 that Ichaboe may be seen from the mast-head of 
 even a moderate-sized vessel anchored here. On 
 the south side of the bay is a small islet or rock, 
 and a reef connected with the shore. 
 
 L c A reef also, partly rock and partly sand, ex- 
 tends from the point to the westward. It has two 
 fathoms water almost close to the point, but may 
 be considered as dangerous for a mile and a half 
 farther on, or even in eight fathoms water, where 
 the sea has been seen to break heavily on the bar. 
 This bay is completely sheltered from the S.W., 
 round by south and east to the N.W., and may 
 afford a refuge to any vessel overrunning Ichaboe 
 harbor, and till a favorable opportunity occurs of 
 returning to that island. ” 
 
 Near the 26th degree of S. lat. — between lat. 
 
spencer's BAY. MERCURY ISLAND. 337 
 
 25° 40' and 25° 45' S. — lies Spencer’s Bay, which 
 presents toward its south point several high-peaked 
 rocks, almost six hundred feet perpendicular at the 
 water’s edge. This bay, with a rocky bottom, and 
 scarcely any shelter from the sea, is, when a strong 
 southerly wind prevails, a very unsafe place of an- 
 chorage. In July and August it is frequented by 
 whales. 
 
 Nearly at the middle of the entrance to Spencer’s 
 Bay, at about three quarters of a mile from the 
 S.W. point, and at one mile and a half from the 
 N.E. end, the voyager comes upon Mercury Island. 
 This is a bleak, rugged rock, of an oblong shape, 
 about one mile in circumference, bearing N. and 
 S., and rising about two hundred feet above the 
 level of the sea, which at times beats against its 
 sides with indescribable fury. In the face of this 
 rock there is an immense cavern, into which the sea 
 rushes through several apertures or rents, causing 
 thereby an awful noise and commotion. 
 
 This rock is the favorite resort of the penguin, 
 the gannet, and other birds ; seals also haunt it in 
 abundance. 
 
 Considerable quantities of guano have been 
 brought away from Mercury Island, and merchants 
 at the Cape continue still to draw from it small 
 supplies, though the manure is said to be of a very 
 indifferent quality. On one of my voyages up the 
 coast I visited the place, which was then occupied 
 by some laborers stationed there to collect guano. 
 
 Y 
 
338 
 
 hollam’s bird isle. 
 
 It is impossible to conceive any thing more wild 
 and dreary than this isolated spot, and nothing 
 but the hope of great profits could, I imagine, ever 
 induce men to imprison themselves in so wretched 
 a dungeon ; a sentence of transportation could not 
 certainly be more severe and more penal than the 
 banishment and confinement the guano gatherers 
 impose upon themselves. 
 
 Between Spencer’s and Walwich Bay, at about 
 nine miles from the main land, we next encounter 
 Hollam’s Bird Isle, situated in lat. 24° 37' S. This 
 is a small rocky island, not above a quarter of a 
 mile in circumference, possessing hut very indiffer- 
 ent anchorage at its northern extremity, while a, 
 reef of rocks, on which the waves frequently break 
 heavily, runs out in a S.W. direction. Indeed, 
 there is almost always much sea hereabouts, which 
 renders landing difficult and even dangerous. 
 
 During the months of July and August, the reef 
 just spoken of is frequented by numbers of those 
 whales which seafaring men term the u right whale. ” 
 Whalers were, and I believe are still, in the habit 
 of occasionally resorting to the islet ; and, if pro- 
 vided with chain cables, may lie at anchor on the 
 north side of it (in ten fathoms water) the whole 
 season. 
 
 Hollam’s Bird Isle is largely resorted to by pen- 
 guins, gannets, and seals. A few turtles are also 
 reported to frequent the east side of it, where the 
 beach is of a sandy nature. 
 
SANDWICH HARBOR. 
 
 339 
 
 Sandwich Harbor — the Porto d’llheo of the 
 Portuguese, in lat. 23° S., or about thirteen leagues 
 fromWalwich Bay — though honored with so high- 
 sounding a name, might perhaps, with more pro- 
 priety, be called a lagoon, two leagues or there- 
 abouts in length, with a depth of water varying 
 from seven to two fathoms. It is formed on the 
 east side by a high, white, bluff sand-hill, and on 
 the west by a low sandy peninsula, nearly level 
 with the sea, with shoal water for more than a 
 mile on the sea-board. The entrance of the lagoon, 
 formed by two low sandy points, is very narrow, 
 and not more than a quarter of a mile wide. 
 
 On the beach at Sandwich Harbor there is a co- 
 pious fresh spring, yielding most excellent water. 
 Pasturage for cattle may also be had in the neigh- 
 borhood. Yet, despite these advantages, it is de- 
 prived of the importance it would otherwise have 
 by the immense hillocks of soft yielding sand which 
 cut off its communication with the interior. 
 
 Sandwich Harbor abounds so much in fish, that 
 some years ago a Cape merchant established a fish- 
 ery here, which was and is conducted with consider- 
 able success. The fish taken, being salted and dried, 
 are exported to the Mauritius, where they always 
 command a ready sale, not unfrequently fetching 
 the high price of <£30 to £35 — nay, they have even 
 realized £38 per ton, that is, for one kind of fish 
 called u snook. 11 Other kinds scarcely fetch more 
 than one half of this high price. 
 
340 
 
 THE IVORY TRADE. 
 
 The next point of interest — and probably the 
 most important of all north of the Orange River 
 — is Walwich Bay ; but as this place has already 
 been so fully described in a former work of mine 
 (“Lake Ngami”), I need not here dwell on the 
 subject farther than just to state one or two facts. 
 First, since my last publication, an important fish- 
 ery has been established here. It has not, it is 
 true, yet proved remunerative ; the prospect of its 
 being so is nevertheless extremely hopeful. Sec- 
 ondly, the exports and imports of this “port 1 ’ have 
 very considerably increased, and promise to increase 
 still more when once the regions newly discovered 
 and explored by me have been sufficiently laid open 
 to commercial enterprise. Lastly, the ivory trade 
 of the lake districts, which formerly found an outlet 
 on the east coast of South Africa, has been almost 
 entirely turned into this channel, to the direct and 
 substantial benefit of the commerce of the Cape. 
 
THE SWAKOP RIVER. 
 
 341 
 
 CHAPTER XXYII. 
 
 The Swakop River. — Half-moon Bay. — The Omaruru River, 
 r — Cape Cross. — The wrecked Vessel. — Mount Messum. — 
 Berg Damaras. — Hogden’s Harbor. — Cock’s Comb and 
 Sugar Loaf. — Supposed permanent Stream. — Fort Rock 
 Point. — Cape Frio. — The Cunene, or Nourse River. — Great 
 Fish Bay. — Formation and Disappearance of Bays, etc. — 
 Excursion inland from Great Fish Bay. — The FTourse River 
 again. — Bembarougi. — Port Alexander. — The River Flamin- 
 gos. — The N atives. — Fossil Shells. — Summary. — Concluding- 
 Remarks : Rivers, Harbors, Islands, etc. ; Winds, Tempera- 
 ture, Rollers ; Scarcity of Rain. 
 
 Sailing northward from the anchorage at Wal- 
 wich Bay, the voyager finds the shore clear of all 
 dangers until he arrives at the mouth of the Swakop 
 River. Here a slight indentation is formed by one 
 reef jutting off from its southern, and another from 
 its northern extremity, with a distance of about two 
 miles and a half between them. The bed of this 
 river can be plainly traced E.N.E. for a mile and 
 a half; it then makes a curve to the S.E., and is 
 at once lost to view. At its mouth, Mount Col- 
 quhoun, a most conspicuous mass of rock, distant 
 about eighteen miles from the shore, may be seen 
 towering up to an elevation of three thousand feet 
 above the level of the sea. On both sides of this 
 embouchure are also several sand-hills; those to 
 
M2 
 
 THE SWAKOP RIVER. 
 
 tlie south presenting a dark brown appearance, 
 while those to the north, containing bright specks 
 of mica, have a lighter tint, the two ranges ascend- 
 ing together with a gentle slope to the base of the 
 mountain just named. 
 
 The soundings from Walwich Bay to the moutli 
 of the Swakop, i. e., to within three miles of the 
 shore, are sixteen fathoms, with scarcely any varia- 
 tion, for the bottom consists of sand ; but about 
 three quarters of a mile from the coast, the bottom 
 becoming rocky and foul, the water runs only to a 
 depth of nine or ten fathoms. 
 
 North of the Swakop is a low, sandy foreshore,* 
 thirteen miles or thereabouts in extent, with oc- 
 casional clusters of shrubs. Here a reef, project- 
 ing from a sandy point, forms a half-moon bay, 
 where landing can be effected. Several reefs be- 
 sides, twelve or thirteen miles long, shoot out al- 
 most from the shore, which is level, and devoid of 
 all vegetation except a few bushes. Inland, the 
 country, after an hour or two’s walk, becomes rug- 
 ged; and at five-and-twenty or thirty miles’ dis- 
 tance, a chain of black rocky mountains, extending 
 as far as the 16th degree of S. lat., comes in view. 
 The southern extremity of this range is conspicu- 
 ously marked out by a hill of considerable height, 
 shaped exactly like a dome. 
 
 From about lat. 22° 15' the shore trends some- 
 what to the northwest for nearly five miles, when 
 * A low shore backed by higher ground. 
 
THE OMARURU. 
 
 343 
 
 another small half-moon bay is found partially pro- 
 tected by a reef off the point to the westward. This 
 place affords some facility for landing with boats, 
 so that the reefs to the north may be satisfactorily 
 examined. Three miles farther on along the coast- 
 line — though by the beach not till after two hours' 
 irksome walking — one comes upon a river, and a 
 considerable patch of swampy ground close to the 
 sea, where fresh water may be had and flocks may 
 feed. Captain Messum found numerous tracks of 
 the gnu and the gemsbok in this district. Not 
 above two miles farther north, he discovered, too, 
 the mouth of another river, where he noticed vast 
 quantities of drift-wood, composed often of trees of 
 considerable magnitude, piled above each, other in 
 regular tiers. As there is very little vegetation of 
 any kind in the neighborhood, he conjectured that 
 the timber must have come from some distance; 
 and, moreover, that the current must occasionally, 
 at least, be very powerful, as it had forced a pas- 
 sage through a sandy table-land, elevated about one 
 hundred and fifty feet above the level of the sea, 
 and extending to within a few miles of Cape Cross. 
 This, no doubt, is the Omaruru River, briefly de- 
 scribed in the first chapter of this narrative. 
 
 From the Omaruru to Cape Cross the shore has 
 a fine bold outline, and is quite free from danger. 
 Captain Messum sailed along it within a distance 
 of from three quarters to half a mile, and found a 
 depth of water varying from seven to eight fathoms. 
 
344 
 
 CAPE CROSS. 
 
 Cape Cross, a rocky headland, projecting about 
 a mile to the westward of the southern line of sea- 
 coast, forms a bay to the northward of from two 
 and a quarter to three and a half miles in depth. 
 From the point of this promontory there is a reef, 
 about one hundred yards long, which terminates 
 abruptly in a depth of ten fathoms of water. On 
 rounding the Cape, fair anchorage is immediately 
 found in six fathoms, but the best anchorage is to be 
 had — after passing a slight projection from which 
 another reef extends — about a mile and a quarter 
 farther on. To within half a mile of this second 
 point the bottom is clear and sandy, with a seven 
 fathoms depth of water. In attempting, however, 
 to effect a landing, Captain Messum’s boat was 
 swamped, for a heavy swell from the S.W. sweeps 
 round the points, and throws sometimes immense 
 rollers on the beach. One must therefore, in dis- 
 embarking, watch one’s opportunity. The best mo- 
 ment to make a push for the shore is while the lull 
 lasts, which takes place after seven or eight success- 
 ive seas have spent their force. The best landing 
 is abreast of a red sandstone roclc. 
 
 At this place Captain Messum discovered a 
 wrecked vessel, the remains of the one, no doubt, 
 mentioned in “Lake Ngami, 1 ’ of which Jonker 
 Afrikander went in search. From finding an iron 
 cooking range in good preservation, and other signs 
 of late habitation on the coast, he conjectured that 
 the crew, or at least part of it, had been saved, and 
 
MOUNT MESSUM. 
 
 345 
 
 had for a while remained here. The vessel, which 
 he supposed to be of American construction, was 
 deeply imbedded in the sand at the head of the 
 bay ; nothing of her was visible but a few timbers. 
 
 Directly inland (from Cape Cross), the highest 
 and most conspicuous peak of the whole black 
 mountain range, recently mentioned, rears its head 
 very loftily. It rises, indeed, to the height of about 
 3200 feet above the level of the plain. Its western 
 and eastern faces are abrupt, while its southern ex- 
 tremity is nearly perpendicular. My friend has 
 given to this peak the name of Mount Messum. 
 The Berg Damaras in the neighborhood call it 
 Dourissa. 
 
