THE MISSION OR SCENES INAFRICA

WRITTEN FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

BY CAPTAIN MARRYAT AUTHOROF "FRANK MILDMAY,""PERCIVAL KEENE," "PHANTOMSHIP," "DOG FIEND," "JACOBFAITHFUL," "POACHER," ETC.,ETC.

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS

GEORGE ROUTLEDGE ANDSONS LONDON: BROADWAY,LUDGATE HILL NEW YORK: 9LAFAYETTE PLACE

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

Account of Sir Charles Wilmot Lossof the Grosvenor Sir Charles's doubtsrespecting the Survival of his Wife andChildren Alexander Wilmot HisCharacter The Newspaper ParagraphDetails of the Wreck of the GrosvenorSurmises as to the Fate of thePassengers

CHAPTER II.

Alexander's Reflections His Plan SirCharles opposes it His unwillingConsent Alexander's Departure

CHAPTER III.

Alexander's Melancholy Finds a FriendSea Sickness Mr. Fairburn ThePassengers Conversations The Cape Mr.Fairburn's Account of the Treatmentof the Hottentots by the Dutch

CHAPTER IV.

Natural History discussed Mr.Swinton's Enthusiasm Further Historyof the Cape Dutch BarbarityAlexander's Indignation

CHAPTER V.

Aquatic Birds Guano Mr. Fairburn'sNarrative continued StuurmanMokanna The Attack Failure of theCaffres

CHAPTER VI.

Sharks Their Cowardice Attack on oneby Neptune Divers' Dangers Mr.Fairburn continues his StoryMokanna's Fate Disturbances amongthe Caffre Tribes

CHAPTER VII.

Mr. Swinton agrees to accompanyAlexander Land, ho! Cape Town MajorHenderson He joins the Party BegumChaka's History

CHAPTER VIII.

Night in Algoa Bay The Major meetsMaxwell Preparations to start TheCaravan Description of it TheDeparture

CHAPTER IX.

The Plans of the Adventurers BigAdam's Bravery Milius HisRefreshments What his Housecontained Speech to the Hottentots

The Bushman Boy, Prince Omrah

CHAPTER X.

Wild Beasts Insubordination of theHottentots Danger from ElephantsTheir hideous Shrieks Big Adam'sTerror Lieutenant Hoodie's wonderfulEscape Sagacity of the ElephantIntentions of the Party

CHAPTER XI.

Arrival at Mr. S.'s Station The Quarrelbetween Hinza and Voosani An Escortproposed The Caffre Character TheSabbath Painful Position of aMissionary's Wife

CHAPTER XII.

The Royal Visit Mutual Civilities TheBand of Warriors Hippopotami TheirCarcasses Omrah's Cunning The TrickBig Adam sulky A narrow EscapePreparations for the Hunt

CHAPTER XIII.

Look out The Signal The Major'sNerve Charge upon the CampHottentots drunk Begum's UneasinessSigns of Danger Lions' SagacityAnecdotes

CHAPTER XIV.

A Storm Sober again Elephant SteakOmrah's Tricks Man-eaters A horribleAdventure The Sleepers awakened

CHAPTER XV.

Quah! quah! Alexander's and theMajor's Danger A critical SituationOmrah's Presence of Mind DivineWorship Instruction of CaffresAdvance of the Enemy Panic of theNatives Refusal to proceed The tablesturned The Council SubmissionArrangements

CHAPTER XVI.

An Expedition Rumors of WarJudicious Advice Daaka's Hut TheInterview with Daaka ExplanationsRemains of the Grosvenor TheMystery solved Alexander's Joy TheWagons again The Major's FortressPlans for the Future

CHAPTER XVII.

Quetoo's Movements Destruction ofhis Army The Return Plenty of SportThe Warriors rewarded PrecautionsAntelopes The Victim A large Meal

CHAPTER XVIII.

Conversation Gnoos Five Lions Thirst

quenched Ferocity of the HyenaAnecdotes Preparations for a Chase

CHAPTER XIX.

A practical Joke A lucky Escape Historyof the Mantatees Mantatee Courage Afinal Slaughter Discussions Swinton'sAccount of Africaner

CHAPTER XX.

Omrah's Intelligence Lion-huntingSilence and Caution An unpleasantSurprise Self-sacrifice of a GemsbokSwinton's Story continuedConversation on Lions Anecdotes BigAdam punished

CHAPTER XXI.

Interview with Bushmen A shrewdSurmise A Herd of Buffaloes Aprovidential Escape A Scene Swaneveltin Danger Conversation A Story

CHAPTER XXII.

Overpowering Heat Divine Service AnIntrusion The poisoned LionDiscussion on venomous ReptilesLizard shot Swinton's Information tohis Companions

CHAPTER XXIII.

A good Shot Water scarce Omrah inTrouble Turtle Soup SufferingsSufferings at an end An earthly Paradise

CHAPTER XXIV.

Aspect of the Country Chase of aRhinoceros Omrah's Plan succeeds ALion's Leap Account of a Rhinoceros-Hunt Elands shot A Lioness attackedThe Lion's Skin awarded An expiringEffort

CHAPTER XXV.

Swinton's Astonishment A DialogueMaternal Affection An Alarm Griquasfallen in with The Message to

Moselekatsee Fire! The Matabili KingExpectations

CHAPTER XXVI.

Chase of a Giraffe Proposed RetreatThe Major's Object attained TreacheryTreachery defeated Omrah's SchemeHopes of Water disappointed

CHAPTER XXVII.

Further Progress The Horses and Oxenbreak away The Pursuit Hopes andFears The Caravan lost Intense HeatOmrah's Courage A Temporary ReliefDespair Water at last obtainedSwinton's Signals answered

CHAPTER XXVIII.

Panic produced by a Lion Omrah's andBig Adam's Predicament A Lion'sMode of stimulating his Appetite AMeeting with Bushmen Cattle stolenRecovery attempted Oxen poisonedDeath of Piets Arrival at Cape Town

CHAPTER XXIX.

Parting Scenes Alexander and theMajor embark Alexander's Arrival atHome He relates his adventures SirCharles's Health gradually declines HisPresents to Swinton and the Major HisDeath Conclusion

THE MISSION, OR SCENES INAFRICA.

CHAPTER I.

THE EXPEDITION.

It was in the autumn of the year 1828,that an elderly and infirm gentlemanwas slowly pacing up and down in alarge dining-room. He had apparentlyfinished his dinner, although it was notyet five o'clock, and the descending sunshone bright and warm through thewindows, which were level with the

ground, and from which there was aview of a spacious park, highlyornamented with old timber. He held anewspaper in one hand, and had theother behind his back, as if forsupport, for he was bent forward, andlooked very feeble and emaciated.

After pacing for some time, he satdown in an easy chair and remained indeep thought, holding the newspaperin both his hands.

This old gentleman's name was SirCharles Wilmot. He had in early lifegone out to India as a writer, and afterremaining there for a few years, duringwhich he had amassed a handsome

fortune, was advised to leave thecountry for a time on account of hishealth. He returned to England onfurlough, and had not been there morethan six months when the death,without issue, of his eldest brother, SirHenry Wilmot, put him in possessionof the entailed estates and of thebaronetcy.

This decided him not to return to Indiafor his wife and three daughters, whomhe had left out there, but to write,desiring them to return home by thefirst ship. The reply which he receivedwas most painful; his wife and two ofhis daughters had been carried off bythe cholera, which had been very fatal

during the previous rainy season. Hisremaining daughter was about to sail, inobedience to his wishes, in theGrosvenor East-Indiaman, under the careof Colonel and Mrs. James, who werenear connections.

This was a heavy blow with which itpleased God to visit him in hisprosperity, and was almost a total wreckof all his hopes and anticipations. Buthe was a good man and a religious one,and he bowed in humility to thedispensation, submitting withresignation to his loss, and still thankfulto Heaven that it had graciously sparedone of the objects of his affections toconsole him, and to watch his declining

years.

Sir Charles Wilmot took possession ofthe family mansion and estate inBerkshire, in which he was still residingat the time our history commences. Bydegrees he became more resigned, andwaited with anxiety for the return ofhis only daughter, who now seemedmore dear to him than ever. Heemployed himself in makingpreparations for her reception, fittingup her apartments in the Oriental stylewhich she had been accustomed to, anddevising every little improvement andinvention which he thought would givepleasure to a child of ten years old.

But it pleased Heaven that Sir Charlesshould be more severely chastised; theGrosvenor's time of arrival had elapsed,and still she was not reported in theChannel; week after week of anxietyand suspense passed slowly away, andthe East-India ship did not make herappearance. It was supposed that shehad been captured by the enemy, butstill no tidings of her capture werereceived. At length, however, this stateof anxiety and doubt was put an end toby the dreadful intelligence that theship had been wrecked on the eastcoast of Africa, and that nearly thewhole of the crew and passengers hadperished. Two men belonging to herhad been brought home by a Danish

East-Indiaman, and shortly after thefirst intelligence, these men arrived inLondon, and gave a more particulardetail of what had occurred.

Sir Charles, in a state of feverishanxiety, as soon as he heard of theirarrival, hastened up to town toquestion these men; and the result ofhis interrogatories fully convinced himthat he was now quite bereaved andchildless. This was the last blow and themost severe; it was long before hecould resign himself to theunsearchable dispensations ofProvidence; but time and religion hadat last overcome all his repiningfeelings, all disposition to question the

goodness or wisdom of his HeavenlyFather, and he was enabled to say, withsincerity, "Not my will, but Thine bedone."

But although Sir Charles was thus leftchildless, as years passed away, he at lastfound that he had those near to him forwhom he felt an interest, and one inparticular who promised to deserve allhis regard. This was his grand-nephew,Alexander Wilmot, who was the legalheir to the title and entailed property,the son of a deceased nephew, who hadfallen during the Peninsular war.

On this boy Sir Charles had lavishedthose affections which it pleased

Heaven that he should not bestowupon his own issue, and AlexanderWilmot had gradually become as dearto him as if he had been his own child.Still the loss of his wife and childrenwas ever in his memory, and as timepassed on, painful feelings of hope anddoubt were occasionally raised in SirCharles's mind, from the occasionalassertions of travelers, that all those didnot perish who were supposed so to dowhen the Grosvenor was wrecked, andthat, from the reports of the natives,some of them and of their descendantswere still alive. It was a paragraph in thenewspaper, containing a renewal ofthese assertions, which had attractedthe attention of Sir Charles, and which

had put him in the state of agitationand uneasiness in which we havedescribed him at the opening of thischapter.

We left him in deep and painfulthought, with the newspaper in hishands. His reveries were interrupted bythe entrance of Alexander Wilmot,who resided with him, being nowtwenty-two years of age, and havingjust finished his college education.Alexander Wilmot was a tall, handsomeyoung man, very powerful in frame,and very partial to all athletic exercises;he was the best rower and the bestcricketer at Oxford, very fond ofhorses and hunting, and an excellent

shot; in character and disposition hewas generous and amiable, frank in hismanner, and obliging to his inferiors.Every one liked Alexander Wilmot, andhe certainly deserved to be liked, for henever injured or spoke ill of any body.Perhaps his most prominent fault wasobstinacy; but this was more shown inan obstinate courage and perseveranceto conquer what appeared almostimpossible, and at the greatest risk tohimself; he was of that disposition thathe would hardly get out of the way ofa mad bull if it crossed his path, butrisk his life probably, and to nopurpose; but there is no perfection inthis world, and it was still less to beexpected in a young man of only

twenty-two years of age.

"Well, uncle, I've conquered him," saidAlexander, as he came into the room,very much heated with exercise.

"Conquered whom, my boy " repliedSir Charles.

"The colt; I've backed him, and he isnow as gentle as a lamb; but he foughthard for two hours at least."

"Why should you run such risk,Alexander, when the horsebreakerwould have broke him just as well "

"But not so soon, uncle."

"I did not know that you were in suchwant of a horse as to require suchhurry; I thought you had plenty in thestable."

"So I have, uncle, thanks to you, morethan I can use; but I like the pleasurethe excitement."

"There you state the truth, my dearAlexander; when you have lived as longas I have, you will find more pleasure inquiet and repose," replied Sir Charles,with a heavy sigh.

"Something has disturbed you, my dearuncle," said Alexander, going up to Sir

Charles and taking his hand; "what is it,sir "

"You are right, Alexander; somethinghas unsettled me, has called up painfulfeelings and reminiscences; it is thatparagraph in the newspaper."

Alexander was now as subdued almostas his uncle; he took a chair and quietlyread the paragraph.

"Do you think there is any foundationfor this, my dear sir " said he, after hehad read it.

"It is impossible to say, my dear boy; itmay be so, it has often been assertedbefore. The French traveler Le Vaillantstates that he received the sameinformation, but was prevented fromascertaining the truth; other travelershave subsequently given similaraccounts. You may easily credit thepainful anxiety which is raised in mymind when I read such a statement asthis. I think I see my poor Elizabeth,the wife or slave to some wild savage;her children, merciful Heaven! mygrandchildren, growing up as thebrutes of the field, in ignorance andidolatry. It is torture, my dear Alexanderabsolute torture, and requires longprayer and meditation to restore my

mind to its usual tone, and to enableme to bow to the dispensations of theDivine will."

"Although I have long been acquaintedwith the general statement, my dearuncle, respecting the loss of the ship, Ihave never yet heard any such details aswould warrant this apprehension ofyours. It is generally supposed that allperished, perished indeed mostmiserably, except the few men whomade their way to the Cape, andreturned to England."

"Such was the supposition, my dearboy, but subsequent reports have to acertain degree contradicted it, and there

is reason to believe that all did notperish who were accounted as dead. Ifyou have nothing particularly to engageyou at this moment, I will enter into adetail of what did occur, and of theproofs that the fate of a large portion,among which that of your auntElizabeth, was never ascertained."

"If it will not be too painful to you, mydear uncle, I will most gladly hear it."

"I will not dwell longer upon it than isnecessary, Alexander; believe me, thesubject is distressing, but I wish you toknow it also, and then to give me youropinion. You are of course aware thatit was on the coast of Caffraria, to the

southward of Port Natal, that theGrosvenor was wrecked. She soondivided and went to pieces, but by asudden I know not that I can say afortunate change of wind, yet such wasthe will of Heaven, the whole of thecrew and passengers (with theexception of sixteen who hadpreviously attempted to gain the shoreby a hawser, and one man who was lefton board in a state of intoxication)were all safely landed, even to the littlechildren who were coming home in thevessel; among whom was my poorElizabeth."

Alexander made no observation whenSir Charles paused for a while: the latter

then continued:

"By the time that they had all gained theshore, the day was far spent; the natives,who were of the Caffre race, and whohad been busy in obtaining all the ironthat they could from the mainmast,which had drifted on shore, left thebeach at dark. The wretched suffererslighted fires, and having collected somecasks of beef and flour, and some livestock, they remained on the rocksduring that night. The next morningthe captain proposed that they shouldmake their way to Cape Town, theDutch settlement, to which they allunanimously consented; certainly amost wild proposition, and showing

very little judgment."

"Could they have done otherwise, mydear uncle "

"Most certainly; they knew that theywere in a country of lawless savages,who had already come down and takenby force every thing that they could laytheir hands upon. The Captaincalculated that they would reach CapeTown in sixteen or seventeen days.How far his calculation was correct, isproved by the fact that those who didreach it at last were one hundred andseventeen days on their journey. Buteven admitting that the distance couldhave been performed in the time stated

by the captain, the very idea ofattempting to force their way through acountry inhabited by savage people,with such a number of helpless womenand children, and without any arms fortheir defense, was indeed an act of follyand madness, as it eventually proved."

"What then should have been their plan"

"Observe, Alexander, the ship waswrecked not a cable's length from theshore, firmly fixed upon a reef of rocksupon which she had been thrown; thewater was smooth, and there was nodifficulty in their communication. Thesavages, content with plundering

whatever was washed on shore, had tothe time of their quitting the rocks leftthem uninjured. They might have goneon board again, have procured arms todefend themselves and the means offortifying their position against anyattempt of the savages, who had noother weapons but assaguays or spears,and then might have obtained theprovisions and other articles necessaryfor their support. Armed as they mighthave been, and numerous as they were,for there were one hundred and fiftysouls on board at the time of thewreck, they might have protectedthemselves until they had built boats orsmall vessels out of the timber of thewreck; for all their carpenters and

blacksmiths were safely landed onshore with them. By taking this coursethey might have coasted along shore,and have arrived without difficulty atthe Cape."

"Most certainly, sir, it would have beenthe most judicious plan."

"The captain must have been verydeficient in judgment to have acted ashe did. He had every thing to his handthe means the men to build the boats,provisions, arms, sails and cordage, andyet he threw all these chances away, andattempted to do what was impossible."

"He was not one of those who were

saved, I believe, sir "

"No, he is one of those who have notbeen heard of; but to proceed: The firstday of their march from the site of thewreck ought to have been a warning tothem to turn back. The savages robbedthem of every thing and threw stonesat them. A Dutchman of the name ofTrout, who had fled to the Caffrecountry for some murder he hadcommitted in the colony, fell in withthem and told them the attempt wasimpracticable, from the number ofsavage nations, the width of the rivers,the desert countries without water, andthe number of wild beasts which theywould encounter; but still they were not

persuaded, and went on to theirdestruction. They were not five milesfrom the wreck at the time, and mighthave returned to it before night."

"May it not fairly be supposed that aftersuch a dreadful shipwreck any thingwas considered preferable by the majorportion of them, especially thepassengers, to re-embarking "

"It may be so; but still it was a feelingthat was to be surmounted, and wouldhave been, had they been counseled bya judicious leader; for he might fairlyhave pointed out to them, without reembarkation, how are you to arrive inEngland "

"Very true, uncle. Pray continue."

"From the accounts given by theseamen who returned, before they hadtraveled a week they were attacked by alarge party of natives, to whose blowsand ill-treatment as they passed alongthey had hitherto submitted; but as inthis instance the natives appeareddetermined to massacre them, theyresisted as well as they could, and,being nearly one hundred men in force,succeeded in driving them off, notwithout receiving many severe wounds.After a few days' more traveling, theirprovisions were all expended, and theseamen began to murmur, and resolved

to take care of themselves, and not tobe encumbered with women andchildren. The consequence was, thatforty-three of the number separatedfrom the rest, leaving the captain and allthe male and female passengers andchildren (my dear Elizabeth amongthem), to get on as they could."

"How cruel!"

"Yes! but self-preservation is the firstlaw of nature, and I fear it is in vain toexpect that persons not under theinfluence of religious principles willrisk their lives, or submit to much self-denial, for the sake of alleviating themiseries of others. The reason given for

this separation was, that it wasimpossible to procure food for so largea number, and that they would be morelikely to obtain sustenance whendivided. The party who thus proceededin advance encountered the mostterrible difficulties; they coasted alongthe seashore because they had no otherfood than the shell-fish found on therocks; they had continually to crossrivers from a mile to two miles wide;they were kept from their slumbers bythe wild beasts which prowled aroundthem, and at length they endured somuch from want of water, that theirsufferings were extreme. They againsubdivided and separated, wanderingthey hardly knew where, exposed to a

burning sun, without clothing andwithout food. One by one they satdown and were left behind to die, or tobe devoured by the wild beasts beforethey were dead. At last they werereduced to such extremity, that theyproposed to cast lots for one to bekilled to support the others; theyturned back on their route, that theymight find the dead bodies of theircompanions for food. Finally, out ofthe whole crew, three or four, purblindand staggering from exhaustion,craving for death, arrived at the bordersof the colony, where they were kindlyreceived and gradually recovered."

"You now speak of the first party who

separated from the captain and thepassengers, do you not, uncle "

"Yes."

"And what became of the captain'sparty "

"No tidings were heard of them; theirfate was unknown; it was longsupposed that they had all perished; forif the sufferings of the seamen, inuredto toil and danger, had been so great,what chance was there for helplesswomen and children But after someyears, there was a report that they hadbeen saved, and were living with thesavages. Le Vaillant first mentioned it,

and then it died away and was notcredited; but since that, the reports ofvarious travelers appear to giveconfirmation to what Le Vaillantasserted. The paragraph you have nowread in the newspaper has againrenewed the assertion, and the partiesfrom whom it proceeds are by allaccounts worthy of credence. You mayimagine, my dear boy, what a pang itgives me when I read these reports,when I reflect that my poor girl, whowas with that party, may at this momentbe alive, may have returned to a state ofbarbarism, the seeds of faith long deadin her bosom, now changed to a wild,untutored savage, knowing no God."

"But, my dear uncle, allowing that myaunt is alive, she was not so young atthe time of the wreck as to forgetentirely what she had been taught."

"That is possible; but then hercondition must be still more painful, orrather I should say must have been, forprobably she is dead long before this,or if not dead, she must be a womanadvanced in life; indeed, as you mayobserve in the account given by thetraveler in the paragraph you have read,it speaks only of the descendants ofthose who were lost in the Grosvenor.The idea of my grandchildren havingreturned to a state of barbarism ispainful enough; I wish it were possible

that I could discover the truth, for it isthe uncertainty which so muchdistresses me. I have but a few years tolive, Alexander; I am a very old man, asyou know, and may be summoned to-morrow or to-night, for we know notwhat a day may bring forth. If I wereonly certain that my child had died,miserable as her death must have been,it would be happiness, to the idea thatshe was one of those whosedescendants they speak of. If you knewhow for the last thirty years this haspreyed upon my mind, you wouldcomprehend my anxiety on thisaccount; but God's will be done. Donot let me detain you longer, Alexander;I should prefer being alone."

Alexander, at this intimation, took theproffered hand of his grand-uncle in areverential and feeling manner, and,without saying any more, quitted theroom.

CHAPTER II.

The conversation which he had hadwith his grand-uncle made a veryforcible impression upon AlexanderWilmot; it occasioned him to pass avery sleepless night, and he remainedtill nearly four o'clock turning it over inhis mind. The loss of the Grosvenor

Indiaman had occurred long before hewas born; he was acquainted with theoutline of what had taken place, andhad been told, when a child, that arelation of his family had perished; butalthough the narrative had, at the time,made some impression upon his youngmind, he had seldom, if ever, heard itspoken of since, and may have beensaid to have almost forgotten it. He wastherefore not a little surprised when hefound how great an influence it hadupon his grand-uncle, who had nevermentioned it to him before; indeed ithad escaped Alexander's memory that itwas his grand-uncle's only survivingdaughter who had been lost in thevessel.

Alexander Wilmot was warmly attachedto the old gentleman; indeed he wouldhave been very ungrateful if he had notbeen, for it was impossible that any onecould have been treated with morekindness and liberality than he was bySir Charles. It was but the week before,that he had expressed a wish to travelon the continent, and Sir Charles hadimmediately given his consent that heshould remain abroad, if he pleased,for two years. When he approved,however, of Alexander's plans, he hadmade a remark as to his own age andinfirmity, and the probable chance thatthey might not meet again in this world;and this remark of his grand-uncle left

such an impression upon Alexander,that he almost repented having madethe request, and had been ever since ina state of indecision as to whether heshould avail himself of his grand-uncle's kindness and disregard of selfshown toward him in thus havinggranted his permission.

The conversation with Sir Charles hadbrought up a new idea in his mind; hehad witnessed the anxiety and longingwhich his good old relation had shownabout the fate of his daughter; he hadheard from his own lips how long theignorance of her fate had preyed uponhis mind, and that to be satisfied onthis point was the one thing wanting to

enable the old man to die happy, topermit him to say with sincerity, "Lord,now lettest Thou thy servant depart inpeace." Why, then, should he not go todiscover the truth It would not,perhaps, occupy him so long as the twoyears of traveling on the continent,which had been consented to by hisgrand-uncle, and, instead of travelingfor his own pleasure, he might be themeans of satisfying the mind andquieting the anxiety of one who hadbeen so kind to him. Indeed, he shouldactually prefer a journey into theinterior of Africa to a mere sojourn ofsome time on the continent; the veryperil and danger, the anticipation ofdistress and hardship, were pleasing to

his high and courageous mind, andbefore he fell asleep Alexander hadmade up his mind that he wouldpropose the expedition, and if he couldobtain his uncle's permission wouldproceed upon it forthwith. Havingcome to this resolution, he fell fastasleep and dreamed away, till eighto'clock in the morning, that he washunting elephants and having hand-to-hand conflicts with every variety ofbeast with which he had peopled Africain his fancy. When he was called up inthe morning, he found hisdetermination of the night beforerather strengthened than otherwise, andaccordingly, after breakfast was over, heopened the subject.

"My dear sir," said he to Sir Charles,"you were kind enough to give me yourpermission to travel on the continentfor two years."

"I did do so, Alexander; it is natural atyour age that you should wish to seethe world, and you have my fullpermission. When do you think ofstarting "

"That depends upon circumstances, sir,and I must be altogether guided by you;to tell you the truth, I do not think thatone sees much of the world byfollowing in the beaten track made byso many of our countrymen."

"There I agree with you; in the presenthigh state of civilization there will befound little or no difference in themanners and customs of people; in thecourts, none; very little in the bestsociety, in which you will of coursemix; and not so very much as peoplemay imagine among the mass ofpopulation; but the scenery of thecountries and the remains of ancienttimes are still interesting, and willafford pleasure; it must be your ownreflections and comments upon whatyou see which must make it profitable;most people, however, travel from thelove of change added to the love ofexcitement."