 From the bay to the foot of this mountain runs 
 a level, sandy plain ; but to the north, and near the 
 shore, are high sand hillocks, with an extensive 
 salt plain to the eastward. “After journeying ten 
 miles,” says Captain Messum, “we saw the tracks 
 of human beings ; and Bobinson Crusoe was not 
 more astonished at perceiving the traces of a man’s 
 foot in his desert island than we were at seeing the 
 like traces in the hardly less desert region we were 
 now traversing. Close under Mount Messum we, 
 according to these indications, found a village of 
 Berg Damaras, consisting of about fifty families, 
 possessing goats and a few sheep, but no large 
 horned cattle. We found also several wells of 
 good water. The appearance of the people was 
 not very prepossessing ; they looked as if they had 
 
346 
 
 COSTUME OF THE NATIVES. 
 
 been just shaken out of a bag of soot. Their hair, 
 though woolly, hung long, from some artificial con- 
 straint, down their backs. The men’s dress con- 
 sisted of a square piece of skin depending from the 
 waist in front, and tails hanging behind, with a 
 broad leathern strap wound several times round 
 the body. The dress of the women was rather 
 more ample ; it was fastened round the waist with 
 a girdle, and they could at pleasure cover their 
 shoulders and breasts. I saw no kind of European 
 ornament among them ; but one man, who appeared 
 to be a chief, was decorated with two blown blad- 
 ders at each ear. 
 
 “The food of this people appeared to consist of 
 nara seeds and small bulbs. * From poles in their 
 huts parts of gemsboks often depended, and as the 
 huts themselves were usually covered with the skins 
 of the same animal, I should suppose that this game 
 is very plentiful in this place. The natives were 
 not the least afraid of us, but jabbered away in a 
 language which, having only an occasional click, 
 was rather more musical than that of the Nama- 
 quas. 
 
 “Vegetation is very scanty in this country; yet 
 the goats and sheep were in excellent condition. 
 
 * Seeds of grasses contribute also largely to their nourish- 
 ment, more especially one kind, which they are in the habit of 
 taking from a certain species of small black ant, who, as usual 
 with the industrious, store them in large quantities for hard 
 times. 
 
DANGERS OF THE COAST. 
 
 347 
 
 Flocks of these animals, and a few spears tipped 
 with the horn of the gemsbok, seemed to constitute 
 all the property the natives possessed. I saw no 
 iron of any description among them.” This last 
 circumstance is very remarkable, for the stranded 
 vessel was so near that they might have easily ob- 
 tained almost any quantity of that metal from the 
 wreck. 
 
 “From the anchorage at Cape Cross the coast is 
 for about eighteen miles uniform, and free from 
 every kind of danger, with the exception of one, 
 which may be incurred from a shoal patch nine 
 miles to the north. The soundings, from half a 
 mile to upward of a mile from the shore, are pretty 
 regular, varying only from seven to ten fathoms. 
 The high sand-hills terminate just before the eight- 
 een miles alluded to end. Here a bay is formed, 
 in which landing can be effected. North of this 
 the-low shore, running four or five miles inland, is 
 but a continuation of the salt plain already men- 
 tioned. 
 
 “Passing northward, the coast runs almost in a 
 straight line, free of coves, creeks, or indentations 
 of any kind, until the- 21° of S. lat., when there 
 commences a series of bays, reefs, rocks, and recifs* 
 or bars, which extend as far as twenty-five miles, 
 i. e., to lat. 20° 39' S. The most southerly of this 
 chain of coast dangers is a bay of some depth, be- 
 set with many shoals, over which the sea, when 
 
 * A recif implies a bar running parallel with the shore. 
 
348 
 
 hogden’s harbor. 
 
 agitated, breaks with great fury. From this point 
 a recif stretches about five miles northwest, until it 
 almost reaches another point (having a similar bay) 
 fronted by another recif, which runs three miles in 
 a northern direction, till it nearly joins a reef to 
 the westward, a full mile and a half from the shore, 
 when, bending to the north on a line with the coast, 
 it forms a third bar, inside of which the water ap- 
 pears smooth. 
 
 “ In lat. 20° 47' S. there is a remarkable break of 
 about three quarters of a mile in the sand-hills, evi- 
 dently caused by an immense body of water at times 
 rushing through their heavy heaps. 
 
 “This twenty-five miles (just spoken of),” con- 
 tinues Captain Messum, “formed the most interest- 
 ing portion of our exploring cruise. The Portu- 
 guese, in their charts, place a harbor, named Angra 
 de St. Ambrosia, on this part of the coast, near the 
 21st degree of lat. Morrell, the American navi- 
 gator, also discovered a bay here, which he calls 
 Hogden’s Harbor ; after fifteen days 1 search, how- 
 ever, both with the vessel and with the boats, we 
 could not find it. The harbor, if it really existed, 
 has, I conjecture, been filled up by the encroach- 
 ment of sand ; for the wind blowing almost always 
 one way, or from S.S.W., similar events are not 
 unfrequent on this coast. I have known even lo- 
 calities where, at one time, mountains of sand met 
 the eye, reduced in the course of a few months to 
 level plains.” 
 
cock’s-comb and sugar-loaf mountains. 349 
 
 There seemed to be more vegetation hereabouts 
 than in any other place we had yet visited. We 
 also saw natives, and at Double Point Bight a great 
 quantity of fish hanging on poles and stakes to dry ; 
 but the sea beat with too much fury along the whole 
 extent of coast to allow us to land. I neverthe- 
 less, on two different occasions, spent a considera- 
 ble time, at this point, and traced the recif twelve 
 miles in a whale-boat, in the vain hope of discover- 
 ing an opening through which one might get into 
 safe water. Yet I would not say that an anchor- 
 age may not be found in the vicinity; in which 
 case, or could a passage be effected through the 
 reef, this place would be, from its central situation, 
 more adapted than most others for a trading estab- 
 lishment. 
 
 From the part of the coast of which I am at pres- 
 ent speaking, at some distance inland, two remark- 
 able rocky mountains may be seen — the Cock’s 
 Comb to the south, and the Sugar Loaf* to the 
 north. These names, given them by me, mark them 
 out so distinctly, that the moment they are seen 
 they must be recognized. 
 
 North of the recif just alluded to, the coast, as- 
 suming a bold outline, is very little varied by coves 
 or embayments, and is pretty free from danger. 
 The sea here, in some places dashing perpetually 
 
 * In my journey through western Damara Land I obtained 
 a glimpse of these peaks on two or three different occasions. — 
 Author . 
 
350 
 
 MOUNTAIN RANGES. 
 
 against the base of the sand-hills, gives them the 
 form of almost perpendicular cliffs. Close in-shore 
 Captain Messum obtained no soundings with a 
 hand-lead-line twenty fathoms long. 
 
 In lat. 19° 19' S., the shore is fronted by a bar 
 or recif, about a cable’s length distant. Twelve 
 miles farther north, 19° 1 ' lat., a river is seen mean- 
 dering through a low, sandy flat, which, as it ap- 
 pears to be a permanent stream,* may be a most 
 important and interesting discovery. At its mouth 
 Captain Messum observed a great deal of vegeta- 
 tion, and much drift-wood on the beach. He also 
 hit upon a village of natives, who possessed a few 
 goats. The black rocky mountain range already 
 mentioned loses gradually at this spot its regular- 
 ity, and at last strays and stumbles into the direst 
 confusion. Another range, dividing the main chain, 
 then runs off to the eastward, along the southern 
 base of which the river, no doubt, finds its bed. 
 
 * When in the Ovambo country, Mr. Galton and I visited 
 one day a kind of vley river — that is, a succession of vleys or 
 pools — which the natives gave us to understand flowed west- 
 ward. The Damaras also stated that a considerable running 
 stream existed in those parts, but as their accounts were rath- 
 er obscure and conflicting, we took no notice of them. There 
 can not be much doubt, however, that the river discovered by 
 Captain Messum is the one we saw, or some other not far off. 
 
 Since the discovery of Lake Onondova, I am rather inclined 
 to think that the river seen by Captain Messum is a continua- 
 tion of, or rather an outlet from the said lake, which is said to 
 flow westward between the Ovambo and Ovagandjera country. 
 
FORT ROCK POINT. 
 
 351 
 
 This range does not reappear again to the north- 
 ward for a long time. 
 
 Six miles north of this locality is a remarkable 
 headland, situated at the extremity of a low sandy 
 point. Close to it, detached indeed from its side, 
 is a large round block of granite (called by Captain 
 Messum Fort Rock Point), which thus forms be- 
 tween the cape and the rock a considerable chasm. 
 Round the sandy point is besides a cove, with a bar 
 inclosing smooth water extending across its en- 
 trance. There is here every facility for landing 
 with boats. Vessels may anchor, too, in five fath- 
 oms, bringing the rock to bear W.S.W., but, except 
 in fine weather, it would be dangerous to do so. 
 The place is particularly worthy of notice as well 
 suited to the formation of a trading establishment 
 or a missionary station. I do not mean to say that 
 a better might not be found, though the good land- 
 ing for boats and the fair roadstead for shipping it 
 affords are great recommendations. About half a 
 mile eastward of the cove we moreover saw reeds, 
 and other evident indications that there is no lack 
 of water in the neighborhood. 
 
 The natives here differ in some respects from the 
 Berg Damaras of Cape Cross. They are not so 
 dark colored as their compatriots in that country, 
 but were similarly clad. Their huts were built in 
 the conical style, and covered with the coarse grasses 
 and reeds which grow abundantly in the vicinity. 
 I observed much dried dog-fish, some made up into 
 
352 
 
 CAPE FRIO. 
 
 portable bundles, as if ready for transportation to 
 some other place. It may possibly be that some 
 larger village is situated higher up the bed of the 
 river. 
 
 One mile and a half north of the Port Pock 
 Point is a shoal, but), the water inside appearing 
 quite smooth, it may probably afford better anchor- 
 age than can be found immediately under the point. 
 North of this shoal the shore is high, rugged, and 
 not dangerous. The sand-hills here rise to a con- 
 siderable height ; that they, however, have no great 
 depth, is shown by the black rock peering occa- 
 sionally above their lower surfaces. Eight to ten 
 miles inland, the range of the rocky mountains con- 
 tinues to run at a moderate elevation, N. by E., as 
 far as lat. 18° 42' S., where the low narrow fore- 
 shore begins to expand, leaving a space of about 
 two miles between the beach and the sand-hills. 
 Captain Messum again observed natives here, and 
 a quantity of fish drying on stakes, but did not suc- 
 ceed in landing. 
 
 The coast-line northward is from this place quite 
 uniform, until a point emerges about lat. 18° 27' 
 S., between which and Cape Frio it makes a half- 
 moon sweep, forming a bay five miles or there- 
 abouts round. “Under this point,” says Captain 
 Messum, “which I called False Cape Frio, tempo- 
 rary anchorage may be had in five fathoms of water 
 and sandy bottom, by bringing the point to bear 
 W.S.W. The shore here is low, a high block of 
 
CAPE FRIO. 353 
 
 rock, a detached mass from the main mountain 
 range, forming its background. ” 
 
 Cape Frio is also a low sandy point, under the 
 lee of which tolerable anchorage is to be had. We 
 passed within half a mile of this headland, in from 
 six and a half to nine fathoms of water, with a 
 sandy bottom, the point bearing W.S.W. “This,” 
 continues Captain Messum, “is a most interesting 
 locality, and would be a good place to land in or- 
 der to explore the coast northward to the Nourse 
 River. There is every appearance of water near 
 the landing, and there is little doubt that natives 
 reside in the neighborhood. I did not examine the 
 spot so thoroughly as I should do on another oc- 
 casion. I was anxious to ascertain whether an 
 immediate disembarkation could be effected there, 
 or at the River Nourse, knowing that, if not, Great 
 Fish Bay (the southern part of which is nearer the 
 river than Cape Frio) would at least afford me a 
 safe harborage. 
 
 “Leaving Cape Frio, the coast runs nearly due 
 north and south. When I passed it the weather 
 was so hazy that the land in the background could 
 not be distinguished. We coasted along within a 
 mile to a mile and a half of the shore, and found 
 the waters quite safe, excepting only where a 
 small shoal patch, in latitude 17° 50' S., extends 
 about half a mile from a low beach studded with 
 rocks. 1 ’ 
 
 In lat. 17° 30' S. by account (and long. 11° 46') 
 
 Z 
 
354 THE NOURSE, OR CUNENE. 
 
 we came upon the mouth of the Cunene River, 
 probably the same as the Nourse.* 
 
 “This river (the Nourse) lies in a bight, and ap- 
 pears to flow into the sea through two rocky heads. 
 Off the most southern of these is a reef extending 
 several hundred yards to the westward, sheltering, 
 it would seem, a landing-place, as the water inside 
 was smooth quite up to the river. When I first 
 saw the reef it was blowing a gale of wind, with a 
 heavy sea on, so that the break occasionally stretch- 
 ed quite across to its northern head. Under these 
 circumstances it would have been madness to at- 
 tempt a landing, and we could see but a little way 
 inland, for immense masses of sand, whirled about 
 in eddies by the wind, filled the atmosphere, and 
 hid all the features of the interior country ; we 
 observed, however, that the beach to the north was 
 covered with large timber-trees, and noticed a palm- 
 tree quite green, which could not have been many 
 days in the water.” 
 
 In a Lisbon paper ( Diario do Governo) of March, 
 1855, appeared an account of an expedition to the 
 Nourse, or Cunene, undertaken by the Governor 
 of Mossamedes, in order, it is to be presumed, to 
 ascertain how far the descriptions of this river were 
 
 * The Nourse River was discovered by Captain Chapman, 
 of the Espihgle, in 1824 ; it had then nine feet of water on the 
 bar, and was described as navigable for small craft. Subse- 
 quent surveying expeditions under the Leven and JBarracouta 
 could, however, discern no traces of such a river. 
 
A PORTUGUESE EXPEDITION. 
 
 355 
 
 true, and with the farther view, it is probable, of 
 forming a settlement in its neighborhood. The 
 article alluded to is headed Relatorio da Viagem 
 feita do Rio dos Elephantes em Novembro de 1854, 
 and is, in substance, as follows : 
 
 “Having sailed in a schooner from Mossamedes, 
 the governor and his party landed at Great Fish 
 Bay, which struck them as the most dreary and 
 desolate of scenes. Hence they traveled on foot 
 along the beach until they arrived at the Cunene, 
 which they reached after two days’ fatiguing march, 
 without water. They found the mouth of the river 
 entirely blocked up by sand. Some little way up 
 its course, its right bank, they say, became rocky, 
 and, after a while, so steep and rugged that the 
 party could not proceed farther. The left bank, as 
 far as they could see, consisted of a succession of 
 sand-hills, and the stream itself is described as nar- 
 row and full of cataracts. They met no natives, 
 but supposed the country might be inhabited a 
 little higher up. Game, however, was abundant, 
 more especially elephants ; and on the return of 
 the expedition to Mossamedes, elephant hunts to 
 these regions were promptly got up by adventurous 
 sportsmen.” 
 
 “From the Nourse northward,” says Captain 
 Messum, in continuation, “the shore is fronted by 
 a low sandy beach, at first narrow (about half a 
 mile), but gradually widening until it reaches Great 
 Fish Bay, where it is three or four miles in breadth. 
 
356 
 
 GREAT FISH BAY. 
 
 The sand-hills at the back of this low fore-shore are 
 about 500 feet high, and present as barren and des- 
 olate a prospect as any part of the coast. Accord- 
 ing to a rough calculation (presuming the Nourse 
 River to be in lat. 17° 30' S.), the distance between 
 this stream and Great Fish Bay will be nearly 
 forty miles by the coast. 
 
 “ Great Fish Bay is formed by the Tiger penin- 
 sula, a long sandy tract of land, in no place ten feet 
 above the level of the sea, and toward its southern 
 extremity so narrow that the sea occasionally washes 
 over it. The north end of the Tiger, which is some- 
 what broader, perhaps two miles, is placed in lat. 
 16° 30' S., and long. 11° 41/ E. The anchorage 
 we took up was, according to my observation, in 
 lat. 16° 50' S. This calculation will give the bay 
 a length of about twenty-one miles. In many parts 
 it is rocky ; its head, approaching from the south, 
 may be seen several miles off. The water on its 
 eastern side washes the base of the sand-hills, and 
 contains several fine mussel-beds. 
 
 u In the survey (made, I think, by Captain Owen) 
 the bay is represented as perfectly safe ; yet about 
 ten miles south from the point is a shoal, on which 
 we struck, and knocked off thirty feet of our false 
 keel. 
 
 “ Many of the coves and inlets on this coast pos- 
 sess the same features as that of Great Fish Bay. 
 Thus Angras Juntas, Hottentot Bay, Sandwich 
 Harbor, Walwich Bay, and Port Alexander, are 
 
AN EXCURSION INLAND. 
 
 357 
 
 protected by narrow banks of sand accumulated by 
 the S.S.W. wind. This wind, taking the sand-hills 
 at an angle, has leveled them into a low sandy 
 beach, which has gradually been, by the same be- 
 soming, elongated to the northward. But these 
 bays are slowly undergoing great alterations. An- 
 gras J untas is already completely filled up, though 
 the Portuguese still note it as a place of good an- 
 chorage. Sandwich Harbor is also wonderfully 
 changed; while, with respect to Walwich Bay, its 
 peninsular form and its southern part, as surveyed 
 by Owen in 1826, are quite transformed. The lat- 
 ter, entirely filled in, has become a series of shoals 
 that at low water are now dry, while Pelican Point 
 has extended to the north, and is still extending 
 farther in the same direction. Owen lays down 
 deep water off this point, whereas there is now 
 there but fifteen feet of water at most, hardly cov- 
 ering the break. Great Fish Bay has also under- 
 gone similar changes. Its southern extremity has 
 evidently been blocked up, and many small bays 
 are in this manner, from year to year, appearing 
 and again disappearing along the coast.” 
 
 From Great Fish Bay Captain Messum made an 
 excursion inland, which he thus describes : 
 
 “ Starting from the head of the bay, we traveled 
 about ten miles E.S.E. over immense sand-hills 
 and curiously formed ravines, when we came sud- 
 denly upon a native village, consisting of about 
 fifty families of the finest-looking negroes I ever 
 
358 
 
 DESCRIPTION OF NATIVES. 
 
 saw. Scarcely one of them was under six feet high, 
 and such open and prepossessing countenances I 
 had not before seen in Africa. The women, despite 
 their color, were particularly good-looking, and, 
 moreover, remarkably plump and well fed. Their 
 language sounded very much like the Kafir spoken 
 at Natal ; yet I do not think they were of the same 
 tribe as the negroes we afterward met at Port 
 Alexander. We saw among them neither cattle 
 nor goats. They seemed to live by hunting and 
 fishing; at least the remains of numerous species 
 of bucks and zebras, besides piles of large mussel- 
 shells and fish-bones scattered about, appeared to 
 indicate as much. 
 
 “During our visit to these interesting natives, 
 a tall, athletic young fellow brought in a young 
 buck. The weapon by which it had been killed, 
 the one chiefly used by these wild huntsmen, ap- 
 pears to have been a very powerful bow, rather 
 more than six feet long; the arrows belonging to 
 it were beautifully made, and barbed, or, rather, tip- 
 ped with iron. The assegais with which our new 
 acquaintances were also armed were similar to those 
 of the Kafirs. With respect to ornaments, so in- 
 dispensable to savages, the chief woman, or matron 
 of the family we visited, wore in*her hair several 
 buttons, and round her neck a Portuguese coin (a 
 half millreis) and some beads. They had all on 
 their arms and ankles copper rings, so bright, and 
 in weight and color so much resembling gold, that, 
 
GROUP OP NATIVES NEAR GREAT FISH BAY, 
 

SIMPLICITY AND FRIGHT OF THE NATIVES. 361 
 
 until tried with aqua fortis, they could not be dis- 
 criminated from that valuable metal. To my sur- 
 prise, they got their water exquisitely pure, but not 
 very abundant, from out a solid granite rock. They 
 received us at first very timidly, and must have 
 been watching our approach for some time, as the 
 women and children were all hidden, and the men 
 repeatedly drew their fingers across their windpipes, 
 as if to know whether we intended or not to cut 
 their throats. Our guns especially frightened them ; 
 they would not touch any part of them ; we there- 
 fore thought it advisable to pile arms under a rock. 
 After that the women and children gradually made 
 their appearance. The little ones would not allow 
 us to touch them, but the grown women soon gain- 
 ed confidence, and began to examine our skins with 
 the greatest curiosity. After remaining with these 
 people about four hours, we resumed our journey 
 E.S.E., or in the direction of a certain rocky mount- 
 ain four or five miles ahead of us. 
 
 u Although there was not the slightest symptom 
 of vegetation at the village where we had just stop- 
 ped, we soon got among stunted brushwood, and 
 the footmarks of game at once became abundant. 
 We now lit a fire and endeavored to get a little 
 rest, yet had to keep watch, for in all my travels, 
 before or since, I never heard such doleful howls as 
 the hyenas, who were prowling around us from the 
 time we commenced our bivouac till just before day- 
 break, kept up all night. The next day, sloping 
 
362 A GLIMPSE OF THE NOURSE. 
 
 our course more to the south in order to strike the 
 Nourse River, the bush became thicker, and we saw 
 in the distance numerous herds of springboks and 
 gemsboks, so shy, however, that we could not get 
 within range of’ them. On the evening of this 
 day we reached the foot of a rather low chain of 
 rocky mountains, running N.E. and S.W. Here 
 we found water, but brackish. On the other side 
 of this range we hoped to get sight of the river. 
 By calculation we were now about twenty-five miles 
 from the bay. 
 
 “The next day, traveling onward, we made a 
 good progress, but saw not so much game as be- 
 fore, and found no water. The heat was intense. 
 We had hitherto had a fine refreshing breeze, but 
 there was not a breath of air now stirring, and the 
 sand was so hot that it burnt our feet. Our sail- 
 ors, four in number, began to give in. However, 
 we continued to push on for another day, and to- 
 ward evening had the satisfaction of seeing the 
 Nourse. At the distance from which we caught 
 sight of it, it appeared to be a considerable stream. 
 But we could not get any positive knowledge on 
 this point, for, having again failed in finding water 
 on the road, and our cans being nearly exhaust- 
 ed, the men refused to proceed farther; we were 
 obliged, consequently, to retrace our steps without 
 delay. 
 
 “In this excursion and in subsequent rambles 
 we met with the same kind of gum-tree as we had 
 
THE NAKEDNESS OF THE COUNTRY. 
 
 363 
 
 noticed at Ichaboe, and with nara fruit in abund- 
 ance.* We saw also the natives grind a small seed, 
 something like that given to Canary-birds (probably 
 the grass-seed alluded to in a foot-note in page 5), 
 between stones, and afterward make it into a paste 
 mixed with honey. They had, too, a vegetable like 
 a small cucumber in appearance, but not in taste. 
 The vessels in which they carried their water, etc., 
 were made exactly like those of the Zulus of Natal, 
 but the workmanship of these vessels was much 
 superior to that of the Natalists. We noticed, 
 likewise, baskets of honeycomb and innumerable 
 bees. We did not see a single tree, not even a 
 bush, above three or four feet high. This led me 
 to conjecture that the Nourse River, which brings 
 down the large trees we saw on the beach, must 
 have a considerable course, winding, according to 
 our observation, to E.N.E. 
 
 “From the time we left the village already 
 spoken of till we returned to the vessel we did not 
 see a single human being. We had been absent ten 
 days, and during that interval had probably walked 
 considerably above one hundred miles, though, in a 
 straight line, perhaps not the half of that distance. 
 Yet this is farther, I believe, than any white man 
 
 * In “ Lake Ngami” I have stated that the nara was pretty 
 much confined to the neighborhood of Walwich Bay; but, 
 according to Captain Messum, it would seem that it is to be 
 found along the west coast, though certainly not in any great 
 abundance. 
 
364 ANOTHER EXCURSION INTO THE INTERIOR. 
 
 has penetrated in that direction — at least was at 
 the time of my incursion. 
 
 u I tried to prevail on some of the natives to 
 come on board with me; they all refused except 
 one young man, who was willing enough had he 
 not been held back by his parents — in fact, by the 
 whole village. From this I conjectured that these 
 people had heard of, or perhaps had some experi- 
 ence in, the Portuguese system of slave-trading.” 
 But to proceed. Captain Messum describes the 
 line of coast between Great Fish Bay and Port Al- 
 exander as so free from danger as to allow a vessel 
 to approach it within half a mile. One small in- 
 dentation is alone to be found between the places 
 just named. A river, however (Bembarougi), of 
 which the captain could find no trace, is laid down 
 here in some maps. He is inclined to believe, nev- 
 ertheless, from observing a good deal of vegetation 
 scattered about in a ravine, that a water-course may 
 at times run through the country. 
 
 On arriving at Port Alexander, this persevering 
 navigator again made an excursion into the inte- 
 rior, the result of which he thus briefly relates : 
 
 4 4 Having anchored late in the afternoon, we did 
 not land till the following morning. During the 
 night the natives had evidently been reconnoitring 
 the vessel ; of this fact their numerous footprints 
 in the sand left no doubt. We did not suffer 
 them, however, to delay us, but started immediate- 
 ly in a northern direction. We had not journeyed 
 
VILLAGES. 
 
 365 
 
 tar when we came upon a party of fishermen pad- 
 dling about near the shore. This was the first 
 time, from Port Natal completely round Southern 
 Africa, that we had seen the natives attempting any 
 thing like navigation. The craft in which they were 
 now embarked (catamarans) consisted of pieces of 
 wood fastened together, about six feet broad and 
 twelve long. We distributed some snuff among 
 them, gave them a whiff or two from our pipes, 
 and they provided us with two young fellows to 
 act as guides. 
 
 “ Passing over the bluff which forms the eastern 
 head of the bay, we arrived at the dry bed of the 
 River Flamingos, and, ascending its course about 
 five miles, came to a native village. Here I was 
 delighted at finding, for the first time since I had 
 left the Cape, something like real vegetation. The 
 natives of this place cultivated gardens, which pro- 
 duced maize, calabashes, pumpkins, etc. We saw, 
 likewise, frequent herds of cattle, looking in excel- 
 lent condition; and the farther we proceeded up 
 the exhausted water-course, the more numerous the 
 villages became. The huts of which they consisted 
 seemed built, too, for permanence, and were very 
 comfortable dwellings. It was pleasant, after toil- 
 ing through so much sand, to sit down at last un- 
 der the refreshing shade of the palm-tree. We re- 
 mained three days in this locality, in order to enjoy 
 ourselves and to take notes of every thing note- 
 worthy. 
 
366 TIMIDITY AND ASTONISHMENT OP THE NATIVES. 
 
 u Besides large herds of cattle, the natives here 
 possessed elephant and hippopotami ivory, whence 
 obtained I could not ascertain. I saw also knob- 
 kieries, made from rhinoceroses’ horn, and honey 
 and beeswax in great abundance. 
 