"I grant it, sir, and I do not mean to saybut that I should receive much pleasurefrom a continental tour; perhaps I mayadd that I should derive more profit ifI were to delay it till I am a little olderand a little wiser; do you not think so "

"I certainly do, Alexander. What thendo you propose remaining in Englandfor the present if so, I am sure it is onmy account, and I am very grateful toyou for your sacrifice."

"If you wish it, sir, I will undoubtedlyremain in England; at all events, if I donot go elsewhere. I have abandoned mycontinental tour for the present; but I

have another proposal to make, which Ihope will meet with your approbation."

"Why, my dear Alexander, on whatexpedition would you now proceed Doyou wish to visit the United States orSouth America "

"No, sir; I wish to make a voyage ofstill more interest I wish to go toAfrica, that is, to embark for the Capeof Good Hope, and from thenceproceed to the northward, to ascertain,if possible, what now is a source ofsad disquiet to you, the actual fate ofthose who were wrecked in theGrosvenor, and have not since beenheard of with any degree of certainty."

Sir Charles was for a time silent. Hepressed his hands to his forehead; atlast he removed them, and said, "I cannot, much as I wish it, no, I can notconsent, my dear boy; the danger willbe too great. You must not risk yourlife. It is very kind of you very kind;but no, it must not be."

"Indeed, sir, I think, on reflection, youwill alter your mind. As for dangerwhat danger can there be whenmissionaries are permitted to form theirstations, and reside uninjured amongthe very savages who were so hostilewhen the Grosvenor was lost Thecountry, which was then a desert, is

now inhabited by Europeans, within200 miles of the very spot where theGrosvenor was wrecked. The continualemigration since the Cape has fallenunder British government, and the zealof those who have braved all dangersto make known the Word of God tothe heathen and idolater, have in fortyyears made such an alteration, that I seeno more danger in the mission which Ipropose than I do in a visit to Naples;and as for time, I have every reason toexpect that I shall be back sooner thanin the two years which you haveproposed for my stay on thecontinent."

"But if some accident were to happen

to you, I should never forgive myselffor having given my consent, and thefew days that are left to me would berendered miserable."

"My dear sir, we are in the hands ofGod; and (short-sighted as we are) inrunning away from danger, as often runinto it. What we call an accident, the fallof a brick or a stone, the upsetting of avehicle, any thing trivial or seeminglyimprobable, may summon us awaywhen we least expect it: 'In the midst oflife we are in death,' and that death Imay meet by staying in this country,which I might have avoided by goingon this expedition. Difficulties mayarise, and some danger there may be, I

admit; but when prepared to encounterboth, we are more safe than when, infancied security, we are taken unawares.Do not, I entreat you, sir, refuse me thisfavor; I have considered well, and shallbe most unhappy if I am not permittedto obtain the information for youwhich you have so much at heart. Letmy travels be of some advantage to youas well as to myself. Do not refuse, Ientreat you."

"You are a good boy, Alexander, andyour kindness makes me still moreunwilling to part with you. I hardlyknow what to say. Let us drop thesubject for the present; we will talk ofit to-morrow or next day. I must have

time for reflection."

Alexander Wilmot did not fail to renewhis entreaties on the following day, butcould not gain Sir Charles's consent.He was not, however, discouraged. Hehad taken from the library all the workshe could find relative to SouthernAfrica, and continually enforcing hisarguments by quotations from variousauthors, all tending to prove that hemight travel through the countrywithout much risk, if he took properprecautions, his grand-uncle'sobjections grew daily more feeble, andat last Sir Charles gave his unwillingconsent. In the meantime, the bookswhich Alexander had read had

produced a great effect upon him.When he first proposed the mission, itwas more from a feeling of gratitudetoward his old relative than any other,but now he was most anxious to go onhis own account. The narratives ofcombats with wild beasts, the quantityand variety of game to be found, andthe continual excitement which wouldbe kept up, inflamed his imaginationand his love of field sports, and heearnestly requested to be permitted todepart immediately, pointing out to SirCharles that the sooner he went away,the sooner he would be back again.This last argument was not without itsweight, and Alexander was allowed tomake every preparation for his journey.

Inquiries were made, and a passagesecured on board of a free-trader,which was to touch at the Cape, and insix weeks from the time that the subjecthad been brought up, AlexanderWilmot took leave of his grand-uncle.

"May God bless you, sir, and keep youwell till my return," said Alexander,pressing his hand.

"May the Lord protect you, my dearboy, and allow you to return and closemy eyes," replied Sir Charles, with muchemotion.

Before night Alexander Wilmot was inLondon, from thence he hastened

down to Portsmouth to embark. Thenext day, the Surprise weighed anchorand ran through the Needles, andbefore the night closed in was welldown the Channel, standing before thewind, with studding sails below andaloft.

CHAPTER III.

A melancholy feeling clouded thefeatures of Alexander Wilmot as, onthe following morning, the vessel,under a heavy press of sail, was fastleaving the shores of his native country.He remained on the poop of the vessel

with his eyes fixed upon the land,which every moment became moreindistinct. His thoughts may easily beimagined. Shall I ever see that landagain Shall I ever return, or shall mybones remain in Africa, perhaps noteven buried, but bleaching in the desertAnd if I do return, shall I find my oldrelation still alive, or called away, loadedas he is with years, to the silent tombWe are in the hands of a gracious God.His will be done.

Alexander turned away, as the land hadat last become no longer visible, andfound a young man of about his ownage standing close to him, andapparently as much lost in reverie as he

had been. As in turning roundAlexander brushed against him, hethought it right to apologize for theunintentional act, and this occasioned aconversation.

"I believe, sir," said the other party, whowas a tall, spare, slight-built man, with adark complexion, "that we were bothindulging in similar thoughts as wetook leave of our native shores. EveryEnglishman does the same, and indeedevery true lover of his country, let thecountry be what it will. We find thefeeling as strong in the savage as in theenlightened; it is universal. Indeed, wemay fairly say that it extends lowerdown to the brute species, from their

love of localities."

"Very true, sir," replied Alexander; "butwith brutes, as you say, it is merely thelove of locality; with men, I trust, thefeeling is more generous and noble."

"So it ought to be, or else why are weso much more nobly endowed This isnot your first voyage, I presume "continued the stranger.

"Indeed, it is," said Alexander; "I neverwas out of England, or on board of avessel, before yesterday."

"I should have imagined otherwise,"remarked his companion: "the other

passengers are all suffering from sea-sickness, while you and I only are onthe deck. I presumed, therefore, thatyou had been afloat before."

"I did feel very giddy yesterdayevening," observed Alexander, "but thismorning I have no unpleasantsensation whatever. I believe that somepeople do not suffer at sea."

"A very few; but it appears that you areone of those most fortunate, for byexperience I know how painful anddistressing the sickness is for sometime. Breakfast will soon be ready; doyou think that you can eat any "

"Yes, a little not much; a cup of tea orcoffee," replied Alexander; "but I cannot say that I have my usual appetite.What bird is that which skims along thewater "

"It is the procellarius, as we naturalistscall it, but in English, the stormy petrel;its presence denotes rough weathercoming on."

"Then I wish it had not made itsappearance," said Alexander, laughing;"for with rough weather, there will ofcourse be more motion in the vessel,and I feel the motion too muchalready."

"I think if you eat your breakfast(although without appetite), and keepon deck, you may get over any furtherindisposition," replied the stranger.

"Have we many passengers on board "

"No; nine or ten, which is considered asmall number, at least by the captain,who was complaining of his ill-luck.They are mostly females and children.There is a Cape gentleman who haslong resided in the colony, and is nowreturning there. I have had someconversation with him, and he appearsa very intelligent person. But here is thesteward coming aft, to let us know thatbreakfast is ready."

The person who had thus conversedwith Alexander Wilmot was a Mr.Swinton, who, as he had accidentallyobserved, was a naturalist; he was aperson of some independent property,whose ardor for science had inducedhim to engage in no profession, beingperfectly satisfied with his income,which was sufficient for his wants andto enable him to follow up his favoritestudy. He was now on his passage tothe Cape of Good Hope, with no otherobject than to examine the naturalproductions of that country, and toprosecute his researches in sciencethere, to a greater extent than hadhitherto been practicable.

Before they had arrived at Madeira, atwhich island the ship remained threedays to take in wine and freshprovisions, a great intimacy had beenestablished between Alexander and Mr.Swinton, although as yet neither knewthe cause of the other's voyage to theCape; they were both too delicate tomake the inquiry, and waited till theother should of his own accord imparthis reasons.

We have mentioned that there wereother passengers, one of whom was agentleman who resided in Cape Town,and who held a lucrative situationunder the government. He was an

elderly gentleman, of about sixty yearsof age, of a very benign andprepossessing appearance; and it sohappened that Alexander found out, onlooking over his letters of introductionwhen at anchor at Madeira, that hepossessed one to this gentleman. Thisof course he presented at once,although they were already on intimateterms; and this introduction made Mr.Fairburn (for such was his name) takean immediate interest in his welfare,and also warranted his putting thequestion, as to what were Alexander'sviews and intentions in visiting theCape: for Mr. Fairburn knew from theletter that he was heir to Sir CharlesWilmot, and therefore that he was not

likely to be going out as a speculator oremigrant.

It hardly need be said that Alexandermade no hesitation in confiding to onewho could so materially assist him inthe object of his voyage.

The other passengers were three youngladies bound to their friends in India,and a lady returning with her twomarriageable daughters to rejoin herhusband, who was a colonel in theBengal army. They were all pleasantpeople, the young ladies very lively, andon the whole the cabin of the Surprisecontained a very agreeable party; andsoon after they left Madeira, they had

fine weather, smooth water, and everything that could make a voyageendurable.

The awnings were spread, chairsbrought up, and the major portion ofthe day was spent upon the quarter-deck and poop of the vessel, which formany days had been running downbefore the trade-winds, intending tomake Rio, and there lay in a supply offresh provisions for the remainder ofher voyage.

One morning, as Alexander and Mr.Fairburn were sitting together,Alexander observed

"You have passed many years at theCape, Mr. Fairburn, have you not "

"Yes; I was taken prisoner whenreturning from India, and remained ayear in Cape Town during the time thatit was in the hands of the Dutch; I wasabout to be sent home as a prisoner toHolland, and was embarked on boardone of the vessels in Saldanha Bay,when they were attacked by theEnglish. Afterward, when the Englishcaptured the Cape, from my longresidence in, and knowledge of, thecountry, I was offered a situation,which I accepted: the colony wasrestored to the Dutch, and I camehome. On its second capture I was

again appointed, and have been therealmost ever since."

"Then you are well acquainted with thehistory of the colony "

"I am, certainly, and if you wish it, shallbe happy to give you a short accountof it."

"It will give me the greatest pleasure,for I must acknowledge that I knowbut little, and that I have gleaned fromthe travels which I have run throughvery hastily."

"I think it was in the year 1652 that theDutch decided upon making a

settlement at the Cape. The aborigines,or natives, who inhabited that part ofthe country about Cape Town, were theHottentots, a mild, inoffensive people,living wholly upon the produce oftheir cattle; they were not agriculturists,but possessed large herds of cattle,sheep and goats, which ranged theextensive pastures of the country. Thehistory of the founding of one colonyis, I fear, the history of most, if not allcommencing in doing all that ispossible to obtain the goodwill of thepeople until a firm footing has beenobtained in the land, and then treatingthem with barbarity and injustice.

"The Hottentots, won over by kindness

and presents, thought it of littleconsequence that strangers shouldpossess a small portion of theirextensive territory, and willinglyconsented that the settlement should bemade. They, for the first time in theirlives, tasted what proved the cause oftheir ruin and subsequent slaverytobacco and strong liquors. These twopoisons, offered gratuitously, till thepoor Hottentots had acquired a passionfor them, then became an object ofbarter a pipe of tobacco or a glass ofbrandy was the price of an ox; and thusdaily were the colonists becomingenriched, and the Hottentots poor.

"The colony rapidly increased, until it

was so strong, that the governor madeno ceremony of seizing upon suchland as the government wished toretain or to give away; and theHottentots soon discovered that notonly their cattle, but the means offeeding them, were taken from them.Eventually, they were stripped of everything except their passion for tobaccoand spirits, which they could not get ridof. Unwilling to leave the land of theirforefathers, and seeing no other way ofprocuring the means of intoxicationwhich they coveted, they soldthemselves and their services to thewhite colonists, content to take care ofthose herds which had once been theirown, and to lead them out to pasture

on the very lands which had once beentheir birthright."

"Did they then become slaves "inquired Alexander.

"No; although much worse treated, theynever were slaves, and I wish to pointthat out; but they became a sort offeudal property of the Dutch,compelled to hire themselves out, andto work for them upon nominal wages,which they seldom or never received,and liable to every species of harshtreatment and cruelty, for which theycould obtain no redress. Yet still theywere not bought and sold as were theslaves which were subsequently

introduced into the colony from theeast coast of Africa and Madagascar.The position of the slave was, in myopinion, infinitely superior, merelyfrom the self-interest of the owner,who would not kill or risk the life of acreature for whom he had paid two orthree hundred rix-dollars; whereas, theDutch boors, or planters, thought littleof the life of a Hottentot. If the cattlewere to be watched where lions wereplentiful, it was not a slave who hadcharge of them, but a Hottentot, as hehad cost nothing, and the planter couldprocure another. In short, the life of aHottentot was considered as of novalue, and there is no denying that theywere shot by their masters or employers

upon the most trifling offense."

"How dreadful! but did the Dutchgovernment suffer this "

"They could not well help it, andtherefore were compelled to wink at it;the criminals were beyond its reach. Butnow I will proceed to give you somefurther insight, by describing the Dutchboors, or planters, who usurped andstood in the shoes of the poorHottentots.

"The Dutch government seized uponall the land belonging to theHottentots, and gave it away in grantsto their own countrymen, who now

became herdsmen, and possessed of alarge quantity of cattle; they alsocultivated the ground to a certain extentround about their habitations. As thecolony increased, so did the demandfor land, until the whole of the countrythat was worth having was disposed ofas far as to the country of the Caffres, afine, warlike race, of whom we willspeak hereafter. It must not, however,be supposed that the whole of theHottentot tribes became serfs to thesoil. Some few drove away their cattleto the northward, out of reach of theDutch, to the borders of the Caffreland; others, deprived of their property,left the plains, and took to themountains, living by the chase and by

plunder. This portion were termedboshmen, or bushmen, and have stillretained that appellation: living inextreme destitution, sleeping in caves,constantly in a state of starvation, theysoon dwindled down to a verydiminutive race, and have continued soever since.

"The Dutch boors, or planters, wholived in the interior, and far away fromCape Town, had many enemies tocontend with: they had the variousbeasts of the forest, from the lion tothe jackal, which devastated their flocksand herds, and also these bushmen,who lived upon plunder. Continually indanger, they were never without their

muskets in their hands, and they andtheir descendants became an athletic,powerful, and bulky race, courageous,and skilled in the use of fire-arms, butat the same time cruel and avaricious tothe highest degree. The absolute powerthey possessed over the slaves andHottentots demoralized them, andmade them tyrannical and blood-thirsty.At too great a distance from the seat ofgovernment for its power to reachthem, they defied it and knew no lawbut their own imperious wills,acknowledging no authority, guilty ofevery crime openly, and careless ofdetection."

"I certainly have read of great cruelty

on the part of these Dutch boors, but Ihad no idea of the extent to which itwas carried."

"The origin was in that greatest of allcurses, slavery; nothing demoralizes somuch. These boors had been broughtup with the idea that a Hottentot, abushman, or a Caffre were but as themere brutes of the field, and they havetreated them as such. They would bestartled at the idea of murdering awhite man, but they will executewholesale slaughter among these poornatives, and think they have committedno crime. But the ladies are coming up,and we shall be interrupted, so I willnot task your patience any more to-day.

I shall therefore conclude what I mayterm part the first of my little historyof the Cape colony."

CHAPTER IV.

Alexander Wilmot was too muchpleased with Mr. Swinton not tocultivate his acquaintance, and theysoon became very intimate. Theconversation often turned upon Mr.Swinton's favorite study, that of naturalhistory.

"I confess myself wholly ignorant ofthe subject," observed Alexander one

day, "though I feel that it must beinteresting to those who study it;indeed, when I have walked throughthe museums, I have often wished thatI had some one near who could explainto me what I wished to know and waspuzzled about. But it appears to methat the study of natural history is suchan immense undertaking if youcomprehend all its branches. Let mesee, there is botany, mineralogy, andgeology these are included, are they not"

"Most certainly," replied Mr. Swinton,laughing; "and perhaps the three mostinteresting branches. Then you havezoology, or the study of animals,

ornithology for birds, entomology forinsects, conchology for shells,ichthyology for fishes; all very hardnames, and enough to frighten a youngbeginner. But I can assure you, aknowledge of these subjects, to anextent sufficient to create interest andafford continual amusement, is veryeasily acquired."

"'The proper study of mankind is man,'says the poet," observed Alexander,smiling.

"Poets deal in fiction, Mr. Wilmot,"replied Mr. Swinton; "to study man isonly to study his inconsistencies andhis aberrations from the right path,

which the free-will permitted to himinduces him to follow; but in the studyof nature, you witness the directingpower of the Almighty, who guideswith an unerring hand, and who has sowonderfully apportioned out to allanimals the means of their providingfor themselves. Not only the external,but the inward structure of animals,shows such variety and ingenuity tosurmount all difficulties, and to affordthem all the enjoyment their nature iscapable of, that after every examinationyou rise with increased astonishmentand admiration at the condescensionand goodness of the Master Hand,thus to calculate and provide for thenecessities of the smallest insect; and

you are compelled to exclaim with thePsalmist, 'O God, how manifold are thyworks; in wisdom hast Thou madethem all!'"

"You certainly do put the study in anew and most pleasurable light,"replied Alexander.

"The more you search into nature, themore wonderful do you find hersecrets, and, by the aid of chemistry, weare continually making new discoveries.Observe, Mr. Wilmot," said Swinton,picking up a straw which had beenblown by the wind on the quarter-deck,"do you consider that there is anyanalogy between this straw and the flint

in the lock of that gun "

"Certainly, I should imagine them asopposite particles of nature as wellmight be."

"Such is not the case. This piece ofwheat-straw contains more than sixtyper cent. of silica or flint in itscomposition; so that, although avegetable, it is nearly two-thirdscomposed of the hardest mineralsubstance we know of. You wouldscarcely believe that the fibers of theroot of this plant were capable ofdissolving, feeding upon, and digestingsuch a hard substance; but so it is."

"It is very wonderful."

"It is, but it is not a solitary instance;the phosphate of lime, which is thechief component part of the bones ofanimals, is equally sought by plants,dissolved in the same manner, andtaken into their bodies; barley and oatshave about thirty per cent. of it in theircomposition, and most woods andplants have more or less."

"I am less surprised at that than I amwith the flint, which appears almostincomprehensible."

"Nothing is impossible with God; thereis a rush in Holland which contains

much more silex than the wheat-straw,and it is employed by the Dutch topolish wood and brass, on that veryaccount. We know but little yet, but wedo know that mineral substances arefound in the composition of mostliving animals, if not all; indeed, thecoloring-matter of the blood is anoxide and phosphate of iron."

"I can now understand why you are soenthusiastic in the science, Mr. Swinton,and I regret much that the short timewhich will be occupied in theremainder of our voyage will notenable me to profit as I should wish byyour conversation; for when we arriveat the Cape, I fear our pursuits will lead

us different ways."

"I presume they will, for I am about topenetrate as far as possible into theinterior of the country," replied Mr.Swinton, "which of course is not yourintention."

"Indeed, but it is," replied Alexander; "Iam about to do the same, althoughperhaps not in the same direction. MayI ask your intended route, if not tooinquisitive "

"Not at all; I can hardly say myself. Ishall be guided by the protection I mayfall in with. Africa is a wide field forscience, and I can hardly go any where

without being well rewarded for myjourney; and I will say, that should itmeet both our views, I should be veryglad if we were to travel in company."

Mr. Fairburn, who had come on deck,had been standing close to them at thelatter portion of the conversation, andmade the observation

"I think it would be a very good plan ifMr. Swinton would venture to gowhere you are bound, Mr. Wilmot, butyou can talk of that another day, whenyou have been longer together. There isnothing that requires more deliberationthan the choice of a travelingcompanion; any serious imperfection

of temper may make a journey verymiserable. Now, Wilmot, if you aretired of natural history, and wish tochange it for the painful history ofhuman nature, I am ready to continuemy observations."

"With great pleasure, sir."

"I hope you have no objection to myreaping the benefit also " said Mr.Swinton.

"Oh, most certainly not," replied Mr.Fairburn, "although I fear you will notgain much information, as you havebeen at the Cape before. In a formerconversation with Mr. Wilmot I have

pointed out the manner in which theCape was first settled, and how thesettlers had gradually reduced theoriginal possessors of the land to astate of serfdom; I will now continue.

"The Dutch boors, as they increasedtheir wealth in cattle, required morepasture, and were now occupying thewhole of the land south of the Caffrecountry: the Caffres are wild,courageous savages, whose wealthconsists chiefly in cattle, but in somepoints they may be considered superiorto the Hottentots.

"The weapon of the Hottentot may besaid to be the bow and arrow, but the

Caffre scorns this warfare, or indeedany treachery; his weapons are hisassaguay, or spear, and his shield; hefights openly and bravely. The Caffresalso cultivate their land to a certainextent, and are more cleanly andcivilized. The boors on the Caffrefrontier were often plundered by thebushmen, and perhaps occasionally bysome few of the Caffres who were in alawless state on the frontier; but if anycomplaint was made to the Caffrechiefs, every redress in their power wasgiven: this, however, did not suit theDutch boors.

"They had entered the Caffre country,and had perceived that the Caffres

possessed large herds of cattle, andtheir avarice pointed out to them howmuch easier it would be to grow rich bytaking the cattle of the Caffres than byrearing them themselves. If thebushmen stole a few head of cattle,complaints were immediatelyforwarded to Cape Town, andpermission asked to raise a force, andrecover them from the Caffres.

"The force raised was termed aCommando, and was composed of allthe Dutch boors and their servants,well armed and mounted; these wouldmake an incursion into the Caffreterritory, and because a few head ofcattle had been stolen by parties

unknown, they would pour downupon the Caffres, who had but theirassaguays to oppose to destructive fire-arms, set the kraals or villages in flames,murder indiscriminately man, woman,and child, and carry off, by way ofindemnification for some trifling loss,perhaps some twenty thousand head ofcattle belonging to the Caffres.

"The Caffres, naturally indignant atsuch outrage and robbery, made attacksupon the boors to recover the cattle,but with this difference between theChristian boor and the untutoredsavage: the boors murdered women andchildren wantonly, the Caffres neverharmed them, and did not even kill

men, if they could obtain possessionof their property without bloodshed."

"But how could the Dutch governmentpermit such atrocities "

"The representations made to thegovernment were believed, and theorder was given in consequence. It istrue that afterward the governmentattempted to put a stop to thesehorrors, but the boors were beyondtheir control; and in one instance inwhich the home government hadinsisted that punishment should beinflicted for some more than commonoutrage on the part of the boors, theCape governor returned for answer,

that he could not venture to do as theywished, as the system was so extensiveand so common, that all the principalpeople in the colony were implicated,and would have to be punished.

"Such was therefore the condition ofthe colony at the time that it fell intothe possession of the English theHottentots serfs to the land, and treatedas the beasts of the field; the slave-trader supplying slaves; and continualwar carried on between the boors andthe Caffres."

"I trust that our government soon putan end to such barbarous iniquities."

"That was not so easy; the frontierboors rose in arms against the Englishgovernment, and the Hottentots, whohad been so long patient, now fled andjoined the Caffres. These people made acombined attack upon the frontierboors, burned their houses to theground, carried off the cattle, andpossessed themselves of their arms andammunition. The boors rallied in greatforce; another combat took place, inwhich the Hottentots and Caffres werevictorious, killing the leader of theboors, and pursuing them with greatslaughter, till they were stopped by theadvance of the English troops. But Ican not dwell long upon this period ofthe Cape history; these wars continued

until the natives, throwing themselvesupon the protection of the English,were induced to lay down their arms,and the Hottentots to return to theirformer masters. The colony was thengiven up to the Dutch, and remainedwith them until the year 1806, when itwas finally annexed to the Britishempire. The Dutch had not learnedwisdom from what had occurred; theytreated the Hottentots worse thanbefore, maiming them and evenmurdering them in their resentment,and appeared to defy the Britishgovernment; but a change was soon totake place."

"Not before it was necessary, at all

events," said Alexander.

"It was by the missionaries chiefly thatthis change was brought about; theyhad penetrated into the interior, andsaw with their own eyes the system ofcruelty and rapine that was carried on;they wrote home accounts, which werecredited, and which produced a greatalteration. To the astonishment andindignation of the boors, law wasintroduced where it had always been setat defiance; they were told that the lifeof a Hottentot was as important in theeye of God, and in the eye of the law,as that of a Dutch boor, and that thegovernment would hold it as such.Thus was the first blow struck; but

another and a heavier was soon to fallupon those who had so long sportedwith the lives of their fellow-creatures.The press was called to the aid of theHottentot, and a work published by amissionary roused the attention of thepublic at home to their situation. Theircause was pleaded in the House ofCommons, and the Hottentot wasemancipated forever."