 “It was evident, however, that we had not the 
 confidence of the poor savages; they approached 
 us with the greatest timidity, and would not allow 
 their women and children to come near us. On one 
 occasion, when we were examining some cattle, the 
 herd were driven away in great haste. They would 
 not let us either sleep in their huts; we had to 
 4 bunk’ it out on the sand, while they kept an anx- 
 ious watch over us all night. They gave us, never- 
 theless, all we wanted, and asked for no payment. 
 We feasted at their expense sumptuously on milk, 
 maize, and 4 balls’ of unknown ingredients, com- 
 pounded with honey. We gained, however, in some 
 degree, the confidence of our guides, who consented 
 to come on board with us. Great was their sur- 
 prise when there at seeing their faces reflected in a 
 looking-glass ; and the cat coming into the cabin 
 sent them on deck precipitately. They asked for 
 agnadente, but, after tasting, would not drink it. 
 They often made motions, indicating their fear that 
 we were going to cut their throats and eat them ; 
 while the knives laid out for dinner made them 
 tremble so much that I had to remove these suspi- 
 cious-looking implements from the table. They 
 would not sleep below, but remained awake on deck 
 
FOSSIL SHELLS. 
 
 367 
 
 all night. In the morning we sent the poor crea- 
 tures away, rigged out in shirt and trowsers, with 
 other presents too, to them of inestimable value. 
 We gave them also some copper pieces, with the 
 name of the vessel and the date of our visit stamp- 
 ed on them. They had never before, I suspect, been 
 so courteously treated by white men. 
 
 “On the northern side of the Biver Flamingos, 
 on the summit of a high table-land of about from 
 500 to 600 feet above the level of the sea, I gath- 
 ered some beautiful fossils, exactly, to all appear- 
 ance, in the same state as when they were original- 
 ly submerged; that is, the different strata in which 
 they were imbedded seemed to have just arisen out 
 of the ocean. A very fine collection of these fossils 
 was afterward lost with the vessel; but Mr. Wil- 
 son, of Cape Town, is still in possession of some 
 given him by me.” 
 
 Captain Messum’s exploration of the coast ex- 
 tended as far as Benguela ; to follow him farther, 
 however, would be to transgress the limits of this 
 work. The gallant captain thus sums up the re- 
 sult of his voyage : 
 
 “I had now examined well-nigh every part of 
 the coast, every islet, every creek, from Walwich 
 Bay to Benguela, and had not found what I was in 
 search of, namely, guano, or nitrate of soda. Peli- 
 can Point seems to be the extreme northern haunt 
 of the penguin (the principal depositor of guano), 
 the gannet, and the shag; but Hollam’s Bird Isle 
 
368 FLAMINGOES. PELICANS. PORT ALEXANDER. 
 
 is the chief rookery, toward the north, of these 
 birds. Round the different bays, it is true, there 
 were numerous flamingoes and pelicans, but these 
 wild fowls, we know, never congregate in sufficient 
 numbers to form large deposits. 
 
 “I do not say that nitrate of soda does not exist 
 in this region, but only that I did not find any, 
 though I traversed salt plains, not a few of many 
 miles in extent. Words can hardly describe the 
 suffering such traveling occasions. Every step one 
 takes plunges one ankle-deep into a saline crust of 
 several inches in depth ; then the tropical sun, 
 without a cloud, blazing on the white surface of the 
 salt plain — how painful to the eyes ! Imagine, far- 
 ther, an atmosphere broiling hot, the thermometer 
 standing frequently at 100° to 110°, and even 120°. 
 Add to this a burden of provisions and ammuni- 
 tion, forty or fifty pounds 1 weight, carried by each 
 man, and you may understand the truth of the say- 
 ing, that, to travel in Africa, one should have the 
 endurance of a camel and the courage of a lion. 11 
 
 In concluding his remarks on the west coast, 
 Captain Messum thus writes : 
 
 “If asked my opinion as to the best landing- 
 place for a start on an exploring expedition into 
 the interior, I should have no hesitation in saying 
 at once Port Alexander; albeit the Portuguese 
 here are, I shrewdly suspect, trying on the slave- 
 trade, which they can do with all the greater facil- 
 ity as the very existence of the port is unknown to 
 
CAPE FRIO. 
 
 369 
 
 the inhabitants of Messambedos (Little Fish Bay), 
 in the neighborhood. There has been much talk, 
 too, about establishing a factory here ; yet, when I 
 spoke to the Portuguese governor on the subject, 
 he told me he should discountenance any such proj- 
 ect unless it had the sanction of his government. 
 
 The Portuguese settlements extend on this coast 
 to the south as far as Cape Negro, on the southern 
 side of the Piver Flamingos. 
 
 Annoyances from these settlements might, it is 
 true, deduct a good deal from the advantages Port 
 Alexander would otherwise otfer. If so, I should 
 then recommend Cape Frio, or some spot a little 
 south of it. Natives of a very docile character are 
 permanently settled in this place, and a little kind- 
 ness could not fail to gain their confidence. Bide 
 and pack oxen, too, may be obtained there, while 
 water is abundant, and the country to all appear- 
 ance accessible. 
 
 Could, indeed, any harbor be found between the 
 21° and 20° 39 7 S. parallels of S. lat., the situation 
 of Cape Frio would combine all advantages — a cen- 
 tral position, native inhabitants, and security against 
 all interference on the part of the Portuguese. 
 
 The Nourse Piver is no doubt also a promising 
 point for explorers to commence operations. I am 
 strongly of opinion that a fair landing is to be 
 found close to its mouth ; and, should the stream 
 be at all navigable, even of ever so light a draught, 
 how easy access to the interior would be! 
 
 A A 
 
370 
 
 DESOLATION OF THE COAST. 
 
 With a few general remarks, more or less appli- 
 cable to the whole shore-line, I shall now conclude 
 my description of the west coast of Africa. 
 
 This extensive coast is singularly deficient in 
 navigable rivers, sheltered bays, and safe harbors. 
 Many, indeed, of the rivers so called, which inter- 
 sect it, are merely periodical torrents, having, dur- 
 ing the rainy season, strong rapid currents, but 
 leaving, on the approach of summer, their deep 
 sunken beds almost completely dry. The rivulets, 
 too, supplied by the mountain springs, scarcely 
 escape from their lofty sources ere they are either 
 absorbed by the thirsty earth, or evaporated by the 
 heated air. Even the permanent rivers, some of 
 which contain sufficient water for the navigation 
 of small craft for several miles up the country, are 
 all, more or less, rendered inaccessible by bars across 
 their mouths. 
 
 The whole littoral portion of Southern Africa, 
 from the Cape of Good Hope to Walwich Bay, 
 presents one wearisome picture of bleak, barren 
 rocks or arid sand-hills. Vegetation is everywhere 
 extremely scanty; here and there may be seen a 
 few stunted bushes, about two feet high, a few ge- 
 raniums, and one or two kinds of gum plants, all 
 of a sickly, grayish-green color ; add a few species 
 of wiry grasses growing among the sand, and you 
 have the whole vegetable product of this coast. 
 The desolation of the scene is completed by a tur- 
 bulent surf beating against the shore with a terri- 
 bly monotonous constancy. 
 
THE PREVAILING- WINDS. 
 
 371 
 
 The prevailing winds at the Cape are S.E. and 
 N.W. ; the latter blows in hurricanes, and general- 
 ly brings on foul weather. The other wind, which, 
 from the peculiar formation of the mountains on 
 either side of the so-called Cape flats, rushes through 
 from the S.E., instantly takes the direction of the 
 line of coast, but is never met with after passing a 
 little to the northward of Table Bay. Yet, as I 
 have already said when speaking of Namaqua 
 Land, this wind is not, during the cold season, un- 
 common in the interior, and when it does blow the 
 whole atmosphere is at once changed, the air be- 
 comes insufferably hot, and respiration is so im- 
 peded that one pants instead of breathing freely. 
 
 The prevailing local wind, extending from sixty 
 to two hundred miles from the shore, along the 
 whole length of this coast, is from S. by W. to 
 S.W. by S. Indeed, the south wind, varying con- 
 siderably, of course, in strength, blows for about 
 nine months in the year. During this time the sky 
 overhead is clear and cloudless, though the horizon, 
 with a space of from fifteen to twenty degrees above 
 it, is often enveloped in so deep a haze that the 
 land from seaward is completely hidden, and the 
 approach to the coast thus rendered extremely dif- 
 ficult and dangerous. The sound — ay, even the 
 sight of the surf, is generally the first intimation 
 seamen have of their vessel’s proximity to the land. 
 During the remaining three months of the year the 
 sea is often calm, or light breezes prevail from the 
 
372 
 
 NIGHT DEWS AND FOGS. 
 
 N.N.W. These northerly winds are generally ac- 
 companied by dense and very damp fogs. 
 
 In the summer season, when the weather is calm 
 and the sky without a cloud, the sun is very pow- 
 erful ; but, generally speaking, and more especially 
 during the prevalence of the southerly winds, the 
 temperature is very low. Thick woolen clothing 
 is even necessary, for the wind is at times so keen 
 as to peel off the skin of the face, and to make the 
 lips sore. The temperature never varies much, av- 
 eraging during the year in the shade 50° to 60°. 
 
 On all this coast it rarely or never rains. The 
 dews, however, during the nights, are heavy, and 
 the thick fogs in the winter season saturate every 
 thing with moisture. After one of these fogs wa- 
 ter will frequently drip from the riggings of vessels 
 almost by pailfuls. 
 
A CONTRAST. 
 
 373 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 A Contrast. — Discouragement with respect to Settlement in 
 one Part of Africa counterbalanced by the Encouragement 
 it meets with at 250 miles from Table Bay. — Establishment 
 on the River Knysna. — Dangerous Entrance to the Harbor. 
 — A tremendous Surf. — Perils incurred in getting into safe 
 Water. — Description. — Fine Scenery. — A fatal Act of Dar- 
 ing. — A noble and diversified Prospect. — Delicious Climate. 
 — Description of Landscape. — Salt Marshes. — Government 
 Dock-yard. — A Night Scene. — European Visitors. — An 
 English Gentleman-Farmer. — Plattenburg’s Bay. — Forest 
 Scenery. — Birds of gorgeous Plumage not Vocalists. — Gen- 
 eral Prospects of the Settlement. 
 
 Discouraging as the survey of the S. W. coast of 
 Africa, with a view to the formation of settlements 
 in that part of the world, may appear in the pre- 
 ceding chapters, yet discouragements as great as 
 those pointed out have been, in the accomplish- 
 ment of a like object, already in that country over- 
 come, and may be again. I allude particularly in 
 this remark to the original Dutch establishment 
 on the River Knysna, about two hundred and fifty 
 miles eastward of Table Bay. This place, which 
 some time ago attracted much attention, was visited 
 a few years back, merely as a traveler, by Captain 
 W. ; and as the account he gives of it very much 
 resembles in some respects the pictures we have 
 
374 
 
 THE KNYSNA. 
 
 just sketched, while in others it offers a colnplete 
 contrast to them — a hopeful one, nevertheless — I 
 will conclude the coasting part of my subject by 
 placing the captain’s narrative, very slightly modi- 
 fied and abridged, before my readers. It will be 
 pleasant to avert one’s eyes for a while from sav- 
 age sterility to behold the desert ‘ c blossoming as a 
 rose,”i. e.j barbarism yielding its place to civiliza- 
 tion, though not, alas ! by the improvement, but by 
 the expulsion or extinction of barbarians. 
 
 u Proceeding, ” says our traveler, u from Port Eliz- 
 abeth (Algoa Bay) to Cape Town, we had occasion 
 to touch at the Knysna. After beating on and off 
 for nearly a week to discover the entrance, we at 
 length perceived the pilot’s signal, which was any 
 thing but favorable to our enterprise. We had 
 been previously informed that it was customary to 
 hoist a red flag upon the pilot’s tower, which is 
 erected on the east cliff at this notable entrance, at 
 periods of danger ; and lo ! the discouraging sig- 
 nal; but, notwithstanding this serious obstacle to 
 our wishes, we had the temerity to risk all hazards, 
 and to steer direct to port. Our captain was doubt- 
 less an excellent seaman, and we fully confided in 
 his skill ; he pleaded the hour of the day and a fair 
 wind, which was most essential, in order to justify 
 his neglect of the pilot’s signal. We neared, there- 
 fore, the coast, and it became evident that the en- 
 trance was rather narrow — in truth, a mere rent in 
 the cliff, effected by some sudden convulsion and 
 
COAST. SEA SCENERY. 
 