"Thank God!" exclaimed Alexander;"my blood has been boiling at thedescription which you have beengiving. Now, when I hear that the poorHottentot is a free man, it will cooldown again."

"Perhaps it will be as well to leave offjust now, Mr. Wilmot," said Mr.Fairburn; "we will renew ourconversation to-morrow, if wind andweather permit, as the seamen say."

CHAPTER V.

The next day the ship was off Rio, andimmediately sent her boats forprovisions and supplies; the passengersdid not land, as the captain stated thathe would not stay an hour longer thanwas necessary, and on the secondevening after their arrival they againmade sail for the Cape.

The gulls were flying in numbers asternof the ship, darting down and seizingevery thing edible which was thrownoverboard, and the conversation turnedupon aquatic birds.

"What difference is there in the feathersof aquatic birds and others " inquiredAlexander; "a hen, or any land bird, if itfalls into the water, is drowned as soonas its feathers are saturated with thewater."

"There is, I believe, no difference in thefeathers of the birds," replied Mr.Swinton; "but all aquatic birds areprovided with a small reservoir,

containing oil, with which they anointtheir feathers, which renders themwater-proof. If you will watch a duckpluming and dressing itself, you willfind it continually turns its bill roundto the end of its back, just above theinsertion of the tail; it is to procure thisoil, which, as it dresses its feathers thatthey may carefully overlap each other, itsmears upon them so as to render themimpenetrable to the water; but thisrequires frequent renewal, or the duckwould be drowned as well as the hen."

"How long can a sea-bird remain at sea"

"I should think not very long, although

it has been supposed otherwise; but wedo not know so much of the habits ofthese birds as of others."

"Can they remain long under water "

"The greater portion of them can not;ducks and that class, for instance.Divers can remain some time; but thebirds that remain the longest underwater are the semi-aquatic, whose feetare only half-webbed. I have watchedthe common English water-hen formany minutes walking along at thebottom of a stream, apparently asmuch in its element as if on shore,pecking and feeding as it walked."

"You say that aquatic birds can notremain long at sea, where do they go to"

"They resort to the uninhabited islandsover the globe, rocks that always remainabove water, and the unfrequentedshores of Africa and elsewhere; therethey congregate to breed and bring uptheir young. I have seen twenty or thirtyacres of land completely covered withthese birds or their nests, wedgedtogether as close as they could sit.Every year they resort to the same spot,which has probably been their domicilefor centuries, I might say since thecreation. They make no nests, butmerely scrape so as to form a shallow

hole to deposit their eggs. Theconsequence of their always resortingto the same spot is that, from thevoidings of the birds and the remainsof fish brought to feed the young, adeposit is made over the whole surface,a fraction of an inch every year, whichby degrees increases until it issometimes twenty or thirty feet deep, ifnot more, and the lower portionbecomes almost as hard as rock. Thedeposit is termed guano, and has, fromtime immemorial, been used by thePeruvians and Chilians as manure forthe land; it is very powerful, as itcontains most of the essential salts,such as ammonia, phosphates, etc.,which are required for agriculture.

Within these last few years sampleshave been brought to England, and asthe quantities must be inexhaustible,when they are sought for and found,no doubt it may one day become avaluable article of our carrying trade.Here comes Mr. Fairburn; I hope heintends to continue his notices of theCape settlement."

"They have interested me very much, Imust confess; he appears wellacquainted with the colony."

"He has had the advantage of a longresidence, and during that time aninsight into all the public documents:this you may be certain of, that he

knows more than he will tell."

As soon as Mr. Fairburn joined them,Alexander requested him to continuehis narrative, which he did as follows.

"You must not suppose, Mr. Wilmot,that because the English had nowpossession of the colony, every thingwent right; governors who areappointed to the control of a colonyrequire to be there some time beforethey can see with their own eyes; theymust, from their want of information,fall into the hands of some interestedparty or another, who will sway theircouncils. Thus it was at the Cape.

"It is true that much good had alreadybeen done by the abolition of slaveryand the emancipation of the Hottentot;but this was effected, not by thecolonial government, but by therepresentations of the missionaries andan influential and benevolent party athome. The prejudices against theHottentots, and particularly the Caffres,still existed, and were imbibed by thecolonial authorities. Commandoes, or,as they should be more properlytermed, marauding parties, were stillsent out, and the Caffre was continuallyoppressed, and, in defiance of thegovernment orders, little justice couldbe obtained for the Hottentot, althoughhis situation was somewhat improved.

"I will give one instance to show howthe rights of the Hottentots wererespected by the Cape authorities in1810, previous to the emancipation, itis true, but still at a time when theposition of the Hottentots and theirsufferings had been strenuously pressedupon the colonial authorities by thegovernment at home.

"When the conduct of the Dutchboors had roused the Caffres andHottentots to war, there were threebrothers by the name of Stuurman,Hottentots, who were the leaders. Peacewas at length restored, which waschiefly effected by the exertions of

these men, who retired peaceably withtheir own kraal to Algoa Bay; and thegovernment, being then Dutch,appointed Stuurman as captain of thekraal. This independent horde ofHottentots gave great offense to theDutch boors, the more so as the threebrothers had been the leaders of theHottentots in the former insurrection.For seven years they could find nocomplaint to make against them, untilat last two of his Hottentots, who hadengaged to serve a boor for a certaintime, went back to the kraal at theexpiration of the term, against the wishof the boor, who would have detainedthem; the boor went and demandedthem back, but Stuurman refused to

give them up; upon which, althoughjustice was clearly on the side of theHottentots, an armed force wasdispatched to the kraal. Stuurman stillrefused to surrender the men, and thearmed men retired, for they knew thecourage of the Hottentots, and wereafraid to attack them.

"By treachery they gained possessionof Stuurman and one of his brothers(the other having been killed huntingthe buffalo), and sent them to CapeTown, from whence, against all justice,they were sent as prisoners to RobinIsland, where malefactors are confined.They made their escape, and returnedto Caffreland. Three years afterward,

Stuurman, anxious to see his family,returned to the colony withoutpermission. He was discovered andapprehended, and sent as a convict toNew South Wales; for the governmentwas at that time English.

"Such was the fate of the firstHottentot who stood up for the rightsof his countrymen, and such was theconduct of the English colonialgovernment; so you will observe, Mr.Wilmot, that although the strides ofcruelty and oppression are most rapid,the return to even-handed justice isequally slow. Eventually the grossinjustice to this man wasacknowledged, for an order from the

home government was procured for hisliberation and return; but it was toolate, Stuurman had died a convict.

"I have mentioned this circumstance, asit will prepare you for a similar act ofinjustice to the Caffres. When thecolony was in possession of the Dutchthere was a space of about thirtythousand square miles between thecolonial boundary (that is, the landformerly possessed by the Hottentots)and the Great Fish River. This extentof thirty thousand square milesbelonged to the Caffres, and was thesite of continual skirmishing andmarauding between the Dutch boorsand the Caffres.

"In 1811 it was resolved by the colonialgovernment that the Caffres should bedriven from this territory, and confinedto the other side of the Great FishRiver. This was an act of injustice andgreat hardship, and was proceeded inwith extreme cruelty, the Caffres beingobliged to leave all their crops, andturned out with great and unnecessaryslaughter.

"It may be proper, however, to state thecauses which led to this Caffre war withthe English. At this time the colonialgovernor had entered into negotiationswith a Caffre chief of the name ofGaika. He was a chief of a portion of

the Caffres, but not the principal chief,and although the English treated withhim as such, the Caffres would notacknowledge his authority. This is avery frequent error committed in ourintercourse with savage nations, whoare as pertinacious of their rights as themonarchs of Europe. The error on ourpart was soon discovered, but thegovernment was too proud toacknowledge it.

"It so happened that the other Caffrechiefs formed a powerful confederacyagainst Gaika, who, trusting to thesupport of the English, had treatedthem with great arrogance. They foughtand conquered him, carrying off, as

usual, his cattle. As this was a warbetween the Caffres, and confined totheir own land, we certainly had nobusiness to interfere; but the colonialgovernment thought otherwise, and anexpedition was prepared.

"The Caffres sent forward messengersdeclaring their wish to remain at peacewith the English, but refusing tosubmit to Gaika, who was only asecondary chief, and whom they hadconquered. No regard was paid to thisremonstrance; the English troops weresent forward, the Caffres attacked intheir hamlets, slaughtered or driven intothe woods, 23,000 head of cattle takenfrom them, of which 9,000 were given

to Gaika, and the rest distributed to theDutch boors, or sold to defray part ofthe expenses of the expedition.

"Deprived of their means ofsubsistence by the capture of theircattle, the Caffres were rendered furiousreckless, and no sooner had theexpedition returned, than theycommenced hostilities. They pouredinto the frontier districts, capturedseveral detached military forts, drovethe Dutch boors from the Zurweld, orneutral territory, and killed a great manyof our soldiers and of the Dutchboors. All the country was overrun asfar as the vicinity of Algoa Bay, andnothing could at first check their

progress."

"Why, it really does not appear that thecolonial government, when in ourhands, was more considerate than whenit was held by the Dutch," repliedAlexander.

"Not much, I fear," said Mr. Fairburn.

"The councils of the Caffre chiefs wereat that time much influenced by a mostremarkable personage of the name ofMokanna. In the colony he was usuallyknown by the sobriquet of 'Links,' orthe left-handed. He was not a chief, buthad by his superior intellect obtainedgreat power. He gave himself out to be

a prophet, and certainly showed quiteas much skill as ever did Mahommed orany other false prophet. He had oftenvisited Cape Town, and had madehimself master of all that he couldacquire of European knowledge.

"This man, by his influence, hissuperior eloquence, and his pretendedrevelations from heaven, was nowlooked up to by the whole Caffrenation; and he promised the chiefs, ifthey would implicitly obey his orders,he would lead them to victory, and thathe would drive the English into theocean. He resolved upon the boldmeasure of making an attack uponGraham's Town, and marched an army

of between nine and ten thousand mento the forest bordering on the GreatFish River.

"According to the custom of theCaffres, who never use surprise orambush on great occasions, they sent amessage to the commandant ofGraham's Town, stating that they wouldbreakfast with him the next morning.The commandant, who had supposedthe message to be a mere bravado, wasvery ill prepared when on the followingmorning he perceived, to his greatastonishment, the whole force of theCaffres on the heights above the town.

"Had the Caffres advanced in the night,

there is no doubt but that they wouldhave had possession of the place, andthat with the greatest ease. There wereabout 350 regular troops and a smallforce of Hottentots in Graham's Town,and fortunately a few field-pieces. TheCaffres rushed to the assault, and forsome time were not to be checked; theywent up to the very muzzles of thefield-pieces, and broke their spears offshort, to decide the battle by a hand-to-hand conflict.

"At this critical moment, the field-pieces opened their fire of grape andcanister, and the front ranks of theCaffres were mowed down like grass.After several rallyings under Mokanna,

the Caffres gave way and fled. About1400 of the bravest remained on thefield of battle, and as many moreperished from their wounds before theycould regain their country. Mokanna,after using every exertion, accompaniedthe Caffre army in their flight."

"It certainly was a bold attempt on thepart of the Caffres, and showedMokanna to be a great man even in thefailure."

"It was so unprecedented an attempt,that the colonial government weredreadfully alarmed, and turned outtheir whole force of militia as well asof regular troops. The Caffre country

was again overrun, the inhabitantsdestroyed, without distinction of age orsex, their hamlets fired, cattle drivenaway, and when they fled to thethickets, they were bombarded withshells and Congreve rockets. Mokannaand the principal chiefs weredenounced as outlaws, and theinhabitants threatened with utterextermination if they did not deliverthem up dead or alive. Although drivento despair, and perishing from want,not a single Caffre was to be foundwho would earn the high rewardoffered for the surrender of the chiefs."

"The more I hear of them, the more Iadmire the Caffres," observed

Alexander Wilmot; "and I may add butnever mind, pray go on."

"I think I could supply the wordswhich you have checked, Mr. Wilmot,but I will proceed, or dinner will beannounced before I have finished thisportion of my history."

"The course adopted by Mokannaunder these circumstances was such aswill raise him much higher in yourestimation. As he found that hiscountrymen were to be massacred untilhe and the other chiefs were deliveredup, dead or alive, he resolved tosurrender himself as a hostage for hiscountry. He sent a message to say that

he would do so, and the next day, witha calm magnanimity that would havedone honor to a Roman patriot, hecame, unattended, to the English camp.His words were 'People say that I haveoccasioned this war: let me see if mydelivering myself up will restore peaceto my country.' The commandingofficer, to whom he surrenderedhimself, immediately forwarded him asa prisoner to the colony."

"What became of him "

"Of that hereafter; but I wish here togive you the substance of a speechmade by one of Mokanna's head men,who came after Mokanna's surrender

into the English camp. I am told thatthe imperfect notes taken of it affordbut a very faint idea of its eloquence; atall events, the speech gives a verycorrect view of the treatment which theCaffres received from our hands.

"'This war,' said he, 'British chiefs, is anunjust one, for you are trying toextirpate a people whom you haveforced to take up arms. When ourfathers and the fathers of the boorsfirst settled on the Zurweld, they dwelttogether in peace. Their flocks grazedthe same hills, their herdsmen smokedout of the same pipe; they werebrothers until the herds of theAmakosa (Caffres) increased so much

as to make the hearts of the Dutchboors sore. What those covetous mencould not get from our fathers for oldbuttons, they took by force. Our fatherswere men; they loved their cattle; theirwives and children lived upon milk;they fought for their property; theybegan to hate the colonists, whocoveted their all, and aimed at theirdestruction.

"'Now their kraals and our fathers'kraals were separate. The boors madecommandoes for our fathers; ourfathers drove them out of the Zurweld,and we dwelt there because we hadconquered it; there we married wives;there our children were born; the white

men hated us, but could not drive usaway; when there was war, weplundered you; when there was peace,some of our bad people stole; but ourchiefs forbade it.

"'We lived in peace; some bad peoplestole, perhaps; but the nation was quiet;Gaika stole; his chiefs stole; you senthim copper; you sent him beads; yousent him horses, on which he rode tosteal more; to us you only sentcommandoes. We quarreled with Gaikaabout grass; no business of yours; yousend a commando; you take our lastcow; you leave only a few calves, whichdie for want, and so do our children;you give half the spoil to Gaika; half

you kept yourselves.

"'Without milk; our corn destroyed; wesaw our wives and children perish; wefollowed, therefore, the tracks of ourcattle into the colony; we plundered,and we fought for our lives; we foundyou weak, and we destroyed yoursoldiers; we saw that we were strong,and we attacked your headquarters, andif we had succeeded, our right wasgood, for you began the war; we failed,and you are here.

"We wish for peace; we wish to rest inour huts; we wish to get milk for ourchildren; our wives wish to till the land;but your troops cover the plains, and

swarm in the thickets, where they cannot distinguish the men from thewomen, and shoot all. You wish us tosubmit to Gaika; that man's face is fairto you, but his heart is false; leave himto himself; make peace with us: let himfight for himself; and we shall not callupon you for help; set Mokanna atliberty, and all our chiefs will makepeace with you at any time you fix; butif you still make war, you may indeedkill the last man of us, but Gaika shallnot rule over the followers of thosewho think him a woman.'

"If eloquence consists (as it does not inthe English House of Commons) insaying much in few words, I know no

speech more comprehensive of thefacts and arguments of a case than theabove. I am sorry to say it had no effectin altering the destination of Mokanna,or of obtaining any relief for hiscountrymen, who were still called uponto deliver up the other chiefs outlawed bythe government."

"I before remarked the absurdity ofthat expression," said Mr. Swinton; "weoutlaw a member of our own societyand belonging to our own country; butto outlaw the chiefs of another countryis something too absurd; I fear theEnglish language is not much studiedat the Cape."

"At all events, every attempt made toobtain possession of these outlawedchiefs was unavailing. After plunderingthe country of all that could be foundin it, leaving devastation and miserybehind, the expedition returnedwithout obtaining their object, but withthe satisfaction of knowing that bytaking away 30,000 more cattle, they leftthousands of women and children todie of starvation. But I must leave offnow. The results of the war, and thefate of Mokanna, shall be the subjectof another meeting."

"We are much obliged to you, Mr.Fairburn, for the interesting narrativeyou have given us. It is, however, to be

hoped that you will have no more suchpainful errors and injustice to dwellupon."

"As I before observed, Mr. Wilmot, itrequires time for prejudice andfalsehood to be overthrown; and untilthey are mastered, it can not beexpected that justice can beadministered. The colonial governmenthad to contend with the whole whitepopulation of the colony who rose upin arms against them, considering, fromlong habit, that any interference withtheir assumed despotism over thenatives was an infringement of theirrights.

"You must also recollect how weak wasthe power of the colonial governmentfor a long time, and how impossible itwas to exert that power over such anextensive country; and to give you someidea of this, I will state what was thereply of some of the Dutch boors tothe traveler La Vaillant, when the latterexpressed his opinion that thegovernment should interfere with anarmed force to put an end to theircruelty and oppression.

"'Are you aware,' said they, 'what wouldbe the result of such an attemptAssembling all in an instant, we wouldmassacre half of the soldiers, salt theirflesh, and send it back by those we

might spare, with threats to do the samething to those who should be boldenough to appear among us afterward.'It is not an easy task for anygovernment to deal with such a set ofpeople, Mr. Wilmot."

"I grant it," replied Alexander; "and theconviction makes me more anxious toknow what has been since done."

CHAPTER VI.

The following morning the wind wasvery slight, and before noon it fell calm.Two sharks of a large size came under

the stern of the vessel, and the sailorswere soon very busy trying to hook oneof them; but they refused the bait,which was a piece of salt pork, andafter an hour they quitted the vessel anddisappeared, much to thedisappointment of both passengersand ship's company, the former wishingvery much to see the sharks caught, andthe latter very anxious to cut them upand fry them for their suppers.

"I thought that sharks always took thebait," observed Alexander.

"Not always, as you have now seen,"replied Mr. Swinton; "all depends uponwhether they are hungry or not. In

some harbors where there are plenty offish, I have seen sharks in hundreds,which not only refused any bait, butwould not attempt to seize a man if hewas in the water; but I am surprised atthese Atlantic sharks refusing the bait, Imust confess, for they are generally veryravenous, as are, indeed, all the sharkswhich are found in the ocean."

"I can tell you, sir, why they refused thebait," said the boatswain of the vessel,who was standing by; "it's because weare now on the track of the Brazilianslavers, and they have been well fedlately, depend upon it."

"I should not be surprised if you were

correct in your idea," replied Mr.Swinton.

"There are many varieties of sharks, arethere not " inquired Wilmot.

"Yes, a great many; the fiercest,however, and the largest kind is the onewhich has just left us, and is termed thewhite shark; it ranges the wholeAtlantic Ocean, but is seldom found farto the northward, as it prefers thetropics: it is, however, to be seen in theMediterranean, in the Gulf of Lyons,and is there remarkably fierce. In theEnglish Channel you find the blueshark, which is seldom dangerous; thereis also a very large-sized but harmless

shark found in the north seas, whichthe whalers frequent. Then there is thespotted or tiger-shark, which is verysavage, although it does not grow to alarge size; the hammer-headed shark, socalled from the peculiar formation ofits head; and the ground shark, perhapsthe most dangerous of all, as it lies atthe bottom and rises under youwithout giving you notice of itsapproach. I believe I have nowmentioned the principal varieties."

"If a man was to fall overboard and ashark was nigh, what would be the bestplan to act upon that is, if there wouldbe any chance of escape from such abrute "

"The best plan, and I have seen it actedupon with success, is, if you can swimwell, to throw yourself on your backand splash as much as you can withyour feet, and halloo as loud as youcan. A shark is a cowardly animal, andnoise will drive it away.

"When I went out two or three yearsago, I had a Newfoundland dog, whichwas accustomed to leap into the waterfrom almost any height. I was verypartial to him, and you may imagine myannoyance when, one day, as we werebecalmed along the Western Islands,and a large shark came up alongside,the dog, at once perceiving it, plunged

off the taffrail to seize it, swimmingtoward the shark, and barking as loudas he could. I fully expected that themonster would have dispatched him ina moment; but to my surprise the sharkwas frightened and swam away,followed by the dog, until the boat thatwas lowered down picked him up."

"I don't think the shark could havebeen very hungry."

"Probably not; at all events I shouldnot have liked to have been inNeptune's place. I think the mostpeculiar plan of escaping from sharksis that pursued by the Cingalese divers,and often with success."

"Tell me, if you please."

"The divers who go down for the pearloysters off Ceylon generally drop froma boat, and descend in ten or twelvefathoms of water before they come tothe bed of pearl oysters, which is upona bank of mud: it often happens thatwhen they are down, the sharks makefor them, and I hardly need say thatthese poor fellows are constantly on thewatch, looking in every direction whilethey are filling their baskets. If theyperceive a shark making for them, theironly chance is to stir up the mud on thebank as fast as they can, which preventsthe animal from distinguishing them,

and under the cover of the cloudedwater they regain the surface;nevertheless, it does not always answer,and many are taken off every year."

"A lady, proud of her pearl necklace,little thinks how many poor fellowsmay have been torn to pieces to obtainfor her such an ornament."

"Very true; and when we consider howmany pearl-fisheries may have takenplace, and how many divers may havebeen destroyed, before a string of finepearls can be obtained, we mightalmost say that every pearl on thenecklace has cost the life of a humancreature."

"How are the pearls disposed of, andwho are the proprietors "

"The government are the proprietorsof the fishery, I believe; but whetherthey farm it out yearly, or not, I can nottell; but this I know, that as the pearloysters are taken, they are landedunopened and packed upon the beachin squares of a certain dimension.When the fishing is over for the season,these square lots of pearl oysters areput up to auction, and sold to thehighest bidder, of course 'contentsunknown;' so that it becomes a speciesof lottery; the purchaser may not find asingle pearl in his lot, or he may find

two or three, which will realize twentytimes the price which he has paid forhis lot."

"It is, then, a lottery from beginning toend; the poor divers' lottery is shark orno shark; the purchasers', pearls or nopearls. But Mr. Fairburn is coming upthe ladder, and I am anxious to knowwhat was the fate of Mokanna."

Mr. Fairburn, who had come on deckon purpose to continue the narrative,took his seat by his two fellowpassengers and went on as follows:

"I stated that Mokanna had beenforwarded to the Cape. You must have

perceived that his only crime was thatof fighting for his native land againstcivilized invaders; but this was a deepcrime in the eyes of the colonialgovernment; he was immediatelythrown into the common gaol, andfinally was condemned to beimprisoned for life on Robben Island, aplace appropriated for the detention ofconvicted felons and other malefactors,who there work in irons at the slate-quarries."

"May I ask, where is Robben Island "

"It is an island a few miles from themainland, close to Table Bay, uponwhich the Cape Town is built.

"Mokanna remained there about a year,when, having made his intentionsknown to some Caffres who wereconfined there with him, he contrivedout of the iron hoops of the casks tomake some weapons like cutlasses, withwhich he armed his followers, roseupon the guard and overpowered them;he then seized the boat, and with hisCaffres made for the mainland.Unfortunately, in attempting todisembark upon the rocks of themainland, the boat was upset in thesurf, which was very violent; Mokannaclung some time to a rock, but at lastwas washed off, and thus perished theunfortunate leader of the Caffres."

"Poor fellow," said Alexander; "hedeserved a better fate and a moregenerous enemy; but did the warcontinue "

"No; it ended in a manner every wayworthy of that in which it was begun.You recollect that the war wascommenced to support Gaika, ourselected chief of the Caffres, againstthe real chiefs. The Caffres had beforebeen compelled to give up theirterritories on our side of the FishRiver; the colonial government nowinsisted upon their retiring still further,that is, beyond the Keisi and Chumirivers, by which 3,000 more square

miles were added to the colonialterritory. This was exacted, in order thatthere might be a neutral ground toseparate the Caffres and the Dutchboors, and put an end to furtherrobberies on either side. The strangestpart of the story is, that this territorywas not taken away from the Caffrechiefs, against whom we had made war,but from Gaika, our ally, to supportwhom we had entered into the war."

"Well, it was even-handed not justice,but injustice, at all events."

"Exactly so; and so thought Gaika, forwhen speaking of the protection hereceived from the colonial government,

he said, 'But when I look upon thelarge extent of fine country which hasbeen taken from me, I am compelled tosay, that, although protected, I am ratheroppressed by my protectors.'"

"Unjust as was the mode of obtainingthe neutral ground, I must say that itappears to me to have been a goodpolicy to put one between the parties."

"I grant it; but what was the conductof the colonial government Thisneutral ground was afterward givenaway in large tracts to the Dutch boors,so as again to bring them into contactwith the Caffres."

"Is it possible "

"Yes; to men who had always beenopposed to the English government,who had twice risen in rebellion againstthem, and who had tried to bring in theCaffres to destroy the colony. Neitherwere the commandoes, or excursionsagainst the Caffres, put an end to:Makomo, the son of Gaika, our lateally, has, I hear, been the party nowattacked. I trust, however, that we maysoon have affairs going on in a morefavorable and reputable manner;indeed, I am sure that, now thegovernment at home have been put inpossession of the facts, such will be thecase.

"I have now given you a very briefinsight into the history of the Cape upto the present time. There are manypoints which I have passed over, notwishing to diverge from astraightforward narrative; but upon anyquestions you may wish to ask, I shallbe most happy to give you all theinformation in my power. I can not,however, dismiss the subject withoutmaking one remark, which is, that it isprincipally, if not wholly, to themissionaries, to their exertions and totheir representations, that what goodhas been done is to be attributed. Theyare entitled to the greatest credit andthe warmest praise; and great as has

been the misrule of this colony formany years, it would have been muchgreater and much more disgraceful, if ithad not been for their efforts. Anothervery important alteration has beentaking place in the colony, which willeventually be productive of muchgood. I refer to the British immigration,which every year becomes moreextensive; and as soon as the Britishpopulation exceeds and masters that ofthe old Dutch planters and boors, weshall have better feeling in the colony.Do not suppose that all the Dutchboors are such as those whose conductI have been obliged to point out. Thereare many worthy men, although but feweducated or enlightened.

"I know from my own observation thatthe failings and prejudices against thenatives are fast fading away, and thatlately the law has been able to hold itsground, and has been supported by thepeople inhabiting the districts. TheDutch, with all their prejudices and alltheir vices, will soon be swallowed upby the inundation of English settlers,and will gradually be so incorporatedand intermingled by marriage that nodistinction will be known. Time,however, is required for suchconsolidation and cementation; thattime is arriving fast, and the futureprospects of the Cape are as cheering,as you may think, from my narrative,

they have been disheartening andgloomy."

"I trust in God that such will be thecase," replied Alexander. "If this windcontinues, in a few days we shall be atthe Cape, and I shall be most anxiousto hear how affairs are going on."

"I had a letter just before I set out fromEngland, stating that the Zoolu tribes,to the northward of the Caffres, are inan unquiet state; and as you must passnear to these tribes on your journey, Iam anxious to know the truth. At allevents, Chaka is dead; he was murderedabout two years back by his ownrelations."

"Who was Chaka " inquired Alexander.

"That I have yet to tell you; at presentwe have only got as far as the Caffres,who are immediately on our frontiers."

CHAPTER VII.

The wind continued fair, and the vesselrapidly approached the Cape.Alexander, who had contracted a greatfriendship for Mr. Swinton, had madeknown to him the cause of hisintended journey into the interior, andthe latter volunteered, if his company

would not be displeasing, toaccompany Alexander on his tediousand somewhat perilous expedition.

Alexander gladly accepted the offer, andrequested Mr. Swinton would puthimself to no expense, as he hadunlimited command of money fromhis grand-uncle, and Mr. Swinton'sjoining the caravan would make nodifference in his arrangements.

After it had been agreed that theyshould travel together, the continuedsubject of discourse and discussionwas the nature of the outfit, thenumber of wagons, their equipment,the stores, the number of horses and

oxen which should he provided; andthey were busy every day adding totheir memoranda as to what it would beadvisable to procure for their journey.

Mr. Fairburn often joined in thediscussion, and gave his advice, buttold them that, when they arrived atCape Town, he might be more useful tothem. Alexander, who, as we havebefore observed, was a keen hunter,and very partial to horses and dogs,promised himself much pleasure in thechase of the wild animals on theirjourney, and congratulated himselfupon being so well provided with gunsand rifles, which he had brought withhim, more with the idea that they might

be required for self-defense than forsport.

At last, "Land, ho!" was cried out by theman who was at the mast-head in themorning watch, and soon afterward,the flat top of Table Mountain wasdistinctly visible from the deck. TheSurprise, running before a fresh breeze,soon neared the land, so that theobjects on it might be perceived with aglass. At noon they were well in for thebay, and before three o'clock theSurprise was brought to an anchorbetween two other merchant vessels,which were filling up their homecargoes.

After a three months' voyage,passengers are rather anxious to get onshore; and therefore before night allwere landed, and Alexander foundhimself comfortably domiciled in oneof the best houses in Cape Town; forMr. Fairburn had, during the passage,requested Alexander to take up hisabode with him.

Tired with the excitement of the day, hewas not sorry to go to bed early, and hedid not forget to return his thanks toHim who had preserved him throughthe perils of the voyage.

The next morning Mr. Fairburn said toAlexander

"Mr. Wilmot, I should recommend youfor the first ten days to think nothingabout your journey. Amuse yourselfwith seeing the public gardens, andother things worthy of inspection; or,if it pleases you, you can make theascent of Table Mountain with yourfriend Swinton. At all events, do just asyou please; you will find my peopleattentive, and ready to obey your orders.You know the hours of meals; consideryourself at home, and as much masterhere as I am. As you may well imagine,after so long an absence, I have muchto attend to in my official capacity, andI think it will be a week or ten daysbefore I shall be comfortably reseated

in my office, and have things going onsmoothly, as they ought to do. Youmust therefore excuse me if I am notquite so attentive a host at first as Ishould wish to be. One thing only Irecommend you to do at present, whichis, to accompany me this afternoon toGovernment-house, that I mayintroduce you to the governor. It is justas well to get over that mark of respectwhich is due to him, and then you willbe your own master."

Alexander replied with many thanks.He was graciously received by thegovernor, who promised him everyassistance in his power in theprosecution of his journey. Having

received an invitation for dinner on thefollowing day, Alexander bowed andtook his leave in company with Mr.Fairburn.

On the following day Alexander wasvisited by Mr. Swinton. Mr. Swintonwas accompanied by a major in theBengal Cavalry, whom he introduced asMajor Henderson. He had arrived a fewdays before from Calcutta, havingobtained leave of absence for therecovery of his health, after a smartjungle-fever, which had nearly provedfatal. The voyage, however, hadcompletely reinstated him, and heappeared full of life and spirits. Theywalked together to the Company's

gardens, in which were a few lions, andsome other Cape animals, and thediscourse naturally turned upon them.Major Henderson described thehunting in India, especially the tiger-hunting on elephants, to which he wasvery partial; and Alexander soondiscovered that he was talking to onewho was passionately fond of thesport. After a long conversation theyparted, mutually pleased with eachother. A day or two afterward, Mr.Swinton, who had been talking abouttheir intended journey with Alexander,said to him:

"You must not be surprised at the off-hand and unceremonious way we have

in the colonies. People meeting abroad,even Englishmen occasionally, throwaside much ceremony. I mention this,because Major Henderson intends tocall this afternoon, and propose joiningour party into the interior. I do notknow much of him, but I have heardmuch said in his favor, and it is easy tosee by his manners and address that heis a gentleman. Of course, when hestated his intention, I could do nothingbut refer him to you, which I did. Whatdo you think, Wilmot "

"I think very well of Major Henderson,and I consider that, as the journey mustbe one of some peril, the moreEuropeans the better, especially when

we can find one who is used to dangerfrom his profession, and also todangerous hunting, which we must alsoexpect. So far from not wishing him tojoin us, I consider him a most valuableacquisition, and am delighted at theidea."

"Well, I am glad to hear you say so, forI agree with you. He is hunting mad,that is certain, and I hear, a mostremarkable shot. I think with you hewill be an acquisition. It appears that itwas his intention to have gone into theinterior, even if he went by himself; andhe has two Arab horses which hebrought with him from India with thatview."

"If you see him before he comes, youmay say that you have stated his wishesto me, and that I am quite delighted athis joining our party, it being perfectlyunderstood that he is at no expense forany thing connected with the outfit."

"I will tell him so," replied Swinton;"and I think the sooner we begin tocollect what is necessary the better. Wemust have Major Henderson in ourcouncils. Depend upon it, he will bevery useful and very active; so, for thepresent, farewell."

Mr. Swinton and Major Hendersoncalled together that afternoon, and the

latter, as soon as he was admitted intothe party, began to talk over the plansand preparations.

"My suite is not very large," said he; "Ihave two horses and two dogs, a Parseeservant, and a Cape baboon. I shouldlike to take the latter with us as well asmy servant. My servant, because he is agood cook; and my monkey, because, ifwe are hard put to it, she will show uswhat we may eat and what we may not;there is no taster like a monkey. Besides,she is young and full of tricks, and Ilike something to amuse me."

"The baboons have another goodquality: they give notice of danger

sooner than a dog," observed Swinton."I think, Wilmot, we must admit themonkey into the party."

"I shall be most happy," repliedAlexander, laughing; "pray give her mycompliments, Major Henderson, andsay how happy I shall be."

"I call her Begum," said MajorHenderson; "because she is so like theold Begum princess whom I was onceattending, when in India with my troop,as guard of honor. You must look outfor some good horses, Mr. Wilmot; youwill want a great many, and if you donot wish them to have sore backs, don'tlet the Hottentots ride them."

"We have been discussing the point,Major Henderson, as to whether it willnot be better to go round in a vessel toAlgoa Bay, complete our equipmentthere, and make that our starting place."

"If you do, you will save a long journeyby land, and find yourself not very farfrom what I understand are the best ofhunting-grounds, near to the countryof the Vaal River."

The topics then dwelt upon were whatarticles they should procure in CapeTown, and what they should deferproviding themselves with until theirarrival at Algoa Bay. They agreed to

provide all their stores at Cape Town,and as many good horses as they couldselect; but the wagons and oxen, andthe hiring of Hottentots, they put offuntil they arrived at Algoa Bay.

Mr. Fairburn was now more at leisure,and Alexander had more of his society.One evening after dinner Mr. Fairburnhad opened a map of the country, togive Alexander some informationrelative to his projected journey. Hepointed out to him the track whichappeared most advisable through theCaffre country, and then observed thatit was difficult to give any advice as tohis proceedings after he had passed thiscountry, governed by Hinza, as every

thing would depend uponcircumstances.

"Do you know any thing of thecountry beyond "

"Not much; we know that it wasoverrun by the Zoolus, the tribe ofwhich Chaka was the chief; and lastyear our troops went to the assistanceof the Caffres, who were attacked byanother tribe from the northward,called the Mantatees. These weredispersed by our troops with immenseslaughter. The Zoolu country, youperceive, is on the east side of the greatchain of mountains, and to thenorthward of Port Natal. The

Mantatees came from the west side ofthe mountains, in about the sameparallel of latitude. It is impossible tosay what may be going on at present, orwhat may take place before you arriveat your destination, as these northernirruptions are continual."

"You promised me the history of thatperson, Chaka."

"You shall have it now: he was the kingof the Zoolu nation I hardly knowwhat to call him. He was the Nero andthe Napoleon of Africa; a monster incruelty and crime, yet a great warriorand conqueror. He commenced hiscareer by murdering his relatives to

obtain the sovereignty. As soon as hehad succeeded, he murdered all thosewhom he thought inimical to him, andwho had been friends to his relatives."

"But are the Zoolus Caffres "

"No; but there are many races to thenorthward which we consider as Caffreraces. You may have observed, in thehistory of the world, that themigrations of the human race aregenerally from the north to the south:so it appears to have been in Africa.Some convulsion among the northerntribes, probably a pressure fromexcessive population, had driven theZoolus to the southward, and they

came down like an inundation,sweeping before them all the tribes thatfell in their path. Chaka's forceconsisted of nearly 100,000 warriors,of whom 15,000 were always inattendance to execute his orders. Inevery country which he overran hespared neither age nor sex; it was oneindiscriminate slaughter."

"What a monster!"

"He ruled by terror, and it is incrediblethat his orders met with such implicitobedience. To make his armyinvincible, he remodeled it, divided itinto companies, distinguished by thecolor of their shields, and forbade

them to use any other weapon but ashort stabbing-spear, so that theyalways fought at close quarters. Heweeded his army by picking out 1000of his veteran warriors, who hadgained his victories, and putting themto death. Any regiment sent out tobattle, if they were defeated, wereinstantly destroyed on their return; itwas, therefore, victory or death withthem; and the death was most cruel,being that of impalement. Well he wassurnamed 'the Bloody,'"

"Yes, indeed."

"His tyranny over his own people wasdreadful. On one occasion, a child

annoyed him; he ordered it to be killed;but the child ran among seventy oreighty other children, and could not bedistinguished, so he ordered the wholeto be put to death. He murdered two orthree hundred of his wives in one day.At the slightest suspicion he wouldorder out his chiefs to execution, andno one knew when his turn mightcome. His will was law: every onetrembled and obeyed. To enter into adetail of all his cruelties would fillvolumes; it will be sufficient to mentionthe last act of his life. His mother died,and he declared that she had perishedby witchcraft. Hundreds and hundredswere impaled, and, at last, tired of theseslow proceedings, he ordered out his

army to an indiscriminate slaughterover the whole country, which lastedfor fourteen days."

"How horrible!"

"He was a demon who reveled inblood; but his own turn came at last.He was murdered by his brotherDingaam, who knew that he was aboutto be sacrificed; and thus perished thebloody Chaka. His brother Dingaam isnow on the Zoolu throne, and appearsinclined to be quiet. There is anothergreat warrior chief namedMoselekatsee, who revolted fromChaka, and who is much such anothercharacter; but our accounts of these

people are vague at present, and requiretime to corroborate their correctness.You will have to act and decide whenyou arrive there, and must be guided bycircumstances. With the caravan youpropose to travel with, I think there willnot be much danger; and if there is,you must retreat. The favor of thesedespots is easily to be obtained byjudicious presents, which of courseyou will not be unprovided with. I haveordered your letters to the authorities tobe made out, and you will have thegovernor's signature to them. When doyou propose to, start "

"We shall be ready in a few days, andhave only to find a vessel going to

Algoa Bay."

"You will be asked to take charge ofseveral articles which are to be sent tothe missionary station which you willpass on your way. I presume you haveno objection "

"Certainly not; they deserve everyencouragement, and any kindness andattention I can show them will give megreat pleasure."

Alexander received many proposalsfrom different parties who wished tojoin the expedition, but they were allcivilly declined. In a few days a vesselarrived, which was about to go round

to the settlement at Algoa Bay. Theirstores, horses, and dogs, not forgettingBegum the baboon, were all embarked,and, taking leave of Mr. Fairburn andthe governor, Alexander, MajorHenderson, and Mr. Swintonembarked, and on the evening of thefourth day found themselves safe atanchor in company with ten or twelvevessels which were lying in Algoa Bay.

CHAPTER VIII.

The vessels which lay at anchor inAlgoa Bay had just arrived fromEngland, with a numerous collection

of emigrants, who, to improve theirfortunes, had left their native land tosettle in this country. Many had landed,but the greater proportion were still onboard of the vessels. The debarkationwas rapidly going on, and the wholebay was covered with boats landingwith people and stores, or returning formore. The wind blowing from thewestward, there was no surf on thebeach; the sun was bright and warm,and the scene was busy and interesting;but night came on, and the panoramawas closed in.

Alexander and his companionsremained on the deck of their vessel tillan undisturbed silence reigned where

but an hour or two before all was noiseand bustle. The stars, so beautiful in thesouthern climes, shone out in cloudlessbrilliancy; the waters of the bay weresmooth as glass, and reflected them soclearly that they might have fancied thatthere was a heaven beneath as well asabove them. The land presented a darkopaque mass, the mountains in thedistance appearing as if they were closeto them, and rising precipitately fromthe shore. All was of one somber hue,except where the lights in the houses inthe town twinkled here and there,announcing that; some had not yetdismissed their worldly cares, andsought repose from the labors of theday. Yet all was silent, except

occasionally the barking of a dog, orthe voice of the sentry in FortFrederick, announcing that "all waswell."

"What a gathering in a small space ofso many people with so many differenthistories, so many causes for leavingtheir native land, and with so manydifferent fortunes in store for them,must there be on board of an emigrantship," observed Mr. Swinton.

"Yet all united in one feeling, andinstigated by the same desire, that ofindependence, and, if possible, ofwealth," rejoined Major Henderson.

"Of that there can be no doubt," saidAlexander; "but it must be almost likebeginning a new life; so many tiesbroken by the vast ocean which hasseparated them; new interests usurpingthe place of old ones; all novelty andadventure to look forward to; newscenes added to new hopes and newfears; but we must not remain too longeven to watch these beautiful heavens,for we must rise at daylight, so I shallset the example, and wish you bothgood-night."

At daylight on the following morningthe long-boat was hoisted out, and thehorses safely conveyed on shore. After ahasty breakfast, Alexander and his two

companions landed, to see if it werepossible to obtain any roof underwhich they could shelter themselves;but the number of emigrants who hadarrived put that out of the question,every house and every bed beingengaged. This was a greatdisappointment, as they had no wish toreturn on board and reoccupy theconfined space which had been allottedto them.

Having found accommodation for theirhorses, they proceeded to examine thetown and resume their search forlodgings. The streets presented abustling and animated scene; wagonswith goods, or returning empty with

their long teams of oxen; horses, sheep,and other animals, just landed; loudtalking; busy inquirers; running to andfro of men; Hottentots busy with thegods, or smoking their pipes in idlesurvey; crates and boxes, and packagesof all descriptions, mixed up withagricultural implements and ironware,lining each side of the road, uponwhich were seated wives and daughterswatching the property, and childrenlooking round with astonishment, orplaying or crying.

Further out of the town were to beseen tents pitched by the emigrants,who had provided themselves withsuch necessaries before they had

quitted England, and who werebivouacking like so many gipsies,independent of lodgings and theirattendant expenses, and cooking theirown provisions in kettles or frying-pans. As Alexander perceived the latter,he said, "At all events, we have foundlodgings now; I never thought of that."

"How do you mean "

"I have two tents in the luggage Ibrought from Cape Town; we must getthem on shore, and do as these peoplehave done."

"Bravo! I am glad to hear that," repliedMajor Henderson; "any thing better

than remaining on board to be nibbledby the cockroaches. Shall we return atonce "

"By all means," said Mr. Swinton; "wehave but to get our mattresses and afew other articles."

"Leave my man to do all that," said theMajor; "he is used to it. In India wealmost live in tents when up thecountry. But here comes one that Ishould know; Maxwell, I believe "

"Even so, my dear Henderson," repliedthe military officer who had been thusaddressed; "why, what brought you heresurely you are not a settler "

"No; I am here because I am not asettler," replied Henderson, laughing; "Iam always on the move; I am merely onmy own way with my two friends hereto shoot a hippopotamus. Allow me tointroduce Mr. Wilmot and Mr. Swinton.But I see you are on duty; are you in thefort "

"Yes; I came from Somerset about amonth back. Can I be of any use toyou "

"That depends upon circumstances; weare now going on board for our tents,to pitch them on the hill there, as wecan get no lodgings."

"Well, I can not offer you beds in thefort, but I think if you were to pitchyour tents outside the fort, on theglacis, you would be better than on thehill; your baggage would be safer, and Ishould be more able to render you anyattention or assistance you mayrequire."

"An excellent idea; if it were only onaccount of the baggage," repliedHenderson; "we accept your offer withpleasure."

"Well then, get them on shore as quickas you can; my men will soon havethem out for you and assist in

transporting your luggage; and don'tdistress yourself about your dinner, Iwill contrive to have something cookedfor you."

"A friend in need is a friend indeed, mygood fellow. We will accept your offersas freely as they are made: so farewellfor an hour or so."

As they parted with Captain Maxwell,Henderson observed, "That was a luckymeeting, for we shall now get on well.Maxwell is an excellent fellow, and hewill be very useful to us in making ourpurchases, as he knows the people andthe country: and our luggage will besafe from all pilferers."

"It is indeed very fortunate," repliedMr. Swinton. "Where did you knowCaptain Maxwell "

"In India. We have often been outhunting tigers together. How he wouldlike to be of our party; but that is ofcourse impossible."

"But how shall we manage about ourliving, Major Henderson " observedWilmot; "it will never do to quarterourselves on your friend."

"Of course not; we should soon eat uphis pay and allowance. No, no; we willfind dinners, and he will help us to

cook them first and eat themafterward."

"Upon such terms, I shall gladly takeup my quarters in the fort," repliedAlexander. "But which is our boat outof all these "

"Here, sir," cried out one of the sailors;"come along, my lads," continued he tothe other men, who were loungingabout, and who all jumped into theboat, which pushed off, and they weresoon on board of the ship.

As the master of the vessel was equallyglad to get rid of his passengers andtheir luggage as they were to leave, the

utmost expedition was used by allparties, and in a few hours everythingwas landed, Begum, the baboon, beingperched upon the stores conveyed inthe last boat. A party of soldiers sentdown by Captain Maxwell assisted theseamen to carry the various packagesup to the fort, and before the eveningclosed in, the tents were pitched, theirbeds made up, and their baggage safelyhoused, while they were amusingthemselves after dining with CaptainMaxwell, leaning on the parapet andwatching the passing and repassing ofthe boats which were unlading thevessels.

As there was little chance of rain in the

present season, they lay down on theirmattresses in perfect security andcomfort, and did not wake up the nextmorning until breakfast was ready.After breakfast they sallied out withCaptain Maxwell to look after wagonsand oxen, and as, on the arrival of theemigrants, a number of wagons hadbeen sent down to take them to theirdestinations, Captain Maxwell soon fellin with some of the Dutch boors ofthe interior with whom he had beenacquainted, and who had come downwith their wagons; but previous tomaking any bargains, Alexander wentwith Captain Maxwell to the landroost,for whom he had brought a letter fromthe governor.

This gentleman immediately joined theparty, and through his intervention,before night, four excellent wagonswith their tilts and canvas coverings,and four span of oxen of fourteeneach, were bought and promised to bebrought down and delivered up ingood order, as soon as they had carriedup the freights with which they werecharged.

As these wagons could not returnunder four days, the next object thatthey had in view was to procure somemore horses, and here they met withdifficulty; for Major Henderson, who,as an excellent judge of horses, was

requested to select them, would notaccept of many that were offered. Stillthey had plenty of time, as the wagonswould require fitting out previous totheir departure, and this would be awork of some days; and many articleswhich they had decided to procure atAlgoa Bay, instead of the Cape, werenow to be sought for and selected.

At the time appointed, the wagons andteams were delivered over and paid for.Carpenters were then engaged, and thewagons were fitted out with lockers allround them, divided off to contain theluggage separate, so that they might beable to obtain in a minute any thingthat they might require. While this work

was proceeding, with the assistance ofthe landroost, they were engagingHottentots and other people to join theexpedition, some as drivers to thewagons, others as huntsmen, and toperform such duties as might berequired of them. Some very steadybrave men were selected, but it wasimpossible to make up the whole forcewhich they wished to take of people ofknown character; many of them wereengaged rather from their appearance,their promises, and the characters theyobtained from others or gavethemselves, than from any positiveknowledge of them. This could not beavoided; and as they had it in theirpower to dismiss them for bad

conduct, it was to be presumed thatthey could procure others.

It was more than three weeks beforeevery thing was ready for theirdeparture, and then the caravan wascomposed as follows:

The persons who belonged to it wereour three gentlemen; the servant ofMajor Henderson; eight drivers of theteams of oxen; twelve Hottentot andother hunters (for some of them wereof a mixed race); two Hottentots whohad charge of the horses, and twoothers who had charge of a flock ofCape sheep, which were to follow thecaravan, and serve as food until they

could procure oxen by purchase orgame with their guns: so that the wholeforce of the party amounted to twentymen: two Hottentot women, wives ofthe principal men, also accompaniedthe caravan to wash and assist incooking.

The animals belonging to the caravanconsisted of fifty-six fine oxen, whichcomposed the teams; twelve horses, asMajor Henderson could only procuresix at Algoa Bay, or they would havepurchased more; thirteen dogs ofvarious sizes, and Begum, the baboon,belonging to Captain Henderson: tothese were to be added the flock ofsheep.

The wagons were fitted out as follows,chiefly under the direction of MajorHenderson and Mr. Swinton.

The first wagon, which was called Mr.Wilmot's wagon, was fitted up withboxes or lockers all round, andcontained all the stores for their ownuse, such as tea, sugar, coffee, cheeses,hams, tongues, biscuits, soap, and waxcandles, wine and spirits in bottles,besides large rolls of tobacco for theHottentots or presents, and Alexander'sclothes; his mattress lay at the bottomof the wagons, between the lockers.The wagon was covered with a doublesail-cloth tilt, and with curtains before

and behind; the carpenter's tools werealso in one of the lockers of thiswagon.

The second wagon was called Mr.Swinton's wagon; it was fitted up withlockers in the same way as the other,but it had also a large chest with a greatquantity of drawers for insects, bottlesof spirits for animals, and every thingnecessary for preserving them; a reamor two of paper for drying plants, andseveral other articles, more particularly amedicine-chest well filled, for Mr.Swinton was not unacquainted withsurgery and physic. The other lockerswere filled with a large quantity of glassbeads and cutlery for presents, several

hundred pounds of bullets, ready cast,and all the kitchen ware and crockery. Ithad the same covering as the first, andMr. Swinton's mattress was at nightspread in the middle between thelockers.