 375 
 
 subsidence of the intermediate rocks ; but of this I 
 could obtain no information, as there is no existing 
 record of the catastrophe. Our attention was ar- 
 rested by a glimpse of the picturesque interior; 
 and, nothing daunted from the confidence which we 
 derived from the calm bearing of the crew, I de- 
 voted myself to making a drawing of the object be- 
 fore me — the entrance of the Knysna, with mount- 
 ain scenery in the background. It was impossible 
 to look around without feelings of awe and ad- 
 miration; the whole line of coast eastward and 
 westward was literally fringed with huge broken 
 masses of rock, over which was breaking a tre- 
 mendous spray. We could descry a species of 
 4 Scylla and Charybdis,’ on either side whirling 
 and bellowing with convulsive shocks ; now emerg- 
 ing from the foam, and presenting a bare, black, 
 broken surface, which fancy might depict a many- 
 headed hydra form ; then, drinking up the coming 
 sea, it would vomit forth the frothy spume into 
 a thousand fantastical cascades, shedding the pris- 
 matic colors of the iris. 4 If the wind slackened 
 now, ’ said the captain, 4 we should fall an easy prey 
 to one or other of these monsters.’ A heavy swell 
 of the sea appeared now to raise us nearly perpen- 
 dicular, and suddenly precipitated us forward with 
 fearful velocity to the critical point of the naviga- 
 tion. Every thing previously had appeared to har- 
 monize with our wishes. 4 Steady ! ’ was the word, 
 and 4 port ! port ! 1 oft repeated. At length the cap- 
 
376 
 
 DANGERS OE ENTERING THE HARBOR. 
 
 tain took the helm ; all the hands were in a bustle, 
 and looked anxious. ‘ Now, my lads, hold on, 1 was 
 loudly vociferated; the vessel trembled under our 
 feet. I looked anxiously abaft ; a sudden shock 
 threw most of us along the deck, when I beheld 
 with terror an appalling sea spreading the whole 
 length of this celebrated entrance, full half a mile, 
 now lifting up its head close to our stern, and 
 mantling with rage that we had escaped, and be- 
 ginning to curl upon us its mighty volume, as if it 
 would ingulf the vessel. A momentary thrill of 
 horror seemed to paralyze all on board; we felt 
 the final shock of its rage in safety ; it fell power- 
 less in our rear, and with one deep, long sweep, at 
 least a quarter of a mile, which seemed to reach 
 the very bottom, propelled us securely over the 
 bar. ‘All’s well! Steady, my lads ! port! port!' 
 was hastily said as we dashed into the rapids of 
 conflicting currents, occasioned by the tide now set- 
 tling outward with race-horse speed through the 
 contracted passage. Being fairly entered, we per- 
 ceived the pilot anxiously awaiting us, and motion- 
 ing with his flag, endeavoring to direct us through 
 the intricacies of this mazy and eddying gorge. 
 This we effected with admirable precision, and 
 swiftly passing on to a considerable distance, we 
 at once glided into a smooth, tranquil, mirror-like 
 basin, aptly and comprehensively termed the sail- 
 or’s ‘Feather-bed Bay.’ In our precipitate pas- 
 sage, every object appeared ‘magically’ to run past 
 
WASHED OVERBOARD AND ON BOARD. 377 
 
 us, as we almost brushed the branches of the flow- 
 ing foliage of this delightful fairy region. 
 
 “We had leisure now to look about us, and to 
 reflect upon the dangers we had so suddenly and 
 recently passed. At this moment the pilot board- 
 ed us, and angrily remonstrated with the captain 
 for his folly and temerity in disregarding his sig- 
 nal of dangerous ; adding, ‘You have risked the 
 lives of your passengers as well as the property of 
 the owners ; but I suppose you are pretty highly 
 insured! 1 Assuredly, if the last sea had broken 
 upon the vessel, she might have foundered at once, 
 or, at any rate, have swept us all overboard. We 
 shuddered at the incautious manner in which we 
 had been left to our own discretion ; we ought to 
 have been lashed to the bulkheads for security. 
 The pilot added that he had nearly lost four of his 
 best hands (those who now manned his boat) by 
 similar daring. They had shipped a sea upon the 
 bar, and were clean precipitated into the eddy, 
 when, fortunately for them, another sea safely lodg- 
 ed them all on deck again ; a fact which the men 
 themselves afterward confirmed to us. The cap- 
 tain, to justify himself, said that, perceiving our 
 self-possession, he was fearful of unnerving us by 
 too much parade of caution, although he well knew 
 we were likely to get a ducking ; and, truly enough, 
 the last fearful breaker had given us ample proof 
 of his discernment by a most copious shower of 
 spray, which drenched us to the skin. It is not 
 
378 
 
 A FATAL EXPERIMENT. 
 
 unusual, in such dangerous and critical moments, 
 for seamen to affect show of hardihood and misap- 
 plied courage. We were informed that a short 
 time after the pilot had been appointed to this sta- 
 tion, three or four persons connected with the naval 
 establishment determined to try their powers in 
 stemming the current without the bar, when the 
 tide was setting out with all its velocity. They 
 had been cautioned not to hazard their lives in such 
 a useless and foolhardy experiment ; but, strong in 
 their own opinion, advice was fruitless. They man- 
 ned their boat, and proceeded to the current, which 
 speedily put the metal of these brave fellows to the 
 test, who, when it was too late, discovered that they 
 had been over -presumptuous. All human effort 
 proved unavailing and ineffectual against the po- 
 tent stream; the conflicting currents baffled their 
 endeavors, and fear and remorse overwhelmed them 
 in the vortex of destruction. Their distress was 
 but too evident ; their uplifted hands spoke their 
 hearts’ grief and despair; they were beyond the 
 reach of human aid, and their agonized screams 
 were mocked in the turmoil and unceasing din of 
 roaring billows. The boat was soon carried aloft 
 amid the breakers ; it soon after appeared at a con- 
 siderable distance from the land, like a speck upon 
 the ocean, and, melancholy to relate, these courage- 
 ous and once useful members of society were, in the 
 prime of life, hurried away by their precipitate bra- 
 vado into a lingering and horrible death — carried 
 
THE NAVIGATION OF THE KNYSNA SAFE. 379 
 
 out to sea, without the smallest provision, and never 
 heard of more. 
 
 “But, notwithstanding all that has been said of 
 the narrow entrance, the iron-bound coast, the rocky 
 obstructions, and the mighty surge which beset this 
 river, there is no doubt that, by duly attending to 
 the instructions and signals of the pilot, the navi- 
 gation of the Knysna may be as readily and safely 
 effected as that of any other barred river. A de- 
 lightful tranquillity succeeded the excited feelings 
 which such perilous encounters as we had passed 
 through seldom fail to produce. We had now a 
 noble and diversified prospect before us, and there- 
 fore an ample field for inquiry and contemplation. 
 Like the still waters of the Cumberland lakes, the 
 distant hills and surrounding woods gave deep in- 
 terest to this novel scene; every object before us 
 was faithfully reflected in the placid bosom of the 
 liquid mirror, and we continued to glide along its 
 smooth surface for a mile and a half, when the rat- 
 tling cable gave notice that we were soon to be 
 transferred to terra firma , a change to which we 
 looked forward with considerable impatience, and 
 which we found, as soon as we pitched our tents on 
 shore, really delightful 
 
 “We will now take a peep outside : the delicious 
 climate invites us to enjoy every moment that re- 
 mains of daylight, and we have a magnificent pan- 
 orama to inspect. Yonder, to the south, stand two 
 pyramidal rocks of granite, faithful sentinels at the 
 
380 the pilot’s tower and pilot’s house. 
 
 mouth of the Knysna. The westward heights are 
 fringed with splendid foliage, descending to the mar- 
 gin of the stream. Eastward, the pilot’s tower be- 
 tokens the care which the Admiralty takes in giv- 
 ing security and confidence to those who live on 
 ‘the profound deep.’ Its site is well chosen, upon 
 a lofty promontory, and may be seen at twenty 
 miles distance. How highly picturesque are the 
 sides of its elevation, covered with every variety of 
 evergreen shrubs, spangled with blossoms of every 
 hue, and fragrant as beautiful! Huge masses of 
 rocks intersperse the shrubbery, and these of vari- 
 ous romantic shapes, some with well-formed arches, 
 Oriental, Gothic, and Roman ; others, deeply cav- 
 erned, reiterating, with thundering yells, the stun- 
 ning sound of never-ceasing breakers, appear the 
 abode of the Furies, and, foaming with ire, forbid 
 approach or investigation. 
 
 “The pilot’s house, at the foot of the eastern 
 heights, to which access is given by a zigzag foot- 
 path, next commands attention. Its position is 
 pretty well sheltered, having a ‘stoop’ before it, 
 i. 6., a raised terrace-walk, that affords a pleasant 
 lounge for the enjoyment of a cigar. Adjoining is 
 a boat-house and sheds, well supplied with grap- 
 pling-irons, cordage, spars, and fishing-tackle. But 
 what is that great bulk which encumbers the view 
 in front of the dwelling? Alas! the remains of 
 the first vessel that dared encounter this navigation 
 — the ‘Emu.’ The Emu rocks were pointed out to 
 
SALT MARSHES. 
 
 381 
 
 us just as we entered, juttting into the channel, 
 nearly under the pilot’s tower. To avoid these 
 wreckers large posts are fixed upon the heights 
 above, which mark the proper bearing to escape all 
 danger, so that what was once truly difficult and 
 hazardous is now rendered easily accessible and per- 
 fectly free from danger. 
 
 “The salt marshes which form the great basin 
 are altogether very extensive, and cover many thou- 
 sand acres. They are occasionally flooded, and then 
 we have a noble expanse of inland water, as fine 
 as any of the most celebrated lakes of Europe for 
 picturesque beauty, though not, perhaps, of so great 
 extent. On the west bank of the river we perceive 
 a farm, under Dutch cultivation, the possession of 
 Mynheer Barret, whose flocks and herds browse as 
 far as the western cliffs. On the opposite bank, 
 beyond the marshes, is Milk Kraal Farm, with the 
 modest but comfortable residence of George Bex, 
 Esq., an English gentleman ; and on the north of 
 our marquee is the government dock-yard, with 
 sheds, mould-lofts, other buildings, and the resi- 
 dence of the master-builder. 
 
 “Beyond these several objects rose an undulat- 
 ing background, studded with forest-trees, natural 
 plots of flowering shrubs, an infinite variety of ever- 
 greens, rare plants, and singular-looking grasses, 
 large plots of wild geraniums, and heaths of a thou- 
 sand species, winding round the extensive basin, 
 and traversing the banks of the river far away, even 
 
382 
 
 PICTURESQUE SCENES. 
 
 to the distance of the Uitenbegtta range of mount- 
 ains, and possessing numerous localities of great 
 beauty and interest, which a transitory visit to 
 Knysna could not afford an opportunity to inspect, 
 much less to describe with justice. Suffice it, there- 
 fore, to say, that this is the most park-like and 
 beautiful district which I have visited in South 
 Africa. 
 
 “We had lovely weather, and the soft, refreshing 
 air whispered the near closing of a day never to be 
 forgotten. The long, distant shadows of the hills 
 now approached us, and spread their gray mantle 
 over the valley ; white fleecy vapors flitted across 
 the bosoms of the distant hills, and almost sudden 
 night involved us in darkness. Pending our brief 
 daylight, we had the good fortune to get our stores 
 and boxes on shore, while abundance of provisions 
 poured in upon us from all quarters. We here 
 found every thing we could wish — wood, water, and 
 stock of various kinds — so wonderfully do supplies 
 generally exceed the demand. We had blazing fires 
 between the river and our marquee, and they were 
 soon put in request by all our followers. The 
 glaring ruddy light, and the busy spectacle of nu- 
 merous persons quickly passing to and fro, was a 
 singular contrast to the calm scene we had so re- 
 cently witnessed. This, again, soon gave place to 
 silence — all hands had reveled and dispersed. The 
 stars twinkled in their spheres ; the crickets and 
 the hosts of the marshes sent forth their sonorous 
 
WOLVES AND VISITORS. 
 
 383 
 
 and incessant din to lull us into sleep. But soft ! 
 we hear sounds which 4 murder sleep, 1 and restless- 
 ness appears in every animal around us. My horse 
 and my goat had been made fast near the entrance 
 of my marquee, and their anxiety and instinctive 
 watchfulness was but too apparent. I cautiously 
 looked out, and numerous eyes glistened on every 
 side, while streams of phosphoric sparks swept over 
 our roof and almost brushed my face. These I 
 had happily seen before. The little fire-fly was a 
 familiar visitant, and harmless; but how shall I 
 secure my poor horse and goats if they are attack- 
 ed? thought I. There was danger in the attempt 
 to save them. We could form no resolution, and 
 therefore, as usual (after the precaution of increas- 
 ing the number of our lights, and making as many 
 shadows as possible), resigned ourselves to the 
 guardianship of the All-merciful for the night. 
 Our rest was frequently disturbed with woo — woo 
 — woo, as the thousand wolves grew bolder, and 
 my horse plunged so dreadfully at times that we 
 feared our walls would give way. Daylight, how- 
 ever, and the 4 Yo, heave ho! 1 of the sailors sent 
 these voracious neighbors bootless home to their 
 fastnesses. 
 
 44 The morning ushered in a host of visitors to 
 our marquee of every grade, chiefly Dutchmen, in 
 the hope of purchasing stores. Fire-arms, gunpow- 
 der, tea, groceries, and hardware were chiefly in re- 
 quest ; but of these I had previously disposed of all 
 
384 
 
 A CAVALCADE OF LADIES. 
 
 that I could spare, which caused great disappoint- 
 ment. All these visitors were remarkably frank, 
 civil, and familiar, freely partook of our fare, and 
 politely praised every thing they beheld. But these 
 boors (improperly so called) were in truth remark- 
 ably courteous, inviting us to their homes, and offer- 
 ing to send wagons for us. With these Mynheers 
 it was all ‘moey,’ ‘plenty,’ and ‘pretty,’ ‘moey 
 frow,’ ‘moey kent,’ ‘moey picanni’ — ‘plenty pret- 
 ty,’ ‘pretty fine,’ ‘plenty funny.’ After satisfying 
 their curiosity, they civilly withdrew, apparently 
 well pleased with their reception, for they repeated 
 their visit every morning during our stay 
 
 “After the departure of the last visitor our at- 
 tention was arrested by the cry of ‘ A sail ! a sail ! ’ 
 We hastened to an elevated spot, and had the sat- 
 isfaction of seeing the ‘ Durham’ enter, with a press 
 of sail, in capital style. She had the tide in her 
 favor, and the pilot had boarded her outside the 
 bar, giving us a fine elucidation of the safe and 
 easy navigation of the entrance. 
 