The third wagon was called the armory,or the Major's wagon; it was not fittedup like the two first. The whole bottomof it was occupied with movablechests, and four large casks of spirits,and the Major made up his bed on thetop of the chests. In the chests weregunpowder in bottles and a quantity ofsmall shot for present use; tobacco inlarge rolls; 1 cwt. of snuff; all the heavytools, spades, shovels, and axes, and a

variety of other useful articles.

The tilt-frame was much stouter thanthat of the two other wagons, for thehoops met each other so as to make itsolid. It was covered with a tarred sail-cloth so as to be quite water-proof, andunder the tilt-frame were suspended allthe guns, except the two whichAlexander and Mr. Swinton retained intheir own wagons in case of emergency.The back and front of this wagon wereclosed with boards, which were letdown and pulled up on hinges, so thatit was a little fortress in case of need;and as it could be locked up at anytime, the Hottentots were not able toget at the casks of spirits without

committing a sort of burglary. Begumwas tied up in this wagon at night.

The fourth wagon was called the storewagon, and contained several articleswhich were not immediately wanted;such as casks of flour and bags of rice:it also held most of the ammunition,having six casks of gunpowder, aquantity of lead, two coils of rope, ironbars, bags of nails of various sizes, rollsof brass wire, and the two tents, withthree chairs and a small table. Like thewagon of Major Henderson, it wascovered with water-proof cloth.

Such was the fit-out which wasconsidered necessary for this

adventurous expedition, and thecrowds who came to see thepreparations for the great hunting-party, as it was called, were so great andso annoying that the utmost haste wasmade to quit the town. At last thewagons were all loaded, the Hottentotscollected together from the liquor-shops, their agreements read to them bythe landroost, and any departure fromtheir agreements, or any misconduct,threatened with severe punishment.

The horses and oxen were brought in,and the next morning was fixed fortheir departure. Having taken leave ofthe landroost and other gentlemen ofthe town, who had loaded them with

civilities, they retired to the fort, andpassed the major part of the night withCaptain Maxwell; but to avoid thecrowd which would have accompaniedthem, and have impeded their progress,they had resolved to set off beforedaylight. At two o'clock in the morningthe Hottentots were roused up, theoxen yoked, and an hour before day-break the whole train had quitted thetown, and were traveling at a slow pace,lighted only by the brilliant stars of thesouthern sky.

CHAPTER IX.

The plans of our travelers had beenwell digested. They had decided thatthey would first prosecute the object oftheir journey by proceeding straightthrough the Caffre country to theborders of the Undata River, near orwhereabout it was reported that thedescendants of the whites would befound located; and as soon asAlexander had accomplished hismission, that they would cross thechain of mountains, and returnthrough the Bushmen and the Korannacountry. Their reason for making thisarrangement was, that throughout thewhole of the Caffre country, with theexception of lions and elephants in theforest, and hippopotami in the rivers,

there was little or no game to be found,the Caffres having almost whollydestroyed it.

This plan had been suggested by MajorHenderson, and had been approved byAlexander and Mr. Swinton, Alexanderbeing equally desirous as the Major tohave plenty of field-sport, and Mr.Swinton anxious to increase his stockand knowledge of the animal kingdom.There was little to be feared in theiradvance through the Caffre country, asthe missionaries had already plantedtwo missions, one at Butterworth andthe other at Chumie; and the first ofthese Alexander had decided uponvisiting, and had, in consequence,

several packages in his wagon, whichhad been entrusted to his care.

It was on the 7th of May, 1829, that thecaravan quitted Algoa Bay for Graham'sTown. The weather had been for someweeks fine, the heavy rains havingceased, and the pasturage was nowluxuriant; the wagons proceeded at anoiseless pace over the herbage, thesleepy Hottentots not being at allinclined to exert themselvesunnecessarily. Alexander, Swinton, andHenderson were on horseback, a littleahead of the first wagon.

"I don't know how you feel," said theMajor; "but I feel as if I were a prisoner

just released from his chains. I breathethe air of independence and libertynow. After the bustle, and noise, andcrowding together of the town, to findourselves here so quiet and solitary isfreedom."

"I had the same feeling," repliedAlexander; "this wide-extended plain,of which we can not yet discern thehorizontal edge; these brilliant starsscattered over the heavens, and shiningdown upon us; no sound to meet ourears but the creaking of the wagon-wheels in the slow and measured pace,is to me delightful. They say man isformed for society, and so he is; but itis very delightful occasionally to be

alone."

"Yes; alone as we are," replied Swinton,laughing; "that is, with a party of thirtypeople, well armed, in search ofadventure. To be clear of the bustle ofthe town, and no longer cooped up inthe fort, is pleasant enough; but, Isuspect, to be quite alone in theseAfrican wilds would be any thing butagreeable."

"Perhaps so."

"Neither would you feel so much atease if you knew that your chance ofto-morrow's dinner was to dependwholly upon what you might procure

with your gun. There is a satisfaction inknowing that you have four well-filledwagons behind you."

"I grant that also," replied the Major;"but still there is solitude even with thiscompany, and I feel it."

"A solitary caravan but grant that thereis some difference between that and asolitary individual," rejoined Swinton;"however, we have not come tosolitude yet, for we shall find Dutchboors enough between this andGraham's Town."

"I think, Wilmot," observedHenderson, "that I should, if I were

you, proceed by slow stages at first, thatwe may get our men into some kind oforder and discipline, and also that wemay find out whether there are any whowill not suit us; we can discharge themat Graham's Town, and procure othersin their place, at the same time that weengage our interpreters and guides."

"I think your plan very good," repliedAlexander; "besides, we shall not haveour wagons properly laden andarranged until we have been out threeor four days."

"One thing is absolutely necessary,which is, to have a guard kept everynight," said Swinton; "and there ought

to be two men on guard at a time; forone of them is certain to fall asleep, ifnot both. I know the Hottentots well."

"They will be excellent guards, by youraccount," said Alexander; "however, thedogs will serve us more faithfully."

"I do not mean my remark to includeall Hottentots; some are very faithful,and do their duty; but it comprehendsthe majority."

"Are they courageous " inquiredAlexander.

"Yes, certainly, they may be consideredas a brave race of men; but occasionally

there is a poltroon, and, like allcowards, he brags more than the rest."

"I've a strong suspicion that we haveone of that kind among our hunters,"replied Henderson; "however, it is notfair to prejudge; I may be mistaken."

"I think I know which you refer to,nevertheless," said Alexander; "it is thegreat fellow that they call Big Adam."

"You have hit upon the man, and to acertain degree corroborated myopinion of him. But the day isdawning, the sun will soon be abovethose hills."

"When we stop, I will have some greaseput to those wagon-wheels," saidAlexander.

"I fear it will be of little use," repliedthe Major; "creak they will. I don'tknow whether the oxen here are likethose in India; but this I know, that thecreaking of the carts and hackeriesthere is fifty times worse than this. Thenatives never grease the wheels; they saythe oxen would not go on if they didnot hear the music behind them."

"Besides, the creaking of the wheelswill by and by be of service; when weare traveling through grass higher thanour heads, we shall not be able to stop

behind a minute, if we have not thecreaking of the wheels to direct us howto follow."

"Well, then, I suppose we must saveour grease," said Alexander.

"In a very few days you will be soaccustomed to it," said the Major, "thatif it were to cease, you would feel theloss of it."

"Well, it may be so; use is secondnature; but at present I feel as if theloss would be gain. There is the sunjust showing himself above the hill.Shall we halt or go on "

"Go on for another hour, and the mencan thus examine the traces and thewagons by daylight, and then, when westop, we can remedy any defects."

"Be it so; there is a house, is there not,on the rising ground, as far as you cansee "

"Yes, I think so," replied the Major.

"I know it very well," said Swinton; "itis the farm of a Dutch boor, Milius,whom we saw at Algoa Bay. I did notthink that we had got on so fast. It isabout three miles off, so it will just beconvenient for our breakfast. It willtake us a good hour to arrive there, and

then we will unyoke the oxen. Howmany have we yoked "

"Ten to each wagon. The other sixteenare following with the sheep andhorses; they are as relays."

"Let us gallop on," said the Major.

"Agreed," replied the others; andputting spurs to their horses, they soonarrived at the farmhouse of the Dutchplanter.

They were saluted with the barking andclamor of about twenty dogs, whichbrought out one of the young boors,who drove away the dogs by pelting

them with bullock-horns, and otherbones of animals which were strewedabout. He then requested them todismount. The old boor soonappeared, and gave them a heartywelcome, handing down from the shelfa large brandy-bottle, andrecommending a dram, of which hepartook himself, stating that it wasgood brandy, and made from his ownpeaches.

Shortly afterward the wife of the boormade her appearance, and havingsaluted them, took up her station at asmall table, with the tea apparatusbefore her. That refreshing beverage shenow poured out for the visitors,

handing a box, with some sugar-candyin it, for them to put a bit into theiryouths, and keep there as they dranktheir tea, by way of sweetening it. Theold boor told them he had expectedthem, as he had been informed thatthey were to set out that day; but hehad concluded that they would arrive inthe afternoon, and not so early.

We may as well here give a descriptionof a Dutch farmer's house at the Capesettlement.

It was a large square building, the wallbuilt up of clay, and then plasteredwith a composition made by the boors,which becomes excessively hard in time;

after which it is whitewashed. The roofwas thatched with a hard sort ofrushes, more durable and less likely tocatch fire than straw. There was noceiling under the roof, but the raftersoverhead were hung with a motleyassemblage of the produce of thechase and farm, as large whips made ofrhinoceros-hide, leopard and lion skins,ostrich eggs and feathers, strings ofonions, rolls of tobacco, bamboos, etc.

The house contained one large eating-room, a small private room, and twobedrooms. The windows were notglazed, but closed with skins everynight. There was no chimney or stovein the house, all the cooking being

carried on in a small outhouse.

The furniture was not veryconsiderable: a large table, a few chairsand stools, some iron pots and kettles, aset of Dutch teacups, a teapot, and abrass kettle, with a heater. The large,brass-clasped, family Dutch Bibleoccupied a small table, at which themistress of the house presided, andbehind her chair were the carcasses oftwo sheep, suspended from a beam.

Inquiries about the news at the Cape,and details of all the informationwhich our travelers could give, hadoccupied the time till breakfast was puton the table. It consisted of mutton

boiled and stewed, butter, milk, fruits,and good white bread. Before breakfastwas over the caravan arrived, and theoxen were unyoked. Our travelerspassed away two hours in going overthe garden and orchards, and visitingthe cattlefolds, and seeing the cowsmilked. They then yoked the teams, andwishing the old boor a farewell, andthanking him for his hospitality, theyresumed their journey.

"Is it always the custom here to receivetravelers in this friendly way " observedAlexander, as they rode away.

"Always," replied Swinton; "there areno inns on the road, and every traveler

finds a welcome. It is considered amatter of course."

"Do they never take payment "

"Never, and it must not be offered; butthey will take the value of the cornsupplied to your horses, as that is quiteanother thing. One peculiarity you willobserve as you go along, which is, thatthe Dutch wife is a fixture at the littletea-table all day long. She never leavesit, and the tea is always ready for everytraveler who claims their hospitality; itis an odd custom."

"And I presume that occasions thegood woman to become so very lusty."

"No doubt of it; the whole exercise ofthe day is from the bedroom to theteapot, and back again," repliedSwinton, laughing.

"One would hardly suppose that thisapparently good-natured andhospitable people could have beenguilty of such cruelty to the natives asMr. Fairburn represented."

"Many of our virtues and vices arebrought prominently forward bycircumstances," replied Swinton."Hospitality in a thinly-inhabitedcountry is universal, and a Dutch booris hospitable to an excess. Their cruelty

to the Hottentots and other nativesarises from the prejudices of education:they have from their childhood beheldthem treated as slaves, and do notconsider them as fellow-creatures. AsMr. Fairburn truly said, nothingdemoralizes so much, or so hardens theheart of man, as slavery existing andsanctioned by law."

"But are not the Dutch renowned forcruelty and love of money "

"They have obtained that reputation,and I fear there is some reason for it.They took the lead, it must beremembered, as a commercial nation,more commercial than the Portuguese,

whose steps they followed so closely:that this eager pursuit of wealth shouldcreate a love of money is but toonatural, and to obtain money, men,under the influence of that passion,will stop at nothing. Their cruelties inthe East are on record; but the questionis, whether the English, who followedthe path of the Dutch, would not, hadthey gone before them, have been guiltyof the same crimes to obtain the sameends The Spaniards were just as cruelin South America, and the Portuguesehave not fallen short of them; nay, Idoubt if our own countrymen can beacquitted in many instances. The onlydifference is, that the other nations whopreceded them in discoveries had

greater temptation, because there weremore riches and wealth to be obtained."

"Your remarks are just; well may we sayin the Lord's Prayer, 'Lead us not intotemptation,' for we are all too frail towithstand it."

At noon they again unyoked, andallowed the cattle to graze for aninterval; after which they proceeded tillan hour before dark, when theymustered the men, and gave them theirseveral charges and directions. AtAlexander's request the Major took thisupon himself, and he made a longspeech to the Hottentots, stating that itwas their intention to reward those

who did their duty, and to punishseverely those who did not. They thencollected wood for the fires, and hadtheir supper, the first meal which theyhad taken out of doors. Mahomed, theParsee servant of Major Henderson,cooked very much to their satisfaction;and having tied the oxen to the wagons,to accustom them to the practice, morethan from any danger to beapprehended, the watch was set to keepup the fires: they then all retired to bed,the gentlemen sleeping in their wagons,and the Hottentots underneath them,or by the sides of the fires which hadbeen lighted.

It will be unnecessary to enter into a

detail of the journey to Graham'sTown, which was performed withoutdifficulty. They did not arrive thereuntil eight days after their departurefrom Algoa Bay, as they purposely losttime on the road, that things might findtheir places. At Graham's Town theyreceived every kindness and attentionfrom the few military who were thereand the landroost. Here they dismissedthree of the men, who had remaineddrunk in the liquor-houses during theirstay, and hired nine more, who werewell recommended; among these weretwo perfectly well acquainted with theCaffre language and country; so thatthey were serviceable both asinterpreters and guides. The day after

their arrival, when they were out in theskirts of the town, Mr. Swintonperceived something moving in thebushes. He advanced cautiously, anddiscovered that it was a poor littleBushman boy, about twelve years old,quite naked, and evidently in a state ofstarvation, having been left there in ahigh fever by his people. He was soweak that he could not stand, and Mr.Swinton desired the Hottentot whowas with him to lift him up, and carryhim to the wagons. Some medicine andgood food soon brought the littlefellow round again, and he was able towalk about. He showed no dispositionto leave them; indeed he would watchfor Mr. Swinton, and follow him as far

as he could. The child evidentlyappeared to feel attachment andgratitude, and when they were about todepart, Mr. Swinton, through themedium of one of the Hottentots whocould speak the language, asked him ifhe would like to stay with them. Theanswer was in the affirmative, and itwas decided that he should accompanythem, the Major observing that hewould be a very good companion forBegum.

"What name shall we give him " saidSwinton.

"Why, as my baboon is by title aprincess, I think we can not create him

less than a prince. Let us call himOmrah."

"Omrah be it then," replied Mr.Swinton, "until we can name him in amore serious way."

So Omrah was put into the wagon,with Begum to amuse him, and ourtravelers took their departure fromGraham's Town.

CHAPTER X.

It was in the afternoon that they movedfrom Graham's Town. They had

intended to have started earlier, butthey found it impossible to collect theHottentots, who were taking theirfarewells of their wives and theirliquor-shops. As it was, most of themwere in a state of intoxication, and itwas considered advisable to get themout of the town as soon as possible.Late in the evening they arrived atHermann's Kraal, a small military fort,where they remained for the night togive the Hottentots an opportunity ofrecovering from the effects of theliquor. The next morning they againstarted, and the landscape now changedits aspect, being covered with thickbushes, infested with wild beasts.

A barren and sterile country was soonspread before them, the sun wasoppressively hot, and not a sign ofwater was to be observed in anydirection. At last they arrived at amuddy pool, in which elephants hadevidently been enjoying themselves, andthe oxen and horses were but too gladto do the same. At night they halted asbefore, having lighted fires to keep offthe wild beasts and the elephants.

The following morning they renewedtheir journey at daylight, and the sceneagain changed; they now plunged intothe dense forests bordering on the greatFish River, which they forded in safety.The prospects all around were very

beautiful, the river smoothly glidingthrough stupendous mountains andprecipices, with verdant valleys on eachside of its banks. In the afternoon theyarrived at Fort Wiltshire, the outermostdefense of the colony, situated on thebanks of the Keiskamma. Englishtroops were stationed there, to preventany marauding parties from passing theriver, or to intercept them on theirreturn with their booty.

As this was the last spot where theycould expect to see any of theircountrymen, and they were kindlyreceived by the officers, they agreed toremain two days, that they might obtainall the information which they could,

and rearrange the stowing of thewagons before they started. Theoriginal plan had been to direct theircourse to Chumie, the first missionarystation, which was about twenty-fivemiles distant; but as it was out of theirway, they now resolved to proceeddirect to Butterworth, which was fortymiles further in the Caffre country, andthe more distant of the two missions.Our party took leave of their kindentertainers, and, having crossedwithout difficulty at the ford theKeiskamma river, had passed theneutral ground, and were in the land ofthe Caffres.

Up to the present they had very little

trouble with the Hottentots whom theyhad hired. As long as they were withinreach of the law they behaved well; butnow that they had passed the confinesof the Cape territory, some of thembegan to show symptoms ofinsubordination. The dismissal of one,however, with an order to go backimmediately, and threatening to shoothim if he was ever seen in the caravan,had the desired effect of restoringorder. The country was now a series ofhills and dales, occasionally of deepravines, and their route lay through thepaths made by the elephants, whichwere numerous. A Hottentot of thename of Bremen, who was consideredas their best man and most practiced

hunter, begged Alexander and hiscompanions to be careful how theywent along, if they preceded the rest onhorseback; as the elephants alwaysreturn by the same path at evening orafter nightfall, in whatever directionthey may have been feeding, and it isvery dangerous to intercept them.

For two days they continued theircourse in nearly a straight line for themissionary establishment. On thesecond evening, just about dusk, asthey were crossing a woody hill, by theelephants' path, being then about 200yards in advance of the wagons, theywere saluted with one of the mosthideous shrieks that could be

conceived. Their horses started back;they could see nothing, although thesound echoed through the hills forsome seconds.

"What was that " exclaimed Alexander.

"Shout as loud as you can," cried theMajor; "and turn your horses to thewagons."

Alexander and Swinton joined theMajor in the shout, and were soonaccompanied by the whole mass ofHottentots, shouting and yelling asloud as they could.

"Silence, now," cried the Major; every

one was hushed, and they listened for afew seconds.

"It was only one, sir, and he is gone,"said Bremen. "We may go on."

"Only one what " inquired Alexander.

"An elephant, sir," replied theHottentot; "it's well that he did notcharge you; he would have tumbled youdown the precipice, horse and all.There must be a herd here, and we hadbetter stop as soon as we are down theother side of the hill."

"I think so too," replied the Major.

"I shall not get that shriek out of myears for a month," said Alexander;"why, the roar of a lion can not be sobad."

"Wait till you hear it," replied Swinton.

They had now arrived at the bottom ofthe hill which they had been passing,and by the light of the stars theyselected a spot for their encampment.Whether they were near to any Caffrekraals or not it was impossible to say;but they heard no barking of dogs orlowing of oxen. Having collected allthe cattle, they formed a square of thefour wagons, and passed ropes fromthe one to the other; the horses and

sheep were driven within the square,and the oxen were, as usual, tied up tothe sides of the wagons.

It should here be observed, that theoxen were turned out to graze early inthe morning, yoked in the afternoon,and they traveled then as far as theycould after nightfall, to avoid theextreme heat of the day, the continualvisits of the Carries, and the risk oflosing the cattle if they were allowed tobe loose and fed during the night.

On the night we have been referring to,a more than usual number of fires werelighted, to keep off the elephants andother wild animals. The hyenas and

wolves were very numerous, andprowled the whole night in hopes ofgetting hold of some of the sheep; butas yet there had not been seen or hearda lion, although an occasional track hadbeen pointed out by the Hottentots.

When the Hottentots had finished theirlabor, our travelers had to wait till thefires were lighted and a sheep killedbefore they could have their supperscooked by Mahomed. Begum, thebaboon, had been released from herconfinement since their crossing theFish River, and as usual, when they satdown, came and made one of the party,generally creeping in close to her masteruntil supper was served, when she

would have her finger in every dish,and steal all she could, sometimesrather to their annoyance.

Our little Bushman had now quiterecovered not only his strength but hisgayety, and was one of the mostamusing little fellows that could be metwith.

He could not make himselfunderstood except to one or two of theHottentots; but he was all pantomime,trying, by gestures and signs, to talk toMr. Swinton and his companions. Heendeavored to assist Mahomed as muchas he could, and appeared to haveattached himself to him, for he kept no

company with the Hottentots. He wasnot more than three feet and a halfhigh, and with limbs remarkablydelicate, although well made. His facewas very much like a monkey's, and hisgestures and manners completely so; hewas quite as active and full of fun. Thewatch had been set as soon as the fireswere lighted; and close to whereAlexander and the others were seated,Big Adam, the Hottentot we havementioned as having raised doubts inthe mind of the Major as to hiscourage, had just mounted guard, withhis gun in his hand. Omrah came up towhere they were sitting, and theynodded and smiled at him, and said,"How do you do " in English.

The boy, who had already picked up afew sentences, answered in the samewords, "How do you do " and thenpointing to Big Adam, whose back wasturned, he began making a number ofsigns, and nodding his head; at last hebent down, putting his arm in front ofhim, and raising it like an elephant'strunk, walking with the measured stepsof that animal, so as fully to make themUnderstand that he intended to portrayan elephant.

Having so done, he went up behindBig Adam, and gave a shriek so exactlylike that which the elephant had givenan hour before, that the Hottentot

started up, dropped his musket, andthrew himself flat on the ground, inorder that the supposed animal mightpass by him unperceived.

The other Hottentots had been equallystartled, and had seized their muskets,looking in every direction for theapproach of the animal; but theconvulsions of laughter whichproceeded from the party soon toldthem that there was nothing toapprehend, and that little Omrah hadbeen playing his tricks. Big Adam roseup, looking very foolish; he had justbefore been telling his companionshow many elephants he had killed, andhad been expressing his hopes that they

soon should have an elephant-hunt.

"Well," observed Swinton, after thelaugh was over, "it proves that Adam isan elephant-hunter, and knows what todo in time of danger."

"Yes," replied the Major; "and it alsoproves that our opinion of him wasjust, and that with him the best part ofvalor is discretion."

"The most wonderful escape from anelephant which we have on recordhere," observed Swinton, "is that ofLieutenant Moodie; did you ever hearof it I had it from his own lips."

"I never did, at all events," saidAlexander; "and if the Major has, hewill listen very patiently, to oblige me."

"I have never heard the preciseparticulars, and shall therefore be asglad to be a listener as Wilmot."

"Well, then, I will begin. LieutenantMoodie was out elephant-hunting witha party of officers and soldiers, whenone day he was told that a large troopof elephants was close at hand, andthat several of the men were out, and inpursuit of them. Lieutenant Moodieimmediately seized his gun, and wentoff in the direction where he heard thefiring.

"He had forced his way through ajungle, and had just come to a clearedspot, when he heard some of hispeople calling out, in English andDutch, 'Take care, Mr. Moodie, takecare,' As they called out, he heard thecrackling of branches broken by theelephants as they were bursting throughthe wood, and then tremendousscreams, such as we heard this night.Immediately afterward four elephantsburst out from the jungle, not twohundred yards from where he stood.Being alone on the open ground, heknew that if he fired and did not kill,he could have no chance; so he hastilyretreated, hoping that the animals

would not see him. On looking back,however, he perceived, to his dismay,that they were all in chase of him, andrapidly gaining on him; he thereforeresolved to reserve his fire till the lastmoment, and, turning toward someprecipitous rocks, hoped to gain thembefore the elephants could come upwith him. But he was still at least fiftypaces from the rocks, when he foundthat the elephants were within half thatdistance of him, one very large animal,and three smaller, all in a row, as ifdetermined that he should not escape,snorting so tremendously that he wasquite stunned with the noise."

"That's what I call a very pretty

position," observed the Major. "Go on,Swinton; the affair is becoming a littlenervous."

"As his only chance, LieutenantMoodie turned round, and leveled hisgun at the largest elephant; butunfortunately the powder was damp,and the gun hung fire, till he was in theact of taking it from his shoulder, whenit went off, and the ball merely grazedthe side of the elephant's head. Theanimal halted for an instant, and thenmade a furious charge upon him. Hefell; whether struck down by theelephant's trunk he can not say. Theelephant then thrust at him as he lay,with his tusk; fortunately it had but

one, and more fortunately it missed itsmark, plowing up the ground within aninch of Mr. Moodie's body.

"The animal then caught him up withits trunk by his middle, and dashed himdown between his fore-feet to treadhim to death. Once it pressed so heavilyon his chest, that all his bones bentunder the weight, but somehow orother, whether from the animal being ina state of alarm, it never contrived tohave its whole weight upon him; forMr. Moodie had never lost hisrecollection, and kept twisting his bodyand his limbs, so as to prevent it fromobtaining a direct tread upon him.While he was in this state of distress,

another officer and a Hottentot huntercame up to his assistance, and firedseveral shots at the animal, which wasseverely wounded, and the other threetook to their heels. At last the onewhich had possession of Mr. Moodieturned round, and giving him a cuffwith its fore-feet followed the rest. Mr.Moodie got up, picked up his gun, andstaggered away as fast as his achingbones would permit him. He met hisbrother, who had just been informedby one of the Hottentots, who hadseen him under the elephant, that hewas killed."

"Well, that was an escape," observedWilmot.

"What made it more remarkable was,that he had hardly time to explain to hisbrother his miraculous preservation,before he witnessed the death of oneof the hunters, a soldier, who hadattracted the notice of a large maleelephant which had been driven out ofthe jungle. The fierce animal gave chaseto him, and caught him immediatelyunder the height where Mr. Moodieand his brother were standing, carriedthe poor fellow for some distance onhis trunk, then threw him down, andstamping upon him until he was quitedead, left the body for a short time. Theelephant then returned, as if to makesure of its destruction; for it kneeled

down on the body, and kneaded it withhis fore-legs; then, rising, it seized itagain with its trunk, carried it to theedge of the jungle, and hurled it intothe bushes."

"Dreadful! I had no idea that there wassuch danger in an elephant-hunt; yet Imust say," continued Alexander, "that,although it may appear foolishness, itonly makes me more anxious to haveone."

"Well, as we advance, you will have nowant of opportunity; but it will bebetter to get the Caffres to join us,which they will with great delight."

"Why, they have no weapons, excepttheir spears."

"None; but they will attack him withgreat success, as you will see; they watchtheir opportunity as he passes, getbehind, and drive their spears into hisbody until the animal is exhausted fromloss of blood, and they are so quickthat the elephant seldom is able todestroy one of them. They consider theelephant of as high rank as one of theirkings, and it is very laughable to hearthem, as they wound him, beg pardonof him, and cry out, 'Great man, don'tbe angry; great captain, don't kill us,'"

"But how is it that they can approach

so terrible an animal withoutdestruction "

"It is because they do approach quiteclose to him. An elephant sees butbadly, except straight before him, andhe turns with difficulty. The Caffres arewithin three feet of his tail or flankwhen they attack, and they attack himin the elephant-paths, which are toonarrow for the animal to turn withoutdifficulty; the great risk that they run isfrom another elephant breaking out tothe assistance of the one attacked."

"The animals do assist each other, then"

"Yes; there was a remarkable instanceof it in the affair of LieutenantMoodie. I mentioned that it was a largemale elephant which killed the soldierjust after Mr. Moodie's escape. Shortlyafterward a shot from one of thehunters broke the fore-leg of thisanimal, and prevented him fromrunning, and there it stood to be firedat. The female elephant, which was inthe jungle, witnessing the distress of itsmate, regardless of her own danger,immediately rushed out to hisassistance, chasing away the hunters,and walked round and round her mate,constantly returning to his side, andcaressing him. When the maleattempted to walk, she had the sagacity

to place her flank against the woundedside, so as to support him, and helphim along. At last the female received asevere wound, and staggered into thebush, where she fell; and the male wassoon after laid prostrate by the side ofthe poor soldier whom he had killed."

"There is something very touching inthe last portion of your story,Swinton," observed Alexander; "it reallymakes one feel a sort of respect forsuch intelligent and reasoning animals."

"I think the first portion of the storyought to teach you to respect themalso," said the Major. "Seriously,however, I quite agree with you; their

sagacity, as my Indian experience hastaught me, is wonderful; but herecomes supper, and I am not sorry forit."

"Nor I," replied Alexander. "To-morrow we shall be at the missionarystation, if the guides are correct. I amvery anxious to get there, I must say.Does not the chief of the Amakosatribe live close to the Mission-house,Hinza, as they call him "

"Yes," replied Swinton, "he does, andwe must have a present ready for him,for I think it would be advisable to askan escort of his warriors to go with usafter we leave the Mission."

"Yes, it will be quite as well," replied theMajor, "and then we shall have someelephant-hunting: but Bremen tells methat there are plenty of hippopotami inthe river there, close to the Mission."

"Water-elephants," replied Swinton; "Isuppose you will not leave them alone "

"Certainly not if our commander-in-chief will allow us to stop."

"I think your commander-in-chief,"replied Wilmot, "is just as anxious tohave a day's sport with them as you are,Major; so you will certainly have hispermission."

"I think we ought to put Omrah on ahorse. He is a nice light weight for aspare horse, if required."

"Not a bad idea," replied Alexander."What a tiger he would make for a cabin the park!"

"More like a monkey," replied theMajor; "but it is time to go to bed; so,good-night."

CHAPTER XI.

The caravan proceeded on the

following morning, and by noon theyarrived at the Mission station ofButterworth, which was about onehundred and forty miles from thecolonial boundaries. This station hadonly been settled about three years, buteven in that short time it wore an air ofcivilization strongly contrasted with thesavage country around it. The Mission-house was little better than a largecottage, it is true, and the church a sortof barn; but it was surrounded by neatCaffre huts and gardens full ofproduce.

On the arrival of the caravan, Mr. S.,the missionary, came out to meet thetravelers, and to welcome them. He had

been informed that they would call atthe station, and bring some articleswhich had been sent for. It hardly needbe said that, meeting at such a place,and in such a country, the parties soonbecame on intimate terms. Mr. S.offered them beds and accommodationin his house, but our travelers refused;they were well satisfied with their own;and having unyoked their oxen, andturned them out to graze with thosebelonging to the station, they acceptedthe missionary's invitation to join hisrepast.

Alexander having stated the object ofhis expedition, requested the advice ofMr. S. as to his further proceedings, and

asked him whether it would not beadvisable to see the Caffre king, andmake him a present. This Mr. S.strongly advised them to do; and to askfor a party of Caffres to accompany thecaravan, which would not only insurethem safety, but would prove in manyrespects very useful. All that would benecessary would be to find them infood and to promise them a present, ifthey conducted themselves well. "Youare aware," continued he, "that Hinza'sdomain only extends as far as theBashee or St. John's River, and you willhave to proceed beyond that; but withsome of the Caffre warriors you willhave no difficulty, as the tribes furtherwill not only fear your strength, but

also the anger of Hinza, should theycommit any depredation. But things, Iregret to say, do not look very peaceablejust now."

"Indeed! what is the quarrel, and withwhom "

"Hinza has quarreled with a powerfulneighboring chief of the name ofVoosani, who reigns over theTambookie tribes, about some cattle,which are the grand cause of quarrelsin these countries, and both parties arepreparing for war. But whether it willtake place is doubtful, as they are boththreatened with a more powerfulenemy, and may probably be compelled

to unite, in order to defendthemselves."

"And who may that be "

"Quetoo, the chief of the Amaquibi, isin arms with a large force, and threatensthe other tribes to the northward of us;if he conquers them, he will certainlycome down here. He was formerly oneof Chaka's generals, and is, like him,renowned for slaughter. At present heis too far to the northward to interferewith you, but I should advise you tolose no time in effecting your mission;for should he advance, you will becompelled to retreat immediately. I hadbetter send to Hinza to-morrow to let

him know that strangers have come andwish to see him, that they may makehim a present. That notice will bringhim fast enough; not but that he wellknows you are here, and has knownthat you have been in his country longago."

"It will be as well, after the informationyou have given us," said Mr. Swinton.

"What is your opinion of the Caffres,Mr. S., now that you have resided solong with them "

"They are, for heathens, a fine nation,bold, frank, and, if any thing isconfided to them, scrupulously honest;

but cattle-stealing is certainly notconsidered a crime among them,although it is punished as one.Speaking as a minister of the Gospel, Ishould say they are the most difficultnation to have any thing to do with thatit ever has been my lot to visit. Theyhave no religion whatever; they have noidols; and no idea of the existence of aGod. When I have talked to themabout God, their reply is, 'Where is heshow him to me.'"

"But have they no superstitions "

"They believe in necromancy, and havetheir conjurers, who do much harm,and are our chief opponents, as we

weaken their influence, andconsequently their profits. If cattle arestolen, they are referred to. If a chief issick, they are sent for to know who hasbewitched him; they must of coursemention some innocent person, who issacrificed immediately. If the country isparched from want of rain, which it sofrequently is, then the conjurers are ingreat demand: they are sent for toproduce rain. If, after all theirpretended mysteries, the rain does notfall so as to save their reputation, theygive some plausible reason, generallyending, however, in the sacrifice ofsome innocent individual; and thusthey go on, making excuses afterexcuses until the rain does fall, and they

obtain all the credit of it. I need hardlysay that these people are our greatestenemies."

"Are you satisfied with the successwhich you have had "

"Yes, I am, when I consider thedifficulty to be surmounted. Nothingbut the Divine assistance could haveproduced such effects as have alreadytaken place. The chiefs are to a manopposed to us."

"Why so "

"Because Christianity strikes at the rootof their sensuality; it was the same

when it was first preached by ourDivine Master. The riches of a Caffreconsist not only in his cattle, but in thenumber of his wives, who are all hisslaves. To tell them that polygamy isunlawful and wrong, is thereforealmost as much as to tell them that it isnot right to hold a large herd of cattle;and as the chiefs are of course theopulent of the nation, they oppose us.You observe in Caffreland, aselsewhere, it is 'hard for a rich man toenter into the kingdom of heaven.' Ihave asked the chiefs why they will notcome to church, and their reply hasbeen, 'The great word is calculated tolessen our pleasures and diminish thenumber of our wives; to this we can

never consent,'"

"But still you say you have made someprogress."

"If I have, let it be ascribed to the Lord,and not to me and my otherwise uselessendeavors; it must be His doing; andwithout His aid and assistance, thedifficulties would have beeninsurmountable. It is for me only tobear in mind the scriptural injunction,'In the morning sow thy seed, and inthe evening withhold not thy hand; forthou knowest not whether shallprosper, either this or that, or whetherthey both shall be alike good.'"

"But have they no idea whatever of aSupreme Being, either bad or goodhave they no idea, as some of theAfrican tribes have, of the devil "

"None; and in their language they haveno word to express the idea of theDeity; they swear by their kings offormer days as great chiefs, but nomore. Now if they had any religionwhatever, you might, by pointing out tothem the falsity and absurdity of thatreligion, and putting it in juxtapositionwith revealed Truth, have some holdupon their minds; but we have not eventhat advantage."

"But can not you make an impression

upon their minds by referring to thewonders of nature, by asking themwho made the sun and stars Surely theymight be induced to reflect by such amethod."

"I have tried it a hundred times, andthey have laughed at me for my fables,as they have termed them. One of thechiefs told me to hold my tongue, thathis people might not think me mad.The Scriptures, indeed, teach us that,without the aid of direct revelation,men are also without excuse if they failto attain to a certain knowledge of theDeity, 'even his eternal power and God-head,' by a devout contemplation ofthe visible world, which with all its

wonders is spread out before them asan open volume. But beyond this, allknowledge of the origin or manner ofcreation is derived, not from thedeductions of human reasoning, butfrom the Divine testimony; for it isexpressly said, 'Through faith weunderstand that the worlds were madeby the word of God.'"

"Nevertheless you must admit that,among the civilized nations of Europe,many who deny revelation, and treat theBible as a fable, acknowledge that theworld must have been made by aSupreme Power."

"My dear sir, many affect to deny the

truth of revelation out of pride andfolly, who still in their consciences cannot but believe it. Here, there being nobelief in a Deity, they will not bepersuaded that the world was made byone. Indeed, we have much to contendwith, and perhaps one of the greatestdifficulties is in the translation of theScriptures. I sit down with aninterpreter who can not read a singleword, and with perhaps a mosterroneous and imperfect knowledge ofdivine things. We open the sacredvolume, and it is first translated intobarbarous Dutch to the Caffreinterpreter, who then has to tell us howthat Dutch is to be put into the Caffrelanguage. Now you may imagine what

mistakes may arise. I have found outlately that I have been stating the verycontrary to what I would have said.With this translation, I stand up to reada portion of the Word of God, for myinterpreter can not read, and hence anyslight defect or change in a syllable maygive altogether a different sense fromwhat I desire to inculcate."

"That must indeed be a great difficulty,and require a long residence and fullacquaintance with the language toovercome."

"And even then not overcome, for thelanguage has no words to expressabstract ideas; but the Lord works after

His own way, and at His own season."

"You do not then despair of success "

"God forbid; I should be indeed amost unworthy servant of our DivineMaster, if I so far distrusted His power.No; much good has been already done,as you will perceive when we meet to-morrow to perform Divine service; butthere is much more to do, and, with Hisblessing, will in His own good time beperfected; but I have duties to attend towhich call me away for the present; Ishall therefore wish you good-night. Atall events, the Mission has had onegood effect: you are perfectly safe fromCaffre violence and Caffre robbery.

This homage is paid to it even by theirkings and chiefs."

"I will say, that if we are only to judgeby the little we have seen, the Missionappears to have done good," observedthe Major. "In the first place, we are nolonger persecuted, as we have beenduring our journey, for presents; and, asyou may observe, many of the Caffresabout are clothed in Europeanfashions, and those who have nothingbut their national undress, I may call it,wear it as decently as they can."

"I made the same observation," saidAlexander. "I am most anxious for to-morrow, as I wish to see how the

Caffres behave; and really, when youconsider all the difficulties which Mr. S.has mentioned, it is wonderful that heand those who have embraced the samecalling should persevere as they do."

"My dear Wilmot," replied Mr.Swinton, "a missionary, even of themost humble class, is a person of noordinary mind; he does not rely uponhimself or upon his own exertions, herelies not upon others, or upon theassistance of this world; if he did, hewould, as you say, soon abandon histask in despair. No; he is supported, heis encouraged, he is pressed on by faithfaith in Him who never deserts thosewho trust and believe in Him; he

knows that, if it is His pleasure, thetask will be easy, but at the same timethat it must be at His own good time.Convinced of this, supported by this,encouraged by this, and venturing hislife for this, he toils on, in fullassurance that if he fails another is tosucceed, that if he becomes a martyr,his blood will moisten the arid soilfrom which the future seed will spring.A missionary may be low in birth, lowin education, as many are; but he mustbe a man of exalted mind, what in anyother pursuit we might term anenthusiast; and in this spreading of theDivine word, he merits respect for hisfervor, his courage, and self-devotion;his willingness, if the Lord should so

think fit, to accept the crown ofmartyrdom."

"You are right, Swinton; nothing butwhat you have described could impel aman to pass a life of privation anddanger among a savage race leaving all,and following his Master in the trueapostolic sense. Well, they will havetheir reward."

"Yes, in heaven, Wilmot; not on earth,"replied Swinton.

The next day, being the Sabbath, withthe assistance of Mahomed, who wasvalet as well as cook to the whole party,they divested themselves of their

beards, which had not been touchedfor many days, and dressed themselvesin more suitable apparel than theirusual hunting costume, a respect paidto the Sabbath by even the mostworldly and most indifferent onreligious points. The bell of theMission church was tolled, and thenatives were seen coming from alldirections. Our party went in, andfound Mr. S. already there, and thatseats had been provided for them. Thenumbers of natives who wereassembled in the church were about200, but many more were at thewindows, and sitting by the open door.

Many of them were clothed in some

sort of European apparel; those whowere not, drew their krosses closeround them, so as to appear morecovered. A hymn in the Caffre languagewas first sung, and then prayers, afterwhich the Litany and responses; theCommandments were repeated in thesame language. Mr. S. then read achapter in the Bible, and explained it tothe assembly. Profound silence andquiet attention generally prevailed,although in some few instances therewas mockery from those outside. Mr. S.gave the blessing, and the service wasended.

"You have already done much,"observed Mr. Swinton. "I could hardly

have believed that a concourse ofsavages could have been so attentive,and have behaved with such decorum."

"It certainly is the most difficult pointgained, to command their attention, Imean," replied Mr. S.; "after that, timeand patience, with the assistance ofGod, will effect the rest."

"Do you think that there are many who,if I may use the term, feel their religion"

"Yes, many; and prove it by travelingabout and sowing the seed. There aremany who not only are qualified so todo, but are incessantly laboring to bring

their countrymen to God."

"That must be very satisfactory to you."

"It is; but what am I, and the few wholabor with me, to the thousands andthousands who are here in darknessand require our aid There are now butthree missions in all Caffreland; andthere is full employment for twohundred, if they could be established.But you must excuse me, I have tocatechise the children, who are my mostpromising pupils. We will meet again inthe evening, for I have to preach at aneighboring village. Strange to say,many who doubt and waver will listento me there; but they appear to think

that there is some witchcraft in theMission church, or else are afraid toacknowledge to their companions thatthey have been inside of it."

The missionary then left them, andAlexander observed

"I don't know how you feel but Iassure you it has been a great pleasureto me to have found myself in thishumble church, and hearing Divineservice in this wild country."

Both Swinton and Major Hendersonexpressed the same opinion.

"I am not afraid of being laughed at,"

continued Alexander, "when I tell youthat I think it most important, whereverwe may be during our travels, to keepthe Sabbath holy, by rest and readingthe service."

"With pleasure, as far as I amconcerned, and I thank you for theproposal," replied Swinton.

"And I am equally pleased that youhave proposed it, Wilmot," said MajorHenderson; "even we may be of serviceto the good cause, if, as we passthrough the land, the natives perceivethat we respect the Sabbath as themissionary has requested them to do.We are white men, and considered by

them as superior; our example,therefore, may do good."

The evening was passed away veryagreeably with Mr. S., who wasinexhaustible in his anecdotes of theCaffres. He informed them that Hinzaintended to call the next morning toreceive his presents, and that he wouldbe interpreter for them if they wishedit.

Alexander, having thanked themissionary, said, "I think youmentioned, sir, that some of yourbrother missionaries have their wiveswith them. Since you have told me somuch of the precarious tenure by

which you hold your ground here, andI may add your lives, I think that thewives of the missionaries must haveeven more to encounter than theirhusbands."

"You are right, sir," replied themissionary; "there is no situation sotrying, so perilous, and I may say, soweary to the mind and body, as that ofa female missionary. She has toencounter the same perils and the samehardships as her husband, withouthaving the strength of our sex tosupport them; and what is more painfulthan all, she is often left alone in theMission-house, while her husband,who has left her, is proceeding on his

duty, at the hourly peril of his life.There she is alone, and compelled tolisten to all the reports and falsehoodswhich are circulated; at one momentshe is told that her husband has beenmurdered; at another, that he is stillalive. She has no means of hearingfrom him, as there is nocommunication throughout thecountry; thus is she left in this horriblestate of suspense and anxiety, perhapsfor many weeks. I have a letter from abrother missionary which is in mywriting-desk, wherein the case in pointis well portrayed; I will get it, and readthat portion to you." Mr. S. went to theother end of the room, and came backwith a letter, from which he read as

follows:

"Having been detained among thosedistant tribes for nearly two months,report upon report had been circulatedthat the interpreters and guides, as wellas myself, had all been murdered. Onmy arrival within forty miles of thestation, I was informed that all doubtupon the subject had been removed bya party of natives who had passed theMission station, and who pretended anacquaintance with all the particulars ofthe massacre. We had been traveling thewhole day, and night had come on; Iwas most anxious to proceed, that Imight relieve the mind of my dear wife,but the earnest remonstrances of my

little party, who represented it as certaindeath to all of us to cross the plains,which were infested with lions andother savage beasts who were prowlingin every direction, at length induced meto wait till the next day. But scarcely hadday begun to dawn when I salliedforth, without either arms or guide,except a pocket compass, leaving myfellow-travelers to bring on the wagonas soon as they should arouse fromtheir slumbers. This impatience had,however, well-nigh cost me my life; forhaving to wade through many miles ofdeep sand with a vertical sun over myhead, I had not accomplished half thejourney before my strength began tofail, and an indescribable thirst was

induced. Nevertheless, I reached theMission in safety, and with trulygrateful feelings to the Preserver ofmen. A few minutes prior to my arrival,the wife of one of my brothermissionaries, little imagining that I wasat hand and alive, had entered ourdwelling, to apprise my wife of thelatest intelligence, confirming all thathad been said before respecting my fate,and to comfort her under thedistressing dispensation. At thisaffecting crisis, while both werestanding in the center of the room, theone relating, the other weeping, Iopened the door, bathed inperspiration, covered with dust, and ina state of complete exhaustion. 'Oh,

dear!' cried our friend; 'is it he or is ithis spirit ' I must, my dear sir, leave toyour imagination the scene thatfollowed."

"Yes, sir," said Mr. S., folding up theletter, "a missionary's wife, who followshim into such scenes and such perilsand privations, does, indeed, 'cleave toher husband.'"

"Indeed she does," replied Mr. Swinton;"but we will tax you no longer, my dearsir. Good-night."

CHAPTER XII.

On the following day, a little beforenoon, loud shouts and men dancingand calling out the titles of the king ofthe Caffres announced his approach.These men were a sort of heralds, whoinvariably preceded him on a visit ofceremony. A band of warriors armedwith their assaguays and shields, nextmade their appearance, and then Hinza,accompanied by fifty of his chiefcouncilors: with the exception of theirlong krosses of beast-skins thrownover their shoulders, they were allnaked, and each daubed with greaseand red ocher. As soon as they arrivedin front of the Mission-house, they satdown in a circle on each side of the

Caffre king, who was treated withmarked respect by all, and by thecommon people in particular, whoassembled on his presence. Every onewho happened to pass by gave whatwas termed a 'salute' of honor to theking, who did not appear to considerthat it required any acknowledgment onhis part.

Our travelers, accompanied by themissionary, advanced into the circle,and saluted his majesty. Mr. S. thenexplained the object of their journey,and their wish that a small party of theking's warriors should accompany themon their expedition. As soon as thespeech was ended, a few pounds of

colored beads, a roll of tobacco, twopounds of snuff, and some yards ofscarlet cloth, were laid before hismajesty as a present. Hinza nodded hishead with approval when the articleswere spread before him, and thenturned to his councilors, with whom hewhispered some time, and then hereplied "that the strange white menshould pass through his countrywithout fear, that his warriors shouldaccompany them as far as they wishedto go; but," he added, "do the strangersknow that there is disorder in thecountry beyond "

Mr. S. replied that they did, and wereanxious to go, and return as soon as

possible, on that account.

Hinza replied, "It is well; if there isdanger, my warriors will let them knowif it is necessary, they will fight forthem if the enemy is too strong, thewhite men must return."

Hinza then ordered some of hiscouncilors to take charge of thepresents, and inquired of Mr. S. howmany warriors they wished to have, andwhen they wished to go.

The reply was, that fifty warriors wouldbe sufficient, and that they wished todepart on the following morning. "It iswell," replied Hinza; "fifty warriors are

enough, for my men eat a great dealthey shall be ready."

The council then broke up, and theking, having shaken hands with ourtravelers, departed with his train:toward the evening an old cow was sentto them as a present from his majesty.The Hottentots soon cut it up anddevoured it. Every thing was nowarranged for their immediate departure.

The next morning, at break of day, theband of Caffre warriors were all inreadiness, each with his shield and threeassaguays in his hand. They were allfine, tall young men, from twenty tothirty years of age. Alexander desired

Mr. S. to tell them that, if they behavedwell and were faithful, they shouldevery one receive a present when theywere dismissed; a notification whichappeared to give general satisfaction.The oxen had already been yoked, andtaking leave of the worthy missionary,our travelers mounted their horses andresumed their journey. For the wholeday they proceeded along the banks ofthe Kae River, which ran its coursethrough alternate glens and hillsclothed with fine timber; and as theywere on an eminence, looking downupon the river, the head Caffre warrior,who had, with the others, hung up hisshield at the side of the wagon, andnow walked by our travelers with his

assaguay in his hand, pointed out tothem, as the sun was setting behind ahill, two or three large black masses onthe further bank of the river.

"What are they, and what does he say "

"Sea-cows," replied the interpreter.

"Hippopotami! We must have a shot atthem, Wilmot," cried the Major.

"To be sure; tell them we will stop andkill one if we can," said Wilmot to theinterpreter.

"We shall want one to feed our army,"said Swinton laughing, "or our sheep

will soon be devoured."

The Caffres were all immediately inmotion, running down to the bank ofthe river, about a quarter of a miledistant; they swam across, and thereremained waiting till our travelersshould give the word.