 “And whence comes yon cavalcade of white 
 mettled palfreys, mounted by ladies of no common 
 bearing, habited in Parisian costume, and attended 
 by servants carrying green gauze flap-flies to catch 
 the papillons ? A tall, genteel young man now di- 
 rects his way to us, bearing a pretty native basket : 
 he will inform us. It proved to be a basket of de- 
 licious fruit, which the proprietor of the Milk Kraal 
 Farm had kindly sent us by his son, with an invi- 
 
plattenburg’s bat. 
 
 385 
 
 tation to visit him. The gentleman, after deliver- 
 ing his message, rejoined his sisters. It was grat- 
 ifying to become acquainted with him, and he was 
 afterward our frequent guest and companion. As 
 our sojourn in this blissful vale must necessarily 
 be short, we had determined to make good use of 
 our time, and I had arranged my plans, which I 
 carried the next morning into execution, for a trip 
 through the forest to Plattenburg’s Bay. 
 
 u The country which on this expedition we pass- 
 ed through was every where delightful as far as the 
 eye could reach ; and the deep, green woods, with 
 their fine umbrageous foliage, gave us a grateful 
 shelter from the heat of the sun, which, as the day 
 advanced, began to be oppressive. Nothing could 
 be more striking than the stateliness of the trees, 
 most of which were flowering evergreens, present- 
 ing to our view a great variety of beautiful pen- 
 dent bunches of flowers of all colors — blue, white, 
 scarlet, and yellow — yielding at the same time a 
 most delicate fragrance, while the ground beneath 
 was studded and enameled with a multiplicity of 
 curious wax-like little stars, daisies, and harebells. 
 The road was well defined, and nearly straight for 
 a considerable distance, having very much the ap- 
 pearance of a nobleman’s park. It was in this se- 
 cluded spot, but a few years ago, that the Cafires 
 committed fearful ravages and murders. After 
 passing through the forest we soon obtained a fine 
 view of Plattenburg’s Bay, which, being distant 
 
 Bb 
 
386 
 
 AN ENGLISH FARMER IN AFRICA. 
 
 from Knysna about fifteen miles, we reached in two 
 hours and a half. Here we observed the extensive 
 ruins of a considerable range of warehouses, the 
 original depot of the Dutch East India Company ; 
 and having made the circuit of the bay, which has 
 a fine roadstead for shipping, we retraced our road 
 home, which we reached soon after sunset, being 
 highly satisfied with our excursion. 
 
 “We felt it our duty to acknowledge the gener- 
 ous present of George Rex, Esq., the gentleman 
 who had deputed his son to visit us, by paying him 
 a visit in return. He is an English farmer on a 
 large scale ; his vineyards, tobacco-plots, and fields 
 of wheat and pulse all bore testimony to a neat 
 and clean system of agriculture ; in fact, the whole 
 establishment gave evident tokens that every thing 
 was under the direction and guidance of an active 
 and cultivated mind, while his numerous family 
 spoke of a state of filial and fraternal affection, ex- 
 cellent social discipline, and refinement of manners 
 rarely to be met with in places so far removed from 
 the thoroughfares, or even by-ways of civilization. 
 We had passed several very pleasant days in making 
 short excursions into the neighborhood, when the 
 skipper announced that he had completed his car- 
 go, and that his intention was to put to sea on the 
 following morning. We therefore soon dispatched 
 matters for striking our marquee and our tents, 
 which, with our luggage, were soon put on board. 
 We embarked before sunset on Christmas Eve, 
 
THE FIFTY-DOLLAR BIRD. 
 
 387 
 
 taking a last farewell of a scene which has left an 
 indelible impression on our hearts and minds. The 
 river, which forms its chief feature, of great beauty, 
 though not of great extent, is calculated to be of 
 vast importance to future generations in a com- 
 mercial point of view; it abounds with a great 
 variety of delicious fish, particularly the mullet; 
 here, too, the paper nautilus has a safe retreat, 
 yielding specimens of the largest and most beauti- 
 ful kind any where to be met with ; nor can I for- 
 get the feathered tribe, which impart additional in- 
 terest to the groves. Without pretending to de- 
 scribe the different species, I will merely intimate 
 that I have seen examples of the most rare and cu- 
 rious formation and habits, and others of the most 
 gorgeous plumage, but no vocalists. In this re- 
 spect the woods are mute, except from the singular 
 and dolorous bird which distinctly and continually 
 breaks the dull monotony with his loud cry of 4 fif- 
 ty dollars, 1 and is hence called the fifty-dollar bird ! 
 With respect to the wild animals, and multitudes 
 of pernicious reptiles, they are known to swarm in 
 South Africa, and require no place in this brief 
 
 memoir. 
 
388 
 
 THE GUANO TRADE. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 The Guano Trade. — When Guano was first used in Agricul- 
 ture. — Its Discovery in Africa. — The Island of Ichaboe : its 
 Anchorage ; its Rollers. — The Treasures of Ichaboe made 
 known by Mr. Livingstone. — First Attempt to reach the 
 Island a Failure; a second succeeds. — Vessels arrive in 
 Numbers. — Immense Deposits of Guano. — The Penguin. — 
 The Penguin’s Lament. — Stages for loading Vessels. — The 
 “Flying Railway.” — Committee of Safety. — The Guano 
 Pits. — Squabbles among the Captains and others. — The 
 Guano Fever versified. — The Island is properly divided. — 
 Ichaboe presents an animated Scene.- — Bad Doings on the 
 Island. — Sir John Marshall. — The Guano Pits exhausted. — 
 Concluding Remarks. 
 
 In my description of the west coast of Africa, 
 its rivers, harbors, bays, etc., allusion has been fre- 
 quently made to guano, and to the trade in that 
 article, carried on some years ago on so large a 
 scale, and even yet not quite extinct. Before, how- 
 ever, I speak of this trade, it may be well to say a 
 word of the manure itself. 
 
 Guano, or huano , as it is also spelt in Spanish 
 (either letter being used at the discretion of the 
 writer), is, it is said, a Spanish name; but, whether 
 Spanish or Peruvian originally, it is now, by adop- 
 tion, a good English word. 
 
 As a manure, this ordure has been known and 
 used in Peru from the date of the earliest records 
 
GUANO. 
 
 389 
 
 of that country — long prior, it may be presumed, 
 to any written history ; and so highly was it es- 
 teemed in ancient times that an old Peruvian law 
 made its removal from the coast, or the destruction 
 of its depositors, without authority, a crime pun- 
 ishable by death. Having then been known and 
 appreciated so long, it may seem strange that it 
 was only yesterday we heard any thing about its 
 agricultural virtues in Europe. The exclusiveness 
 of the Spanish government, while that power was 
 ascendant in South America, and the frequent rev- 
 olutions — almost prohibitive of commerce — to 
 which it has since been exposed, may partly, per- 
 haps, account for this. However that may be, it 
 is certain that the credit of the first introduction 
 of guano into England is due to a French gentle- 
 man named Baopoillet, and to Mr. Bland, a partner 
 in the firm of Meyers, Bland, and Co., of Valparaiso. 
 These gentlemen sent several cargoes of this ma- 
 nure to England in 1839 and 1840. They had at 
 first much difficulty in overcoming the prejudices 
 of agriculturists against any thing new. The in- 
 trinsic value, nevertheless, of the importation soon 
 overcame all opposition ; and shortly after, an En- 
 glish mercantile house, in connection with the gen- 
 tleman just named, obtained the exclusive privilege 
 of shipping the precious ordure from the coast of 
 Peru and Bolivia— a reward well merited by the 
 enterprising perseverance of Messrs. Baopoillet and 
 Bland. 
 
390 
 
 ICHABOE AN EL DORADO. 
 
 British agriculturists and others becoming speed- 
 ily acquainted with the admirable properties of 
 guano, the monopolized supplies of this valuable 
 article obtained from the South Pacific Ocean were 
 soon found to be insufficient, and the world was 
 ransacked, so to speak, in search of other deposits. 
 The islands off the western coast of Africa, hitherto 
 all but unknown (except to the whaler and the seal- 
 fisher), were particularly visited with this object in 
 view, and fortunately not in vain. 
 
 The discovery of guano on this coast, just then a 
 most timely one, created, when first known, from 
 the many commercial resources it offered, quite a 
 sensation in England. It opened to our agricul- 
 turists a sure means of relief from circumstances 
 which had depressed them to the lowest point, and 
 gave, at the same time, an impetus to our mercan- 
 tile marine, never before reduced to so lamentable 
 a state of stagnation as at that period. A vast 
 number of vessels now found employment in the 
 guano trade, and freightage all over the world was 
 thereby greatly improved. 
 
 At first, it is true, mercantile men were slow to 
 credit the good news ; but after a while their doubts 
 disappeared, and whole fleets, instead of single ves- 
 sels as at first, were dispatched to the land of prom- 
 ise. Many individuals, possessed with the convic- 
 tion that Ichaboe would prove a second El Dorado, 
 embarked the whole of their fortunes in one venture 
 to that island. Some of them certainly acquired 
 
NO HARBOR. 391 
 
 great wealth, but others, it is to be feared, suffered 
 very heavy losses. 
 
 Though guano was imported from several of the 
 rocky islets bordering on the western coast of South 
 Africa — namely, from those at the mouth of Angra 
 Pequena harbor, from Mercury, Hollam’s Bird, etc. 
 — it was chiefly from Ichaboe, situated in lat. 26° 
 18' S., and long. 14° 58 7 E., that the bulk of this 
 valuable deposit was obtained ; and it is therefore 
 more especially of the guano trade in that island 
 that I am now about to speak. 
 
 Ichaboe, a rock thrown up, no doubt, by a vol- 
 cano, is about three quarters of a mile in circum- 
 ference, and at its highest point not more than 
 thirty feet above the level of the sea. It is sur- 
 Tounded to the N. and S.W. by outlying rocks, ex- 
 tending in some places as far as a quarter of a mile 
 from the shore, and is distant three quarters of a 
 mile or so from the opposite main land, that is, 
 five miles or thereabouts from the outer part of a 
 dangerous reef, off a tongue of land to the S.E. of 
 the island. This reef, many parts of which are 
 under water, and not to be discerned when the sea 
 is smooth, is very extensive and very dangerous. 
 There is, it is true, a narrow channel through it, 
 but it is an extremely perilous one, never resorted 
 to, except from necessity, by vessels unacquainted 
 with the safer passage. 
 
 Ichaboe has no harbor whatever; even the an- 
 chorage, embracing the whole sjDace between the 
 
392 
 
 DANGEROUS ANCHORAGE. 
 
 island and the main land, is greatly exposed. The 
 depth of its water varies from three to nine fath- 
 oms, and the rise and fall of the sea at spring tides 
 is not above six feet. The bottom is throughout 
 rocky, uneven, and covered with kelp. The hold- 
 ing for anchors is therefore decidedly bad ; two, in- 
 deed, are generally required, with an ample scope 
 of chain to enable vessels to ride with any thing 
 like safety in strong southerly winds. This extra 
 length of chain often caused serious damage to the 
 guano fleets, more especially at a sudden shift of 
 wind. The vessels would then swing round, and, 
 before the chains could be hoved in, or the ropes 
 got out to steady them, would dash against each 
 other, and, being pitched about by a constant heavy 
 swell, do one another much injury. On one night, 
 for instance, in the month of October, 1844, four- 
 teen vessels, from the cause I have just mentioned, 
 lost bowsprits, one or two became partially dis- 
 masted, and two were so much damaged that they 
 were condemned immediately afterward as unsea- 
 worthy. A very great number of anchors and 
 chains, moreover, have, from their forelocks and 
 pins coming out of them, been lost at various times 
 off Ichaboe. This has been by some attributed to 
 a peculiarity in the water, causing oxydation in an 
 extraordinary degree, and so loosening the jointures 
 and fastenings of iron-work. It is, however, much 
 more probable that the losses I allude to were oc- 
 casioned by the forelocks breaking, or the pins 
 
ROLLERS. 
 
 393 
 
 working out, from the constant friction of the 
 chains against a rocky sea bottom. There was 
 no instance, nevertheless, of a chain becoming un- 
 shackled when its pins were made of wood, well 
 and carefully driven in. 
 
 The proper entrance to Ichaboe anchorage is 
 from the southward, where there is plenty of water, 
 and the channel is wide and safe. The opposite 
 entrance is, on the contrary, very narrow, and the 
 water insufficient for any deeply-laden craft. Many 
 ships have struck in going out ; and all over the 
 northern part of the anchorage rocks have been dis- 
 covered by vessels unexpectedly striking on them. 
 
 To add to the dangers and discomforts of a bad 
 anchorage, the enormous rollers, so often described 
 by parties visiting St. Helena and Ascension Isl- 
 and, are also prevalent here, and often assail the 
 coast with great violence during a calm. “One 
 fine afternoon, for instance, when the guano fleet 
 was lying at anchor, the water quite smooth, and 
 the boats busily loading at the stages, a heavy sea 
 came rolling in, which swamped, in a few minutes, 
 six boats, and seriously injured several of their 
 crews. These rollers, huge sea mountains, gather- 
 ing volume in their advance, and tumbling in, one 
 after another — their crests broken into white foam- 
 ing masses of water — formed an awfully grand 
 spectacle. One might expect — though the cause of 
 the phenomenon is as yet quite unexplained — in- 
 cursions from these monstrous columns of billows 
 
394 THE FIRST GUANO EXPEDITION. 
 
 at any change of, or at the full of the moon, when, 
 sweeping every thing before them, they would, on 
 reaching the beach, expend their fury in a noise like 
 thunder, and, breaking up, spread over many a fur- 
 long of sand and rock, out of the reach of the reg- 
 ular tides. These formidable rollers are always 
 heaviest across the northern entrance to the anchor- 
 age, where the water is shallow. Many vessels, 
 anchoring too much in that direction within their 
 sweep, have been greatly damaged ; and one, the 
 ‘Guernsey Lily,’ was in 1845, when freighted and 
 ready for sea, unfortunately driven on shore. At 
 the times when the rollers set in, there is no per- 
 ceptible change in the barometer, nor any unusual 
 appearance in the sky; the weather continues en- 
 tirely the same as before — that is, a heavy, thick, 
 and almost impervious haze hangs over the hori- 
 zon, as it does nearly all the year round. ” 
 
 The existence of guano on the African coast was 
 first brought to the knowledge of British merchants 
 and ship-owners by Mr. Andrew Livingstone, of 
 Liverpool, a gentleman well known to the nautical 
 world. He got all he knew about Ichaboe from 
 the work of Captain Morrell, of whom mention has 
 been already frequently made. 
 