The animals lay on a muddy bank, at aturn of the river, like so many swineasleep, some of them out, and somepartly in and partly out of the water. Asthey were huddled together, theylooked more like masses of black rockthan any thing else. Two layconsiderably apart from the others, andit was toward these two that the Caffres,

who had crossed the river, crept untilthey were in the high reeds, but a fewyards from them. Henderson andWilmot, with some of the Hottentots,descended the ravine on their side ofthe river, opposite to where the animalslay, and as soon as they were on thebank, being then within one hundredyards of them, they leveled and fired.At the report, all the animals started upfrom their beds as if astonished at thenoise, which they had not beenaccustomed to. Three or four instantlyplunged into the deep water, but theothers, apparently half asleep, stood fora few seconds, as if not knowing whatcourse to take: two of them wereevidently wounded, as they rushed into

the water; for they did not remainbelow, but rose to the surfaceimmediately, as if in great agony. Theyappeared anxious to get out of thewater altogether, and tried so to do, butfearing the people on the river's bank,they darted in again. In the mean time,at the first report of the guns, the twowhich lay apart from the others withtheir heads toward the river, as soon asthey rose on their legs, were piercedwith several assaguays by the concealedCaffres, and plunged into the waterwith the spears remaining in theirbodies. These also rose, and flounderedlike the others; and as their headsappeared above, they were met with theunerring rifle of the Major and whole

volleys from Wilmot and theHottentots, till, exhausted from loss ofblood, they floated dead upon thesurface.

The Caffres waited till the bodies hadbeen borne some hundred yards downthe stream, that they might not beattacked when in the water by theremainder of the herd, and then swamoff, and pushed the bodies on shore.This was a very seasonable supply ofprovisions for so large a band ofpeople; but those who belonged to thecaravan were not the only parties whobenefited: all the Caffres of thesurrounding hamlets hastened to theriver, and carried off large quantities of

the flesh of the animals; there was,however, more than enough for all, andfor the wolves and hyenas after theyhad taken what they chose. It was solate before the animals were cut up, thatthey decided upon remaining wherethey were that night; for now that theyhad the Caffre warriors with them, theyhad no fear as to losing their oxen, theking having stated that his men shouldbe responsible for them.

Large fires were lighted, and the Caffresand Hottentots, all mingled together,were busy roasting, boiling, and fryingthe flesh of the hippopotamus, andeating it as fast as it was cooked, so thatthey were completely gorged before

they lay down to sleep; Wilmot had alsogiven them a ration of tobacco each,which had added considerably to thedelight of the feast.

"It is not bad eating by any means," saidthe Major, as they were at supper.

"No; it is something like old veal,"replied Swinton. "Now, what is Omrahabout He is after some mischief, by theway he creeps along."

"A monkey is a fool to that boy,"observed the Major, "and he appears toknow how to imitate every animal hehas ever heard."

"Did you hear the dance he led someof the Hottentots on Sunday evening,when we were at the Mission "

"No; what was that "

"Bremen told me of it; I thought hewould have died with laughing. You areaware that there is a species of birdhere which they call the honey-bird, bynaturalists, the Cuculus indicator; do younot remember I showed you aspecimen which I was preserving "

"You have showed us so manyspecimens, that I really forget."

"Well, I should have given you at the

same time the natural history of thebird. It is very partial to honey, uponwhich it lives as much as it can; but asthe bees make their hives in the trunksof old decayed trees, and the hole theyenter by is very small, the bird can notobtain it without assistance. Its instinctinduces it to call in the aid of man,which it does by a peculiar note, likecher-cher-cher, by which it gives noticethat it has found out a beehive. Thenatives of Africa well know this, and assoon as the bird flies close to them,giving out this sound, they follow it;the bird leads them on, perching everynow and then, to enable them to keepup with it, until it arrives at the tree,over which it flutters without making

any more noise."

"How very curious!"

"Little Bushman knows this as well asthe Hottentots, and hearing that theywere going out in search of honey hewent before them into the wood,concealing himself, and imitating thenote of the bird so exactly, that theHottentots went on following it forseveral miles, wondering how it wasthat the bird should lead them such adistance, but unwilling to give up thepursuit. About sunset, he had broughtthem back to the very edge of thewood from whence they had started,when he showed himself about one

hundred yards ahead of them, dancing,capering, and tumbling so like Begum,that they thought it was her beforethem, and not him. He gained thecaravan again without their knowingwho played them the trick; but he toldSwanevelt, who speaks his language,and Swanevelt told Bremen."

"Capital!" said the Major; "well, he isafter some trick now, depend upon it."

"He has a great talent for drawing,"observed Alexander.

"A very great one; I have given him apencil and occasionally a piece ofpaper, and he draws all the birds, so

that I can recognize them; but you mustknow that all the Bushmen have thattalent, and that their caves are full ofthe sketches of all sorts of animals,remarkably characteristic. The organ ofimitation is very strongly developed inthe Bushmen, which accounts for theirtalents as draftsmen, and Omrah'sremarkable imitative powers."

"Do you then believe in phrenology,Swinton!" said Alexander.

"I neither believe nor disbelieve in thatand many more modern discoveries ofthe same kind; I do not think it right toreject them or to give blind credence.Not a day passes but some discovery

excites our wonder and admiration, andpoints out to us how little we do know.The great fault is, that when peoplehave made a discovery to a certainextent, they build upon it, as if all theirpremises were correct; whereas, theyhave, in fact, only obtained a mereglimmering to light them to a pathwhich may some future day lead toknowledge. That the general principlesof phrenology are correct maybe fairlyassumed, from the examination of theskulls of men and animals, and ofdifferent men; but I give no credence toall the divisions and subdivisionswhich have, in my opinion, been mostpresumptuously marked out by thosewho profess, and of course fully

believe, the full extent of thesesupposed discoveries."

"And mesmerism " said Alexander.

"I make the same reply; there issomething in it, that is certain, butnothing yet sufficiently known towarrant any specific conclusion to bedrawn."

"There is a great deal of humbug in it,"said the Major.

"So there is in all sciences; when truthfails them and they are at fault, they fillup the hiatus with supposition; whichis, as you term it, humbug."

"Well, I vote that we return to ourwagons; every body appears fast asleepexcept us three."

Such was not, however, the case; forthey had not been half an hour on theirmattresses, before they were awakenedby loud cries of "help," which madethem seize the irguns and jump out ofthe wagons without waiting for theirclothes.

The Hottentots and Caffres were so fullof hippopotamus flesh, that the noisedid not awake but a small portion ofthem, and these only turned round andstared about without getting up, with

the exception of Bremen, who was onhis feet and, with his gun in his hand,running in the direction of the cries.He was followed by our travelers, andthey soon came up with the object oftheir search, which proved to be noother than Big Adam, the Hottentot;and as soon as they perceived hiscondition, which they could do by thelight of the fires still burning, they allburst out laughing so excessively thatthey could not help him.

That it was the work of little Omrahthere was no doubt, for Big Adam hadnot forgotten the former trick the boyhad played him, and had more thanonce, when he caught the boy, given

him a good cuffing. Big Adam was onthe ground, dragged away by two ofthe largest dogs. Omrah had taken thebones he could find with most fleshupon them belonging to thehippopotamus, and had tied them withleathern thongs to the great toes of BigAdam as he lay snoring after hisunusual repast. He had then waited tillall were asleep, and had let loose thetwo largest dogs, which were alwaystied with the others under the wagons,and not over-fed, to make them morewatchful.

The dogs had prowled about for food,and had fallen in with these largebones, which they immediately seized,

and were dragging away, that they mightmake their repast without interruption;but in attempting to drag away thebones, they had dragged Big Adamsome yards by his great toes, and thepain and fright for the Hottentotthought they were hyenas or wolves hadcaused him thus to scream for help.Bremen divided the thongs with hisknife, and the dogs ran off growlingwith the bones, and Adam stood againupon his feet, still so much terrified asnot to be able to comprehend the trickwhich had been played him. Ourtravelers, having indulged their mirth,retired once more to their resting-places. The Major found Omrah andBegum both in their corners of the

wagon, the former pretending to be fastasleep, while the latter was chatteringand swearing at the unusualdisturbance.

At daylight next morning they resumedtheir journey. Big Adam walked ratherstiff, and looked very sulky. Omrah hadperched himself on a tilt of thebaggage-wagon with Begum, and wasquite out of the Hottentot's reach; forBremen had told the others what hadhappened, and there had been a generallaugh against Big Adam, who vowedvengeance against little Omrah. Thecountry was now very beautiful andfertile, and the Caffre hamlets were tobe seen in all directions. Except visits

from the Caffres, who behaved withgreat decorum when they perceivedthat the caravan was escorted by theking's warriors, and who supplied themnearly every day with a bullock for theuse of the people, no adventureoccurred for four days, when theycrossed the Bashee or St. John's River,to which the territories of Hinzaextended; but although the tribesbeyond did not acknowledge hisauthority, they respected the large forceof the caravan, and were much pleasedat receiving small presents of tobaccoand snuff.

Milk, in baskets, was constantlybrought in by the women; for the

Caffres weave baskets of so close atexture, that they hold any liquid, andare the only utensil used for thatpurpose. At the Bashee River, after theyhad passed the ford, they remained oneday to hunt the hippopotami, and weresuccessful; only Major Henderson, whowas not content to hunt during the day,but went out at night, had a narrowescape. He was in one of the paths, andhad wounded a female, and wasstanding, watching the rising to thesurface of the wounded animal, for itwas bright moonlight, when the male,which happened to be feeding on thebank above, hearing the cry of thefemale, rushed right down the pathupon the Major. Fortunately for him,

the huge carcass of the animal gave itsuch an ungovernable degree ofvelocity, as to prevent it turning to theright hand or left. It passed within ayard of the Major, sweeping the bushesand underwood, so as to throw himdown as it passed. The Major got upagain, it may be truly said, morefrightened than hurt; but at all eventshe had had enough of hippopotamus-hunting for that night, for he recoveredhis gun, and walked back to the wagon,thanking Heaven for his providentialescape.

The next morning, Swanevelt andBremen went down the banks of theriver, and discovered the body of the

hippopotamus, which they dragged onshore, and, returning to the wagons,sent the Caffres to cut it up; but beforethe Caffres belonging to the caravancould arrive there, they found that thework had been done for them by thenatives, and that nothing was left butthe bones of the animal; but this isalways considered fair in the Caffre-land; every one helps himself when anelephant or other large animal is killed,although he may have had no hand inits destruction. The number ofelephant-paths now showed them thatthey were surrounded by these animals,and the Caffres of the country said thatthere were large herds close to them.

It was therefore proposed by the Major,that they should have a grand elephant-hunt, at which all the Caffres of theirown party and the natives of thecountry should assist. This proposalwas joyfully received by all, especiallythe natives, who were delighted at suchan opportunity of having the assistanceof the white men's guns; and the nextday was appointed for the sport. By theadvice of the natives, the caravanproceeded some miles down to theeastward, to the borders of a very thickforest, where they stated that theelephants were to be found.

They arrived at the spot in theafternoon, and every one was busy in

making preparations for the followingday. The Hottentots, who had beenused to the sport, told long stories tothose who had not, and, among therest, Big Adam spoke much of hisprowess and dexterity. Uncommonlylarge fires were lighted that night, forfear that the elephants should breakinto the camp. All night their cries wereto be heard in the forest, andoccasionally the breaking of thebranches of the trees proved that theywere close to the caravan. Begum, whowas particularly alive to danger, crept toMajor Henderson's bed, and wouldremain there all night, although heseveral times tried to drive her away.Notwithstanding continued alarms, the

caravan was, however, unmolested.

CHAPTER XIII.

At daylight the following morning,there was a large concourse of Caffresin the camp, all waiting till our travelerswere ready for the sport. Having madea hasty breakfast, they, by the advice ofthe Caffres, did not mount their horses,but started on foot, as the Caffresstated that the elephants were on theside of the hill. Ascending by anelephant-path, in less than half an hourthey arrived at the top of the hill, whena grand and magnificent panorama was

spread before them. From the crownof the hill they looked down upon avalley studded with clumps of trees,which divided the cleared ground, andthe whole face of the valley wascovered with elephants. There couldnot have been less than nine hundred atone time within the scope of theirvision.

Every height, every green knoll, wasdotted with groups of six or seven,some of their vast bodies partlyconcealed by the trees upon which theywere browsing, others walking in theopen plain, bearing in their trunks along branch of a tree, with which theyevidently protected themselves from the

flies. The huge bodies of the animals,with the corresponding magnitude ofthe large timber-trees whichsurrounded them, gave an idea ofnature on her grandest scale.

After a few minutes' survey, they turnedto the party who were collected behindthem, and gave notice that they were tocommence immediately. The head menof the Caffres gave their orders, and thebands of natives moved silently away inevery direction, checking any noisefrom the dogs, which they had broughtwith them in numerous packs. Ourtravelers were to leeward of the herdon the hill where they stood, and as itwas the intention of the natives to

drive the animals toward them, theCaffre warriors as well as theHottentots all took up positions on thehill ready to attack the animals as theywere driven that way.

About an hour passed away, when thesignal was given by some of the nativeCaffres, who had gained the side of thevalley to westward of the elephants.Perched up at various high spots, theyshouted with stentorian lungs, and theirshouts were answered by the rest of theCaffres on every side of the valley, sothat the elephants found themselvesencompassed on all sides, except onthat where the hill rose from the valley.As the Caffres closed in, their shouts

reverberating from the rocks, and mixedup with the savage howlings of thedogs, became tremendous; and theelephants, alarmed, started first to oneside of the valley, then to the other,hastily retreating from the clamorimmediately raised as they approached,shaking their long ears and trumpetingloudly, as with uplifted trunks theytrotted to and fro.

At last, finding no other avenue ofescape, the herd commenced the ascentof the hill, cracking the branches andboughs, and rolling the loose stonesdown into the valleys, as they madetheir ascent, and now adding their ownhorrid shrieks to the din which had

been previously created. On they came,bearing every thing down before them,carrying havoc in their rage to such anextent, that the forest appeared to bowdown before them; while large massesof loose rock leaped and bounded andthundered down into the valley, raisingclouds of dust in their passage.

"This is tremendously grand,"whispered Alexander to the Major.

"It is most awfully so; I would not havemissed the sight for any thing; but herethey come look at that tall tree bornedown by the weight of the wholemass."

"See the great bull leader," saidSwinton; "let us all fire upon him whata monster!"

"Look out," said the Major, whose riflewas discharged as he spoke, and wasquickly followed by those of Alexanderand Swinton.

"He's down; be quick and load again.Omrah, give me the other rifle."

"Take care! take care!" was how criedon all sides, for the fall of the leadingelephant and the volleys of musketryfrom the Hottentots had so frightenedthe herd, that they had begun toseparate and break off two or three

together, or singly in every direction.The shrieks and trumpetings, and thecrashing of the boughs so near tothem, were now deafening; and thedanger was equally great. The Majorhad but just leveled his other rifle whenthe dense foliage close to him openedas if by magic, and the head of a largefemale presented itself within fouryards of him.

Fortunately, the Major was a man ofgreat nerve, and his rifle brought herdown at his feet, when so near to himthat he was compelled to leap away outof the reach of her trunk, for she wasnot yet dead. Another smaller elephantfollowed so close, that it tumbled over

the carcass of the first, and was shot byAlexander as it was recovering its legs.

"Back, sirs, or you will be killed," criedBremen, running to them; "this way thewhole herd is coming right upon you."They ran for their lives, following theHottentot, who brought them to a highrock which the elephants could notclimb, and where they were safe.

They had hardly gained it when themass came forward in a cloud of dust,and with a noise almost inconceivable,scrambling and rolling to and fro asthey passed on in a close-wedged body.Many were wounded and tottering, andas they were left behind, the Caffres,

naked, with their assaguays in theirhands, leaping forward and hiding, asrequired, running with the greatestactivity close up to the rear of theanimals, either pierced them with theirassaguays, or hamstrung them withtheir sharp-cutting weapons, crying outin their own tongue to the elephants,"Great captain! don't kill us don't treadupon us, mighty chief!" supplicating,strangely enough, the mercy of those towhom they were showing none. As itwas almost impossible to fire without achance of hitting a Caffre, our travelerscontented themselves with looking on,till the whole herd had passed by, andhad disappeared in the jungle below.

"They have gone right in the directionof the wagons," said Swinton.

"Yes, sir," replied the Hottentot,Bremen; "but we must not interferewith them any more; they are now soscattered in the jungle, that it would bedangerous. We must let them go awayas fast as they can."

They remained for a few minutes more,till every elephant and Caffre haddisappeared, and then went backcautiously to the spot from whencethey had first fired, and where they hadsuch a fine prospect of the valley. Notan elephant was to be seen in it;nothing but the ravages which the herd

had committed upon the trees, many ofwhich, of a very large size, had beenborne to the ground by the enormousstrength of these animals. They thenproceeded to the spot where the greatbull elephant had fallen by the rifle ofMajor Henderson.

They found that the ball had enteredjust under the eye. It was a monster thatmust have stood sixteen feet high byBremen's calculation, and it had twovery fine tusks. While they werestanding by the carcass of the animal,the armed Hottentots returned fromthe pursuit, and stated that sevenelephants had been dispatched, andothers were so wounded that they

could not live. They now set to work totake the teeth out of the animal, andwere very busy, when a Hottentot camerunning up, and reported that the herdof elephants in their retreat had dashedthrough the camp, and done a gooddeal of mischief; that a male elephanthad charged the wagon of MajorHenderson, and had forced his tuskthrough the side; that the tusk hadpierced one of the casks of liquor,which was running out, although notvery fast, and that the wagon must beunloaded to get out the cask and savethe rest of the liquor.

Several Hottentots immediately hurriedback with him to help in unloading the

wagon, and by degrees they all slippedaway except Bremen, Swanevelt, whowas cutting out the tusks, and Omrah,who remained perched upon the hugecarcass of the animal, imitating thetrumpeting and motions of theelephant, and playing all sorts of antics.A party of Caffres soon afterward cameup and commenced cutting up thecarcass, and then our travelers walkedaway in the direction of the camp, toascertain what mischief had been done.

On their return, which, as they stoppedoccasionally to examine the otheranimals that had fallen, must have takenan hour, they found that the Hottentotshad not commenced unloading the

wagon; although they had put tubs tocatch the running liquor, of which theyhad taken so large a quantity that somewere staggering about, and the restlying down in a state of senselessintoxication.

"I thought they were very officious ingoing back to assist," observed theMajor; "a pretty mess we should be in,if we were in an enemy's country, andwithout our Caffre guard."

"Yes, indeed," replied Alexander,turning over the tub of liquor, andspilling it on the ground, much to thesorrow of the Hottentots who werenot yet insensible: "however, we will

now let the cask run out, and watchthat they get no more."

As the Caffres were busy with thecarcasses of the elephants, and most ofthe Hottentots dead drunk, it wasuseless to think of proceeding until thefollowing day. Indeed, the oxen andhorses were all scattered in everydirection by the elephants breaking intothe caravan, and it would be necessaryto collect them, which would requiresome time. Our travelers, therefore,gave up the idea of proceeding furtherthat day, and taking their guns, walkedon to the forest, in the direction wheremost of the elephants killed had fallen.They passed by three carcasses, upon

which the Caffres were busilyemployed, and then they came to afourth, when a sight presented itselfwhich quite moved their sympathy. Itwas the carcass of a full-grown female,and close to it was an elephant calf,about three feet and a half high,standing by the side of its dead mother.

The poor little animal ran round andround the body with everydemonstration of grief, pipingsorrowfully, and trying in vain to raise itup with its tiny trunk. When ourtravelers arrived, it ran up to them,entwining its little proboscis roundtheir legs, and showing its delight atfinding somebody. On the trees round

the carcass were perched a number ofvultures, waiting to make a meal of theremains, as soon as the hunters had cutit up, for their beaks could notpenetrate the tough hide. Our travelersremained there for more than an hour,watching the motions and playing withthe young elephant, which made severalattempts to induce its prostrate motherto take notice of it. Finding, however,that all its efforts were ineffectual,when our travelers quitted the spot togo back, it voluntarily followed them tothe caravans, where it remained,probably quite as much astonished tofind all the Hottentots lying about asinsensible as its mother.

It may be as well here to observe, thatthe little animal did not live beyond avery few days after, from want of itsnecessary food.

In the evening, Bremen and Swaneveltreturned with tusks of the bullelephant, which were very large, and theCaffre warriors also came in; the otherCaffres belonging to the country weretoo busy eating for the present. Thechief of the Caffre warriors brought inthe tufts of the other elephant's tailsand the teeth, and the men were loadedwith the flesh. As soon as the Caffresfound that the oxen and horses hadbeen frightened away, and perceivedthat the Hottentots were not in a

situation to go after them, they threwdown their meat and went in pursuit.Before dark the cattle were all broughtback; the fires were lighted, and theCaffres did not give over their repastuntil near midnight.

Our travelers did not think it advisable,as the Hottentots were now noprotection, to go to bed; they made upa large fire, and remained by it, talkingover the adventures of the day. Whilethey were conversing, Begum, who hadbeen sitting by her master, showedsigns of uneasiness, and at last clunground the Major with an evident strongfear.

"Why, what can be the matter with thePrincess " said the Major; "somethinghas frightened her."

"Yes, that is evident; perhaps there is anelephant near; shall we waken Bremenand Swanevelt, who are close to us "

Begum chattered, and her teeth alsochattered with fear, as she clung closerand closer. Little Omrah, who wassitting by, looked very earnestly at thebaboon, and at last touching theshoulder of Alexander to attract hisattention, he first pointed to thebaboon, imitating its fright, and thengoing on his hands and feet, imitatedthe motions and growl of an animal.

"I understand," cried the Major, seizinghis gun; "the lad means that there is alion near, and that is what frightens thebaboon."

"Lion!" said the Major to Omrah.

But Omrah did not understand him;but pulling out his paper and pencil, ina second almost he drew the form of alion.

"Clever little fellow! Wake them all, andget your guns ready," said the Major,starting on his legs; "it can't be far off;confound the monkey, she won't letgo," continued he, tearing off Begum

and throwing her away. Begumimmediately scampered to the wagonand hid herself.

They had just awakened up the twoHottentots, when a roar was given soloud and tremendous, that it appearedlike thunder, and was reverberated fromthe rocks opposite for some seconds.

No one but those who have been in thecountry, and have fallen in with thisanimal in its wild and savage state, canhave any idea of the appalling effect ofa lion's roar. What is heard in amenagerie is weak, and can give but afaint conception of it. In the darknessof the night it is almost impossible to

tell from what quarter the soundproceeds; this arises from the habitwhich the animal has of placing hismouth close to the ground when heroars, so that his voice rolls over theearth, as it were like a breaker, and thesound is carried along with all itstremendous force. It is indeed a mostawful note of preparation, and sothought Alexander, who had neverheard one before.

The Caffres had wakened up at thenoise, and our travelers and theHottentots now fired their guns off inevery direction to scare away theanimal. Repeated discharges had thiseffect, and in the course of half an

hour every thing was again quiet.

"Well," observed Alexander, "this is thefirst time that I ever heard the roar of alion in its wild state; and I can assureyou that I shall never forget it as long asI live."

"It is not the first time I have heard it,"replied the Major; "but I must say, whatwith the darkness and stillness of thenight, and the reverberation, I neverheard it so awful before. But you,Swinton, who have traveled in theNamaqua-land, have, of course."

"Yes, I have, but very seldom."

"But it is rather singular that we havenot heard the lion before this, is it not "said Alexander.

"The lion is often near without givingyou notice," replied Swinton; "but I donot think that there are many lions inthe country we have traversed; it is toopopulous. On the other side of themountains, if we return that way, weshall find them in plenty. Wherever theantelopes are in herds, wherever youfind the wild horse, zebra, and giraffe,you will as certainly find the lion, for hepreys upon them."

"I know very well, Swinton, that youare closely attentive to the peculiar

habits of animals, and that they form aportion of your study. Have you muchknowledge of the lion and if so,suppose you tell us something aboutthem."

"I have certainly studied the habits ofthe lion, and what I have gathered frommy own observation and theinformation I received from others, Ishall be most happy to communicate.The lion undoubtedly does not killwantonly of that I have had repeatedinstances. I recollect one which is ratherremarkable, as it showed the sagacity ofthe noble brute. A man who belongedto one of the Mission stations, on hisreturn home from a visit to his friends,

took a circuitous route to pass a poolof water, at which he hoped to kill anantelope. The sun had risen to someheight when he arrived there, and as hecould not perceive any game, he laid hisgun down on a low shelving rock, theback part of which was covered withsome brushwood. He went down tothe pool and had a hearty drink,returned to the rock, and after smokinghis pipe, feeling weary, he lay down andfell fast asleep.

"In a short time, the excessive heatreflected from the rock awoke him, andopening his eyes he perceived a largelion about a yard from his feet,crouched down, with his eyes glaring

on his face. For some minutes heremained motionless with fright,expecting every moment that he wouldbe in the jaws of the monster; at last herecovered his presence of mind, andcasting his eye toward his gun, movedhis hand slowly toward it; upon whichthe lion raised up his head and gave atremendous roar which induced himhastily to withdraw his hand. With thisthe lion appeared satisfied, andcrouched with his head between hisfore-paws as before. After a little whilethe man made another attempt topossess himself of his gun. The lionraised his head and gave another roar,and the man desisted; another andanother attempt were at intervals made,

but always with the same anger shownon the part of the lion."

"Why, the lion must have known whathe wanted the gun for."

"Most certainly he did, and thereforewould not allow the man to touch it. Itis to be presumed that the sagaciouscreature had been fired at before; butyou observe, that he did not wish toharm the man. He appeared to say Youare in my power; you shall not go away:you shall not take your musket to shootme with, or I will tear you to pieces."