 At first, however, Mr. Livingstone endeavored in 
 vain to get a well-known firm in Liverpool to send 
 out vessels to Ichaboe ; they did not even believe 
 in the existence of the island ; and some consider- 
 able time elapsed before other parties were induced 
 
FIRST SUCCESS. 
 
 395 
 
 to send out to that place a small schooner of their 
 own, with two equally small chartered vessels. 
 These ships sailed with sealed orders ; one of them 
 returned without attempting to find Ichaboe; but 
 the schooner arrived at Angra Pequena, and came 
 to an anchor in the outer roads. From this point 
 she was driven to sea by a strong S.S.W. wind, evi- 
 dently in consequence of those on board not know- 
 ing the anchorage-ground, though an excellent Ad- 
 miralty chart of it exists. The vessel drove to lee- 
 ward so far that, on standing in to the land, she 
 only fetched Hottentot Bay, at about twelve miles 
 to the northward of Ichaboe. From this bay the 
 master of the schooner pulled up to Ichaboe in a 
 small jolly-boat, and succeeded in landing (at least 
 so says the schooner’s log-book), though he nearly 
 knocked his boat to pieces in the surf. On return- 
 ing to the schooner, it was discovered that she had 
 only thirty gallons of water on board, while none 
 was to be obtained on the coast. Under these cir- 
 cumstances, her skipper bore up for St. Helena, 
 where, his . original destination being entirely ig- 
 nored, the vessel was freighted for the West Indies. 
 
 Of the chartered brigs I have mentioned, one, the 
 “Ann, of Bristol,” Captain Farr, touched at the 
 Cape of Good Hope, took in water, and duly reach- 
 ed Ichaboe, where she remained during the months 
 of March and April, 1843. Having, however, no 
 materials on board with which to construct a stage, 
 her lading proceeded but slowly, and was attended 
 
396 
 
 MORE VESSELS ARRIVE. 
 
 with much difficulty, for it was only on fine days 
 that the boats could approach the rocks to receive 
 the bags of guano. When about three fourths laden 
 the brig began to drive before one of the strong 
 southerly winds which prevail on the coast, and, 
 jhaving parted his chains, Captain Farr determined 
 to bear up for England. Arriving there in safety, 
 he was sent, with a view to secrecy, to discharge his 
 cargo at Dumfries. The news, nevertheless, soon 
 spread, though all possible means were resorted to 
 to prevent its getting abroad, and to mystify the 
 public. Captain Farr now made a fresh arrange- 
 ment with a house in Glasgow ; his crew communi- 
 cated what they knew to others, and Mr. Living- 
 stone, considering himself perfectly at liberty to do 
 so, gave all the information he possessed on the 
 subject to a Liverpool firm. It appears that this 
 gentleman had been most unjustly treated by his 
 employers when in charge of their vessel, the 4 ‘Gal- 
 lo vidia.” They had refused to abide by their orig- 
 inal agreement, which was a verbal one, and have 
 never given to Mr. Livingstone, to this day, the 
 slightest remuneration for his valuable services. 
 Their speculations on the coast, however, have been 
 so conducted as to bring upon them, to the full, 
 their due reward. 
 
 Toward the middle of November, 1843, several 
 vessels arrived (principally from Liverpool and 
 Glasgow) simultaneously on the African coast. 
 One of them went by accident direct to Ichaboe ; 
 
ISLAND OP ICHABOE. 
 
IMMENSE DEPOSITS. 
 
 399 
 
 others to Possession Island and Angra Pequena, 
 where guano was, it was believed, also to be found. s 
 Very few of the parties first sent out were aware 
 of the existence of Ichaboe. They knew only of 
 the islands laid down in the charts and mentioned 
 in books of directions. It was, however, promptly 
 brought to their notice, and many who had freight- 
 ed their vessels at Possession Island and Angra 
 Pequena threw their cargo overboard, in order to 
 reload at Ichaboe, where the guano is superior in 
 quality to that any where else to be obtained. 
 
 This island, when first visited, was literally cover- 
 ed with guano, immensely accumulated toward the 
 north, but in less dense heaps at its southern ex- 
 tremity.* In its northern pits, the manure meas- 
 ured, when operations were first commenced, forty 
 feet in depth, and decreased gradually to about ten 
 feet at its opposite end. From data which can 
 not be very incorrect, the whole quantity, varying 
 greatly in quality, removed from the islet was, at 
 the period alluded to, about 200,000 tons, the best 
 being decidedly obtained from the northern pits. 
 The N.W. corner of the rock contained, too, a con- 
 siderable quantity of the deposits of the gannet and 
 cormorant, while its southern end was covered with 
 decayed seals and their droppings. The bulk of 
 
 * The cause of this is probably to be found in the fact that 
 the north is the lee-side of the island, to which the feathery 
 tribes naturally retreat for shelter against the inclemency of 
 the weather, and the prevailing strong southerly winds. 
 
400 
 
 PENGUINS. 
 
 the guano, however, at least the one half of it, came 
 undoubtedly from the penguin, while the remainder 
 consisted chiefly of the dead, decomposed bodies of 
 that bird. 
 
 It may be as well here to mention, that of the 
 200, 000 tons of guano shipped from Ichaboe, only 
 eight small cargoes were carried off by foreign ves- 
 sels ; of these eight, moreover, only two were ob- 
 tained from the pits ; the others, of a very inferior 
 quality, were picked up wherever they could be got. 
 
 “On first landing, in November, 1843, on the 
 island which enjoyed for a time so odorous a celeb- 
 rity,” says a certain writer, “the place was literally 
 alive with one mass of penguins, etc., which were 
 so tame, or, rather, so unaccustomed to man’s ap- 
 pearance that they would not move without com- 
 pulsion. Thousands of the eggs of this bird, col- 
 lected by the sailors, formed a savory addition to 
 their usual rations of salt meat.” They are hardly 
 fewer at present; for, notwithstanding the num- 
 bers of penguins shot every year, and the enormous 
 quantity of eggs and young annually carried off 
 and destroyed, these birds still continue to resort 
 to their favorite haunt in almost undiminished 
 multitudes, while the constant presence of man for 
 nearly a quarter of a century has not in the least af- 
 fected their social habits, or diminished their fond- 
 ness for their wild oceanic home. 
 
 The following lines from the Cape Press show 
 how much this bird occupied the fancy or the 
 
THE PENGUIN^ LAMENT. 
 
 401 
 
 fingers of Cape Town scribes when the guano fever 
 was at its height, and conversation in every society 
 turned in that settlement upon the all-absorbing 
 topic : 
 
 “ One evening it chanced, as I strolled by the shore, 
 
 This saddest of ditties the cool night-breeze bore 
 
 Distinct o’er the surf, with its gruff sullen roar : 
 
 “the penguin’s lament. 
 
 “ Tormented for aye be the pitiless breast 
 That drove me afar from my home, 
 
 A desolate bird o’er the broad billow’s breast, 
 
 In search of a country to roam. 
 
 “ Fiends ever torture the cold, ruthless heart 
 That robbed my warm nest of its young, 
 
 And made a poor heart-broken penguin depart 
 From the land whence his forefathers sprung. 
 
 “ May Conscience’s thorns on his death-bed be strewn, 
 His friends in adversity flee ; 
 
 Was Martin’s Act made for the jackass alone? 
 
 Extend not its mercies to me ? 
 
 “ Then in Albion, no longer the land of the just, 
 
 The penguin’s lament shall be heard, 
 
 And those miserly wretches lie low in the dust 
 Who spared not a poor ocean bird.” 
 
 None of the vessels, on arriving at Ichaboe, were 
 on their first voyage provided with materials for 
 erecting platforms whereby to take in their cargoes 
 with facility ; yet, as a heavy surf breaks at some 
 distance from the shore, stages or platforms of con- 
 siderable length were required for this purpose. 
 With a rich treasure, however, before them, the 
 
 C c 
 
402 
 
 STAGES AND PLATFORMS. 
 
 energy and emulation of the adventurers soon 
 overcame the forbidding difficulties of Nature’s in- 
 terposition. Some clubbed together their spare 
 spars, studding-sail-booms, top-gallant and mizen- 
 top-masts, and, by erecting a stage, commenced op- 
 erations, while others, less amply furnished with 
 means, or more enterprising, constructed a sort of 
 “flying railway” with fewer materials, but with an 
 equal, if not a greater amount* of labor. In pro- 
 portion, however, as the difficulties of loading be- 
 came known, and fresh vessels arrived from En- 
 gland, spars and planks for staging were imported 
 in great numbers, and were, toward the close of the 
 year 1843, completely at a discount. 
 
 A high surf, deep water, and a bottom entirely 
 composed of rocks covered with sea-weed made the 
 difficulty of erecting stages two or three hundred 
 feet from the shore very great. These stages, be- 
 sides, in consequence of the irregularities of the 
 rocky bottom, and the necessity of finding smooth 
 water for the boats at their termination, could 
 never be constructed in a straight line. Those 
 first set up were swept away by the sea almost im- 
 mediately, and more elaborate inventions had to be 
 resorted to to give stability to the contrivance. 
 
 For this purpose, a position being chosen, which 
 could only be on the north or east side of the island, 
 a heavy bower anchor, having a length or two of 
 chain attached to it, to prevent its chafing against 
 the rocks, was laid down outside the surf ; to this 
 
THE FLYING RAILWAY. 
 
 403 
 
 chain was affixed a stout hawser, secured at its ex- 
 tremity to the shore, in order to serve as a ridge- 
 rope for shears, which consisted of two spars lash- 
 ed together and driven into holes among the rocks. 
 A tackle from the coast was then made fast to this 
 construction ; and one pair of shears being estab- 
 lished, the others, each successive pair being well 
 fastened to the ridge-rope, were got up with less 
 difficulty. 
 
 All the shears, amounting often to fourteen or 
 sixteen pairs, being erected, small spars were lashed 
 longitudinally to each of them at about twelve feet 
 above the surface of the water. Cross spars were 
 thereupon well cleated, fore and aft, between the 
 shears, and upon these spars, planks, sometimes 
 nailed and sometimes lashed, were made fast and 
 steady. At the extremity of each stage was slung 
 a swinging platform, which could be lowered or 
 raised as the rise or fall of the tide might require. 
 
 The railway method of taking in cargo, as it was 
 called, was an imitation of the plan adopted for 
 lading ships freighted with salt at one of the Cape 
 Verde islands. To those who had no spars or 
 planks to form a stage it was the only resource left, 
 and was as follows : 
 
 A spar or main-boom, from forty to fifty feet 
 long, was, by means of a pair of shears, erected on 
 the shore as near the surf as possible, and about 
 twenty feet above the water’s level. A heavy 
 bower anchor, with a chain attached to it, and a 
 
404 
 
 A COMMITTEE OF SAFETY. 
 
 stout hawser to that, was then laid down outside 
 the surf, in thirty or forty fathoms or thereabouts. 
 
 A powerful tackle, fastened to a well-secured an- 
 chor, was thereupon lashed to the hawser, which 
 was carried on shore through a snatch-block. This 
 hawser was now set up quite taut, with a block, 
 hook downward, at its extremity, to which was at- 
 tached a small line for easing away and hauling 
 up, etc. The long-boat being then moored to the 
 hawser where it entered the water, two or more 
 bags of guano were either hoisted or heaved up to 
 the derrick-head, where a man was stationed to 
 hook them on to the traveling-block. The bags, 
 having arrived safely so far, were eased down the 
 first part of the hawser, to prevent their acquiring 
 too much velocity, and then, with a “let go,” reach- 
 ed the boats conveniently enough. Empty bags, 
 stores, etc., were then hauled up, and other full ' 
 bags sent down. Improvements on this plan, which 
 were certainly original and ingenious, but too te- 
 dious and laborious, were attempted, but did not 
 succeed. 
 
 The rapid increase and constant arrival of ves- 
 sels occasioning differences between their captains, 
 it soon became evident that some system of main- 
 taining order and a good understanding among 
 them must be adopted. A committee of shipmas- 
 ters and others was therefore formed, and certain 
 rules were laid down which had this object in view. 
 These rules were strictly enforced by the command- 
 
PITS AND FREIGHTING-PLACES. 
 
 405 
 
 ers of her majesty’s ships of war, who occasionally 
 touched at Ichaboe ; and very severe police regu- 
 lations, rendered necessary by the numbers of dis- 
 solute characters — sailors as well as laborers — who 
 frequented the island were also put rigorously into 
 execution. 
 
 The guano to the north of the islet being, as I 
 have already said, deepest, driest, and best, and the 
 water smoother there than at any other part of the 
 coast, the parties first arriving commenced their 
 lading operations in this quarter. Without any 
 measurement or rule, they chose such part of the 
 soil fronting them to gather their spoil as they 
 thought fit, and for the first two months disputes 
 rarely occurred among them, for there was room 
 for all. The spots selected by these adventurers 
 to work upon were called pits — why, it would be 
 difficult to determine — possibly from some casual 
 remark of a sailor or laborer. 
 
 The number of vessels present at Ichaboe toward 
 the close of the year 1843 amounted to nineteen, 
 and the arrivals went on increasing, though, from 
 this time, a good many ships were constantly leav- 
 ing with full cargoes. As the claimants for freight- 
 ing-places became, however, more numerous, the 
 difficulty of satisfying them became greater in the 
 same degree. At first, every new-comer chose a 
 new station, until the whole northern frontage of 
 the island — the only part of it adapted for lading 
 — was occupied. Another system was, however, 
 
406 THREE HUNDRED VESSELS AT ANCHOR. 
 
 now absolutely necessary, and masters of vessels, 
 instead of choosing new pits more remote from the 
 landing-place, made arrangements with their prede- 
 cessors to succeed to their pits or stations on the 
 condition of assisting them in shipping their car- 
 goes, and paying a fair valuation for the stages. 
 
 During the months of July and August the ves- 
 sels arrived at Ichaboe in such numbers that near- 
 ly three hundred were at anchor off that island in 
 the latter months. Freighting-places, as may be 
 supposed, became consequently extremely valuable, 
 and were bought for money, all eagerly desiring 
 a northern frontage in preference to the neutral 
 ground. Under these circumstances, many ship- 
 masters, and other parties from the Cape, estab- 
 lished themselves on the rock, obtained possession 
 of the pits, stations, and stages, and sold them at 
 prices more or less exorbitant, according as the de- 
 mand for them rose or fell. Much murmuring was 
 occasioned by this seizure by a third party on priv- 
 ileges and property to which they had no legal 
 claim whatever, and several attempts to put the 
 practice down were consequently made in the com- 
 mittee — in vain, for the majority of its members 
 were more or less interested in the iniquitous gains 
 of the new system. 
 
 It was while this enormous fleet was lying off 
 Ichaboe that another Cape Town scribe showed in 
 the following verses the universal interest taken in 
 guano speculations, and how completely the subject 
 engrossed all conversation in the colony. 
 
THE GUANO FEVER VERSIFIED. 
 
 407 
 
 “ A thousand fine vessels are plowing the main, 
 
 With their white sails all spread till their lofty spars strain ; 
 But what are they seeking, and where are they gone ? 
 Attend to my lay, and I’ll tell you anon. 
 
 There’s an island that lies on West Africa’s shore, 
 
 Where penguins have lived since the flood or before, 
 
 And raised up a hill there a mile high or more. 
 
 This hill is all guano, and lately ’tis shown 
 That finer potatoes and turnips are grown, 
 
 By means of this compost, than ever were known ; 
 
 And the peach and the nectarine, the apple, the pear, 
 
 Attain such a size that the gardeners stare, 
 
 And cry, 4 Well ! I never saw fruit like that ’ere !’ 
 
 One cabbage thus reared, as a paper maintains, 
 
 Weighed twenty-one stone, thirteen pounds and six grains, 
 So no wonder guano celebrity gains. 
 
 44 If business cause you to walk down the street, 
 
 A group of old fogies you’re certain to meet, 
 
 Rigged in chokers, frock-coats, and boots, all complete ; 
 Except that the latter are large for the feet, 
 
 But that is apart from the subject I treat : [ures, 
 
 Their broad-shouldered figures, their weather-bronzed feat- 
 Convince you at once that they’re seafaring creatures. 
 
 One pulls out a snulf-box and hands it about, 
 
 While each one in turn puts it up to his snout, 
 
 But none of the party will take a pinch out : 
 
 You’re puzzled till some one says , 4 Here’s an example 
 Of Malagas guano ; it’s not a bad sample . 5 
 
 44 You speak a strange sail — ask her where she is bound — 
 
 She answers , 4 Wherever guano is found.’ 
 
 44 At dinner some gentleman, helping a dish, 
 
 Says , 4 A little guano, sir ? — beg pardon — fish ?’ 
 
 And so the word’s dinned in your ears, till you wish 
 Those foreseeing penguins had never laid by 
 (Without speaking before) such a precious supply.” 
 
408 
 
 DIVISION OF THE ISLAND. 
 
 One good effect followed from the dissensions 
 just alluded to. The neutral ground, containing, 
 it was found, as good guano as any on the island, 
 now began to be occupied. The manure from this 
 locality was shipped from and to the northern 
 stages, and a good deal of the ground had already 
 been nearly worked through when the parties en- 
 gaged in clearing it were warned that, according to 
 regulations to that effect* they could not proceed 
 farther in a certain direction. Had they been al- 
 lowed to do so they would evidently have encroach- 
 ed upon the property of those who had possessed 
 the side-pits, either from the beginning or by pur- 
 chase, and who naturally wished, requiring them no 
 longer, to sell them to some successor at a good price. 
 
 The places for embarkation were, as I have al- 
 ready stated, all on the north and east side of the 
 island. In order, therefore, that the other front- 
 ages should be able to take advantage of them, 
 the Whole islet was divided by a line from east to 
 west. By this division it was probable all the pits 
 would be worked out at the same time. That it 
 might be so, a longitudinal line was drawn north 
 and south, and a series of pits from the east and 
 west was made up to that point. 
 
 Ichaboe at this period presented a scene perhaps 
 the most singular, the most grotesquely picturesque, 
 and the most animated that ever was beheld. 
 
 u Imagine,’ 1 says Sir John Marshall, who com- 
 manded her majesty’s frigate “Isis,” “a fleet of 
 
ENCAMPMENT ON SHORE. 
 
 409 
 
 about two hundred and twenty-five sail, some of 
 them old and rigged out for the occasion, many 
 with masters of irregular habits and insubordinate 
 crews, seamen and laborers amounting to about 
 3500 men of the lowest and most drunken class, 
 crowded together in certainly the most boisterous 
 anchorage in the world. It is a proud sight, nev- 
 ertheless, to see so many craft all lying with their 
 anchors ahead, amid dangers of no ordinary kind, 
 and evincing, in coolly riding under difficulties that 
 would appal most others, the daring and superior 
 seamanship which so strongly characterizes our peo- 
 ple. No wrecks have occurred since I have been 
 here ; but, though we saved one vessel when on the 
 rocks, much mischief has been done. Bowsprits, 
 stern-frames, and boats have chiefly suffered ; yet I 
 believe the damage is trifling compared with what 
 might have been expected. Fancy so many ships 
 at only an average distance from each other, of from 
 twenty to thirty fathoms, amid rollers in which the 
 ‘Isis,’ the lower cells of whose ports are nine feet 
 and more above the water, has dipped her main- 
 deck guns, and where, moreover, there is no protec- 
 tion from a gale from the west, and but very par- 
 tial shelter from any wind.” 
 
 At the commencement of October there were al- 
 together present at Ichaboe about six thousand sea- 
 men and laborers, of whom at least three fourths 
 were located on shore. At that time the part of 
 the island which had been cleared of guano was 
 
410 BAD DOINGS ON THE ISLAND. 
 
 completely covered with tents, in which much 
 skulking during the day, and much rioting at night 
 took place. These tents were pitched so close to- 
 gether that it was almost impossible to detect a tru- 
 ant laborer or seaman hiding among them, and the 
 scenes of drunkenness and debauchery they shelter- 
 ed would have disgraced the lowest haunt of vice. 
 Spirits, in much greater quantities than were al- 
 lowed by the regulations, were issued to the men, 
 with the connivance of the mates, though not with 
 that of the masters ; and Bacchanalian orgies were 
 held in the encampment, abominable beyond belief, 
 which would call up a blush even on the face of the 
 most abandoned. 
 
 Things came at last to such a pass that the com- 
 mittee, supported by Sir John Marshall, ordered 
 every tent on the island to be struck on the day 
 following their sitting. 
 
 Many a curse, not loud, but deep, was heaped 
 
 that night on the heads of the u committee,” 
 
 as they were called, not only by the seamen and la- 
 borers, but by the masters themselves, many of 
 whom, I am sorry to say, indulged themselves in 
 the camp revelries with quite as much zest as their 
 crews. On the morning of the day on which the 
 tents were to be struck some opposition to the in- 
 junctions of the committee was attempted, but Sir 
 John was too well prepared to leave it the least 
 chance of success. At one o’clock P.M. he pulled 
 toward the landing-place, with the frigate’s boats 
 
SIR JOHN MARSHALL. 
 
 411 
 
 completely manned and armed ; and, disembarking 
 half the marines, with a few bluejackets, went round 
 the island, overawing, by his presence, the disaffect- 
 ed, and effectually quelling, by a judicious display 
 of force, every thought of resistance that had been 
 previously entertained. At five P.M. not a man 
 remained on the island except the marine guard 
 who landed every evening to clear it, and to pre- 
 vent any disembarkation until the morning. From 
 the time of his arrival up to the time of his depart- 
 ure, Sir John Marshall, by his unwearied energy 
 and perseverance to promote the interests of all 
 concerned in the guano trade, by his urbanity and 
 kindness, by his ready access to seamen and labor- 
 ers, and his unremitting attention to the whole wide 
 circle of his duties, rendered himself universally re- 
 spected and beloved, and certainly deserved, in the 
 amplest measure, the thanks of the merchants and 
 underwriters of Great Britain. 
 
 The removal of the tents and the clearing of the 
 island every evening was assuredly one of the best 
 measures adopted while the merchant fleet remain- 
 ed at Ichaboe ; it tended to keep up discipline, 
 which had been seriously relaxed, among the vari- 
 ous crews, and prevented an encampment being 
 turned into a rendezvous for the indulgence in 
 every sort of horrible excess. 
 
 Up to the autumn of 1844 not more than 90,000 
 tons of guano had been removed from Ichaboe ; 
 but from that time the valuable deposit began to 
 
412 
 
 GUANO-PITS EXHAUSTED. 
 
 disappear rapidly; from September, 1844, to the 
 middle of February, 1855, so great was the number 
 of vessels taking in cargo that, in the month of 
 January alone, four hundred and fifty were at an- 
 chor off the island, and such the activity of the 
 crews that the remaining 110,000 tons of manure 
 were entirely cleared away.* 
 
 “The wealth obtained from Ichaboe,” remarks a 
 certain writer, “the ingenious machinery by which 
 the guano was removed, the enormous fleet of ves- 
 sels and number of men employed, with the huge 
 hinderances of nature’s interposition they had to 
 contend with and to subdue, must strike every in- 
 telligent observer as presenting a very extraordina- 
 ry example of commercial enterprise and hardi- 
 hood. Though the surf, thundering toward the 
 shore, washed down stages at intervals as fast as 
 they were set up — though the wind and the sea in 
 the anchorage rendered communication between 
 parties engaged in the same task often difficult, 
 and the boating off of guano frequently impossible, 
 yet there was no relaxation of effort for one mo- 
 ment, and in an incredibly short space of time com- 
 plete success crowned these strenuous exertions. 
 
 * The price of guano at Ichaboe varied according to the 
 demand, at one time being 5s. per ton, and at another from 
 15s. to 20s. The freight paid to chartered vessels was £4 per 
 ton. On an average, the price of good guano received by the 
 importers was £6 10s. to £7 10s. per ton. The farmer, how- 
 ever, never obtained it under £8, and then often adulterated 
 by the holders. 
 
A BUSY PICTURESQUE SCENE. 
 
 413 
 
 “The weather only permitted, on an average, 
 three good boating-days in the week ; on the other 
 days it was generally impossible to land. When, 
 however, a landing could be effected, all hands were 
 occupied with the spade, or in filling and carrying 
 bags to the stages for shipment. On a fine calm 
 day it was pleasant to stand on the summit of the 
 rocky islet, and look down on the busy hive below. 
 One might then see one party in a pit, amid clouds 
 of dust, digging guano, while another was shovel- 
 ing it into bags ; and farther on, perhaps, a band 
 employed in wheeling or carrying sacks to the 
 shore, where a long row of men would be seen run- 
 ning along with others on their shoulders, tossing 
 them into the boats at the stage ends, and return- 
 ing rapidly for more. Then, again, the deeply-laden 
 boat pulled off to the vessel, and the crew on board, 
 heaving up the cargo to their well-known measured 
 chant, just reaching the ear of the listener on land, 
 and contrasting well, by its lulling sound and effect, 
 with the stirring life which it so softened and har- 
 monized, added greatly to the picturesqueness of the 
 scene. On some of the fine days referred to, which 
 occurred generally after bad weather, not less than 
 two thousand tons have been shipped in the course 
 of twelve hours. I need not say, therefore, that, 
 generally speaking, the men worked well, and, if at 
 times they were somewhat noisy, this might easily 
 be tolerated when the nature of their labor was 
 considered. It was, on the whole, a proud sight 
 
414 
 
 CONCLUDING REMARKS. 
 
 for any Englishman to contemplate. The vast 
 mercantile fleet assembled — the energy and perse- 
 verance of its commanders and crews — the toil and 
 difficulties encountered and overcome — the immense 
 value of the shipping — the expense of the entire 
 equipment — the worth of the homeward cargo — its 
 importance in a commercial as well as in an agri- 
 cultural point of view — all this constituted a spec- 
 tacle for the eye and for the mind such as the 
 British nation alone can furnish, and which prob- 
 ably has, in the history of commerce, never had its 
 parallel.” 
 
 THE END. 
 
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