"It certainly was very curious. Pray howdid it end "

"Why the heat of the sun on the rockwas so overpowering, that the man wasin great agony; his naked feet were soburned, that he was compelled to keepmoving them, placing one upon theother and changing them every minute.The day passed, and the night also; thelion never moved from the spot. Thesun rose again, and the heat became sointense that the poor man's feet werepast all feeling. At noon, on that day,the lion rose and walked to the pool,which was only a few yards distant,looking behind him every moment tosee if the man moved; the man oncemore attempted to reach his gun, andthe lion, perceiving it, turned in rage,

and was on the point of springingupon him; the man withdrew his hand,and the beast was pacified."

"How very strange!"

"The animal went to the water anddrank; it then returned and lay down atthe same place as before, about a yardfrom the man's feet. Another nightpassed away, and the lion kept at hispost. The next day, in the forenoon, theanimal again went to the water, andwhile there looked as if he heard anoise in an opposite quarter, and thendisappeared in the bushes.

"Perceiving this, the man made an

effort, and seized his gun, but inattempting to rise he found it not in hispower, as the strength of his ankles wasgone. With his gun in his hand, hecrept to the pool and drank, and,looking at his feet, he discovered thathis toes had been quite roasted and theskin torn off as he crawled through thegrass. He sat at the pool for a fewminutes expecting the lion's return, andresolved to send the contents of hisgun through his head; but the lion didnot return, so the poor fellow tied hisgun on his back and crawled away onhis hands and knees as well as he could.He was quite exhausted, and couldhave proceeded no further, whenprovidentially a person fell in with him

and assisted him home; but he lost histoes, and was a cripple for life."

"What makes this story moreremarkable is," observed the Major,"that the lion, as it is rational tosuppose, must have been hungry afterwatching the man for sixty hours, evenadmitting that he had taken a meal buta short time before."

"I know many other curious and well-authenticated anecdotes about thisnoble animal," observed Swinton,"which I shall be happy to give you; butI must look at my memorandum-book,or I may not be quite correct in mystory. One fact is very remarkable, and

as I had it from Mr. , the missionary,who stated that he had several timesobserved it himself, I have nohesitation in vouching for itscorrectness, the more so, as I did onceperceive a similar fact myself; it is, thatthe fifth commandment is observed bylions they honor their father andmother.

"If an old lion is in company with hischildren, as the natives call them,although they are in size equal tohimself, or if a number of lions meettogether in quest of game, there isalways one who is admitted by them tobe the oldest and ablest, and who leads.If the game is come up with, it is this

one who creeps up to it, and seizes it,while the others lie crouched upon thegrass; if the old lion is successful,which he generally is, he retires from hisvictim, and lies down to breathehimself and rest for perhaps a quarterof an hour. The others in the meantimedraw round and lie down at arespectful distance, but never presumeto go near the animal which the oldlion has killed. As soon as the old lionconsiders himself sufficiently rested, hegoes up to the prey and commences atthe breast and stomach, and after eatinga considerable portion he will take asecond rest, none of the otherspresuming to move.

"Having made a second repast, he thenretires; the other lions watch hismotions, and all rush to the remainderof the carcass, which is soon devoured.I said that I witnessed an instancemyself in corroboration of thisstatement, which I will now mention. Iwas sitting on a rock after collectingsome plants, when below me I saw ayoung lion seize an antelope; he had hispaw upon the dead animal, when theold lion came up, upon which theyoung one immediately retired till hissuperior had dined first, and then camein for the remainder. Mercy on us! whatis that "

"I thought it was the lion again," said

Alexander, "but it is thunder; we areabout to have a storm."

"Yes, and a fierce one too," said theMajor; "I am afraid that we must breakup our party and retire under cover. Wehave some large drops of rain already."

A flash of lightning now dazzled them,and was followed by another, and aninstantaneous peal of thunder.

"There is no mistake in this," saidSwinton; "and I can tell you that weshall have it upon us in less than aminute, so I am for my wagon."

"At all events it will wash these

Hottentots sober," observed the Major,as they all walked away to their separatewagons for shelter.

CHAPTER XIV.

They had scarcely gained the wagonsbefore the thunder and lightningbecame incessant, and so loud as to bedeafening. It appeared as if they were inthe very center of the contendingelements, and the wind rose and blewwith terrific force, while the rainpoured down as if the flood-gates ofheaven were indeed opened. Thelightning was so vivid, that for the

second that it lasted you could see thecountry round to the horizon almost asclear as day; the next moment all wasterrific gloom accompanied by thestunning reports of the thunder, whichcaused every article in the wagons, andthe wagons themselves, to vibrate fromthe concussion. A large tree, not fiftyyards from the caravan, was struck bythe lightning, and came down with anappalling crash. The Caffres had allroused up, and had shelteredthemselves under the wagons.

The Hottentots had also begun tomove, but had not yet recovered theirsenses indeed, they were againstupefied by the clamor of the

elements. The storm lasted about anhour, and then as suddenly cleared upagain; the stars again made theirappearance in the sky above, and thered tinge of the horizon announced theapproach of daylight. When the stormceased, our travelers, who had not takenoff their clothes, came out from theirshelter, and met each other by the sideof the extinguished fire.

"Well," said Alexander, "I have beenmade wise on two points this night; Inow know what an African storm is,and also the roar of an African lion.Have you heard if there is any mischiefdone, Bremen " continued Alexanderto the Hottentot, who stood by.

"No, sir; but I am afraid it will take us along while to collect the cattle; they willbe dispersed in all directions, and wemay have lost some of them. It willsoon be daylight, and then we must setoff after them."

"Are those fellows quite sober now "

"Yes, sir," replied Bremen, laughing;"water has washed all the liquor out ofthem."

"Well, you may tell them, as apunishment, I shall stop their tobaccofor a week."

"Better not now, sir," said Bremen,thoughtfully; "the men don't like to gofurther up the country, and they may betroublesome."

"I think so too," said Swinton; "youmust recollect that the cask wasrunning out, and the temptation wastoo strong. I should overlook it thistime. Give them a severe reprimand,and let them off."

"I believe it will be the best way,"replied Alexander; "not that I fear theirrefusing to go on, for if they do, I willdismiss them, and go on with theCaffres; they dare not go back bythemselves, that is certain."

"Sir," said Bremen, "that is very true;but you must not trust the Caffres toomuch Caffres always try to get guns andammunition: Caffre king, Hinza, veryglad to get the wagons and what is inthem: make him rich man, andpowerful man, with so many guns.Caffre king will not rob in his owncountry, because he is afraid of theEnglish; but if the wagon's robbed,and you are killed in this country,which is not his, then he make excuses,and say, 'I know nothing about it,' Saythat their people do it, not his people."

"Bremen talks very sensibly," said theMajor; "we must keep the Hottentots as

a check to the Caffres, and the Caffresas a check to the Hottentots."

"That is our policy, depend upon it,"replied Swinton.

"You are right, and we will do so; butthe day is breaking; so Bremen, collectthe people together to search for thecattle; and, Omrah, tell Mahomed tocome here."

"By the by, Swinton," said MajorHenderson, "those elephants' tuskslying by the wagon remind me of aquestion I want to put to you: InCeylon, where I have often hunted theelephant, they have no tusks; and in

India the tusks are not common, and ingeneral very small. How do youaccount for this variety "

"It has been observed before; and it isbut a fair surmise, that Providence, everattentive to the wants of the meanestanimals, has furnished such large tusksto the African elephant for the necessitywhich requires them. In Ceylon there isplenty of grass, and an abundantsupply of water all the year round; andfurther, in Ceylon, the elephant has noenemy to defend himself against. Here,in Africa, the rivers are periodicaltorrents, which dry up, and the onlymeans which an elephant has ofobtaining water during the dry season

is to dig with his tusks into the bed ofthe river, till he finds the water, whichhe draws up with his trunk. Moreover,he has to defend himself against therhinoceros, which is a formidableantagonist, and often victorious. Herequires tusks also for his food in thiscountry, for the elephant digs up themimosa here with his tusks, that he mayfeed upon the succulent roots of thetree. Indeed, an elephant in Africawithout his tusks could not well exist."

"Thank you for your explanation,which appears very satisfactory andconclusive; and now let us go tobreakfast, for Mahomed, I perceive, isready, and Omrah has displayed our

teacups, and is very busy blowing intothe spout of the teapot, a Bushmanway of ascertaining if it is stopped up.However, we must not expect to make aLondon footman out of a 'Child ofthe Desert.'"

"Where is his adversary and antagonist,the valiant Big Adam "

"He was among those who indulged inthe liquor yesterday afternoon, and Ibelieve was worse than any one ofthem. The little Bushman did not fail totake advantage of his defenseless state,and has been torturing him in everyway he could imagine during the wholenight. I saw him pouring water into the

Hottentot's mouth as he lay on his backwith his mouth wide open, till he nearlychoked him. To get it down faster,Omrah had taken the big tin funnel,and had inserted one end into hismouth, which he filled till the water ranout; after that he was trying what hecould do with fire, for he began puttinghot embers between Big Adam's toes; Idare say the fellow can not walk to-day."

"I fear that some day he will killOmrah, or do him some serious injury;the boy must be cautioned," saidAlexander.

"I am afraid it will be of no use, and

Omrah must take his chance: he isaware of Big Adam's enmity as well asyou are, and is always on his guard; butas for persuading him to leave off histricks, or to reconcile them to eachother, it is impossible," said Swinton"you don't know a Bushman."

"Then pray tell us something aboutthem," said the Major, "as soon as youhave finished that elephant-steak,which you appear to approve of. Ofwhat race are the Bushmen "

"I will tell you when I have finished mybreakfast," replied Swinton, "and notbefore: if I begin to talk, you will eat allthe steak, and that won't do."

"I suspect that we shall not leave thisto-day," said Alexander. "If, as Bremensays, the cattle have strayed very far, itwill be too late to go in the afternoon,and to-morrow you recollect is Sunday,and that, we have agreed, shall be keptas it ought to be."

"Very true," said the Major; "then wemust make Swinton entertain us bytelling us more about the lions, for hehad not finished when the storm cameon."

"No," replied Swinton; "I had a greatdeal more to say, and I shall be veryhappy at any seasonable time, Major, to

tell you what I know but not just now."

"My dear fellow," said the Major,putting another piece of elephant-steakupon Swinton's plate, "pray don'tentertain the idea that I want you totalk on purpose that I may eat yourshare and my own too; only ascribe myimpatience to the true cause the delightI have in receiving instruction andamusement from you."

"Well, Swinton, you have extorted acompliment from the Major."

"Yes, and an extra allowance of steak,which is a better thing," repliedSwinton, laughing. "Now I have

finished my breakfast, I will tell what Iknow about Omrah's people.

"The Bushmen are originally aHottentot race of that I think there islittle doubt; but I believe they are a raceof people produced by circumstances,if I may use the expression. TheHottentot on the plains lives a nomadlife, pasturing and living upon hisherds. The Bushman may be consideredas the Hottentot driven out of hisfertile plains, deprived of his cattle, andcompelled to resort to the hills for hissafety and subsistence in short, a HillHottentot: impelled by hunger and byinjuries, he has committed depredationsupon the property of others until he

has had a mark set upon him; his handhas been against every man, and he hasbeen hunted like a wild beast, andcompelled to hide himself in the cavesof almost inaccessible rocks and hills.

"Thus, generation after generation, hehas suffered privation and hunger, tillthe race has dwindled down to thesmall size which it is at present. Unableto contend against force, his onlyweapons have been his cunning and hispoisoned arrows, and with them he hasobtained his livelihood or rather, it maybe said, has contrived to support life,and no more. There are, however, manyraces mixed up with the Bushmen; forrunaway slaves, brought from

Madagascar, Malays, and even those ofthe mixed white breed, when they havecommitted murder or other penalcrimes, have added to the race andincorporated themselves with them;they are called the Children of theDesert, and they are literally such."

"Have you seen much of them "

"Yes, when I was in the Namaqua-landand in the Bechuana territory I saw agreat deal of them. I do not think thatthey are insensible to kindness, andmoreover, I believe that they may oftenbe trusted; but you run a great risk."

"Have they ever shown any gratitude "

"Yes; when I have killed game for them,they have followed me on purpose toshow me the pools of waters withoutwhich we should have suffered severely,if we had not perished. We were talkingabout lions; it is an old-receivedopinion, that the jackal is the lion'sprovider; it would be a more correctone to say that the lion is theBushman's provider."

"Indeed!"

"I once asked a Bushman, 'How do youlive ' His reply was, 'I live by the lions.' Iasked him to explain to me. He said, 'Iwill show what I do: I let the lions

follow the game and kill it and eat tillthey have their bellies full, then I go upto where the lion is sitting down by thecarcass, and I go pretty near to him; Icry out, What have you got there, cannot you spare me some of it Go awayand let me have some meat, or I'll doyou some harm. Then I dance andjump about and shake my skin-dress,and the lion looks at me, and he turnsround and walks away; he growls verymuch, but he don't stay, and then I eatthe rest.'"

"And is that true "

"Yes, I believe it, as I have had itconfessed by many others. The fact is,

the lion is only dangerous when he ishungry that is, if he is not attacked; andif, as the Bushman said, the lion haseaten sufficiently, probably not wishingto be disturbed, after his repast, by thepresence and shouts of the Bushman,the animal retires to some other spot. Iwas informed that a very short timeafterward, this Bushman, who told mewhat I have detailed to you, was killedby a lioness, when attempting to drive itaway from its prey by shouting as hewas used to do. The fact was, that heperceived a lioness devouring a wildhorse, and went up to her as usual; buthe did not observe that she had herwhelps with her: he shouted; shegrowled savagely, and before he had

time to retreat, she sprang upon himand tore him to pieces."

"The lion does not prey upon men,then, although he destroys them "

"Not generally; but the Namaquapeople told me that, if a lion once takesa fancy to men's flesh and they do, afterthey have in their hunger devoured oneor two they become doubly dangerous,as they will leave all other game andhunt man only; but this I can notvouch for being the truth, although it isvery probable."

"If we judge from analogy, it is,"replied the Major. "The Bengal tigers in

India, it is well known, if they oncetaste human flesh, prefer it to all other,and they are well known to the natives,who term them man-eaters. Strange tosay, it appears that human flesh is notwholesome for them; for their skinsbecome mangy after they have taken toeating that alone. I have shot a 'man-eater' from the back of an elephant,and I found that the skin was notworth taking."

"The Namaquas," replied Swinton,"told me that a lion, once enamored ofhuman flesh, would, in order to obtainit so far overcome his caution, that hewould leap through a fire to seize aman. I once went to visit a Namaqua

chief, who had been severely woundedby a lion of this description a man-eater, as the Major terms them, and hegave me the following dreadfulnarrative, which certainly corroborateswhat they assert of the lion who hadonce taken a fancy to human flesh.

"The chief told me that he had goneout with a party of his men to hunt:they had guns, bows and arrows, andassaguays. On the first day, as they werepursuing an elephant, they came acrosssome lions, who attacked them andthey were obliged to save their lives byabandoning a horse, which the lionsdevoured. They then made hiding-places of thick bushes by a pool, where

they knew the elephant and rhinoceroswould come to drink.

"As they fired at a rhinoceros, a lionleaped into their inclosure, took up oneof the men in his mouth and carriedhim off, and all that they afterwardcould find of him the next day was oneof the bones of his leg. The next night,as they were sitting by a fire inside oftheir inclosure of bushes, a lion came,seized one of the men, dragged himthrough the fire, and tore out his back.One of the party fired, but missed;upon which, the lion, dropping hisdying victim, growled at the men acrossthe fire, and they durst not repeat theshot; the lion then took up his prey in

his mouth, and went off with it.

"Alarmed at such disasters, theNamaquas collected together in onestrong inclosure, and at night sent outone of the slaves for water. He had nosooner reached the pool than he wasseized by a lion; he called in vain forhelp, but was dragged off through thewoods, and the next day his skull onlywas found, clean licked by the roughtongue of the lion.

"Having now lost three men in threedays, the chief and his whole partyturned out to hunt and destroy lionsonly. They followed the spoor or trackof the one which had taken the slave,

and they soon found two lions, one ofwhich, the smallest, they shot; and then,having taken their breakfast, they wentafter the other, and largest, which wasrecognized as the one which haddevoured the man.

"They followed the animal to a patchof reeds, where it had intrenched itself;they set fire to the reeds and forced itout, and as it was walking off it wasseverely wounded by one of the party,when it immediately turned back, and,with a loud roar, charged right throughthe smoke and the burning reeds. Themonster dashed in among them andseized the chief's brother by the back,tearing out his ribs and exposing his

lungs.

"The chief rushed to the assistance ofhis expiring brother; his gun burnedpriming. He dashed it down, and in hisdesperation seized the lion by the tail.The lion let go the body, and turnedupon the chief, and with a stroke of hisfore-paw tore a large piece of flesh offthe chief's arm; then struck him againand threw him on the ground. Thechief rose instantly, but the lion thenseized him by the knee, threw himdown again, and there held him,mangling his left arm.

"Torn and bleeding, the chief in afeeble voice called to his men to shoot

the animal from behind, which was atlast done with a ball which passedthrough the lion's brain. After thisdestruction of four men in four days,the hunting was given over; the bodyof the chief's brother was buried, andthe party went home, bearing withthem their wounded chief."

"Well, that is the most horrible lion-adventure I have yet heard," said theMajor. "Heaven preserve us from aman-eating lion!"

"It really has almost taken away mybreath," said Alexander.

"Well, then, I will tell you one more

amusing, and not so fatal in its results; Iwas told it by a Bushman," saidSwinton. "A Bushman was following aherd of zebras, and had just succeededin wounding one with his arrow, whenhe discovered that he had beeninterfering with a lion, who was also inchase of the same animals. As the lionappeared very angry at this interferencewith his rights as lord of the manor,and evidently inclined to punish theBushman as a poacher upon hispreserves, the latter, perceiving a treeconvenient, climbed up into it as fast ashe could. The lion allowed the herd ofzebras to go away, and turned hisattention to the Bushman. He walkedround and round the tree, and every

now and then he growled as he lookedup at the Bushman.

"At last the lion lay down at the foot ofthe tree, and there he kept watch allnight. The Bushman kept watch also,but toward morning, feeling very tired,he was overcome by sleep, and as heslept, he dreamed, and what do youthink that he dreamed he dreamed thathe fell from the tree into the jaws ofthe lion. Starting up in horror from theeffects of his dream, he lost his hold,and falling from the branch, down hecame with all his weight right on theback of the lion. The lion, sounexpectedly saluted, sprang up with aloud roar, tossing off the Bushman,

and running away as fast as he could;and the Bushman, recovering his legsand his senses, also took to his heels ina different direction; and thus were the'sleepers awakened,' and the dreambecame true."

"Besiegers retreating and fort evacuatedboth at the same time," cried the Major,laughing.

"Well, I think you have had enough ofthe lion now," said Swinton.

"No, we had quite enough of him lastnight, if you choose," repliedAlexander. "But your lions are not quiteso near as he was."

CHAPTER XV.

It was not until the evening that theCaffres and Hottentots returned withthe cattle, which they had greatdifficulty in collecting; two or three ofthe oxen were not brought back till lateat night, so frightened had the animalsbeen by the approach of the lion. Inthe afternoon, as it was too late to thinkof proceeding, our travelers, with theirguns on their shoulders, andaccompanied by Omrah and Begum,who would always follow the Major ifshe was not tied up, strolled away from

the camp to amuse themselves. At firstthey walked to the hill from which theyhad such a splendid view of the valleycovered with elephants, and,proceeding to where the male elephanthad fallen, found that his flesh had, bythe Caffres, the wolves, and thevultures, been completely taken off hisbones, and it lay there a beautifulskeleton for a museum.

As, however, they had no room forsuch weighty articles in their wagons,they left it, after Swinton had madesome observations upon the structureof the animal. Begum would not gonear the skeleton, but appeared to befrightened at it. They then proceeded to

the rock which had been their place ofrefuge when the herd of elephants hadcharged upon them; and as they stoodunder it, they were suddenly salutedwith a loud noise over their heads,sounding like quah, quah!

As soon as Begum heard it, she ran upto the Major with every sign oftrepidation, holding fast to his skintrowsers.

"What was that " said Alexander; "I seenothing."

"I know what it is," said the Major; "itis a herd of baboons; there they are;don't you see their heads over the rocks

"

"Let them show themselves a littlemore, and we'll have a shot at them,"replied Alexander, cocking his gun.

"Not for your life," cried Swinton; "youwill be skinned and torn to pieces, ifthey are numerous, and you enragethem. You have no idea what savageand powerful creatures they are. Lookat them now; they are coming downgradually; we had better be off."

"I think so too," said the Major; "theyare very angry; they have seen Begum,and imagine that we have one of theirherd in our possession. Pray don't fire,

Wilmot, unless it is for your life; we aretoo few to make them afraid of us.Here they come; there are a hundred ofthem at least; let us walk away slowly itwon't do to run, for that would makethem chase us at once."

The baboons, some of which were ofgigantic size, were now descendingfrom the rock, grunting, grinning,springing from stone to stone,protruding their mouths, shaking theirheads, drawing back the skin of theirforeheads, and showing theirformidable tusks, advancing nearer andnearer, and threatening an attack. Someof the largest males advanced so closeas to make a snatch at Omrah. As for

Begum, she kept behind the Major,hiding herself as much as possible. Atlast one or two advanced so close,rising on their hind-legs, that the Majorwas obliged to ward them off with hisgun, "Point your guns at them," saidSwinton, "if they come too close; butdo not fire, I beg you. If we only getfrom off this rocky ground to the plainbelow, we shall probably get rid ofthem."

The ground on which they wereformed a portion of the rocky hillupon which they had taken shelter theday of the elephant-hunt; and withintwenty-five yards of them there was anabrupt descent of about four feet,

which joined it to the plain. They hadgained half-way, parrying the animalsoff as well as they could, as theyretreated backward, when some of thebaboons came down from the otherside of the rock, so as to attempt to cutoff their retreat, their object evidentlybeing to gain possession of Begum,whom they considered as belonging tothem and a captive.

Their situation now became morecritical; for the whole herd were joiningthe foremost; and the noise they made,and the anger they expressed, weremuch greater than before.

"We must fire, I really believe," said the

Major, when they heard a deep, hollowgrowl, followed up by a roar of someanimal, apparently not very far off. Atthis sound the baboons halted, andlistened in silence; again the growl wasrepeated, and followed up by the roar,and the baboons, at a shriek given byone on the rock, turned round andtook to their heels, much to the delightof our travelers, who had felt thepeculiar difficulty and danger of theirsituation.

"What animal was that which hasfrightened them off " said the Major.

"It was the growl of a leopard," repliedSwinton; "we must keep a sharp look-

out; it can't be far off. The leopard isthe great enemy of the baboons. Butwhere is Omrah "

They all looked round, but the boy wasnot to be seen. At last he showed hishead above the foot of the rocky hill,where there was a descent of four feet,as we have mentioned, then sprang upthe rock, and began capering, andimitating the baboons as they came onto the attack.

As they were laughing at him, all atonce he stopped, and putting his handsto his mouth he gave the growl androar of a leopard, which they hadheard, and then set off running away

baboon fashion.

"It was the Bushman, then, thatfrightened them off; he is a clever littlefellow."

"And I am not sure that he has notsaved our lives," replied Swinton; "buthe has been brought up among them,one may say, and knows their habitswell. If he had not hid himself belowthe rocks before he imitated theleopard, it would have been of no use,for they would not have beenfrightened, hearing the growlproceeding from him. I admire theboy's presence of mind."

"I thought at one time that the baboonshad an idea that Omrah was one ofthem. What a snatch they made at him!"

"It would not have been the first timethat these animals have carried off aboy," said Swinton; "I saw one atLatakoo, who had lived two years withthe baboons, which had carried himoff."

"How did they treat him "

"Very well indeed; but they kept him aprisoner. When they found that hewould not eat the coarse food whichthey did, they brought him other things;and they invariably allowed him to

drink first at the pools."

"Well, that was homage to oursuperiority. Confound their quahs, Ishall not get them out of my head for aweek. What terrible large tusks theyhave!"

"Yes, their incisors are very strong. Theyoften destroy the leopard when theymeet it in numbers; but if one happensto be away from the herd, he has, ofcourse, no chance with such an animal.Begum did not appear at all willing torenew her connection."

"None of the monkey tribe, after theyhave lived with man, ever are; indeed it

is a question, if they had takenpossession of her, whether they wouldnot have torn her to pieces immediately,or have worried her to death some wayor other."

"Well, at all events, Swinton, you havebeen rewarded for your kindness tothat poor little Bushman, and we havereaped the benefit of it," observedAlexander. "But here come some of theoxen; I hope we shall be able to startearly on Monday. The native Caffres saythat the wagons can not proceed muchfurther."

"No, not further than to the banks ofthe Umtata River: but you will then be

not a great way from your destination.Daaka is the chief's name, is it not "

"Yes, that is his name; and if he is assupposed to be, he is my first cousin.How strange it sounds to me, as I lookaround me in this savage and wildcountry, that I should be within fortymiles of a blood-relation, who is aninhabitant of it!"

"Well, we shall soon know the truth;but I must say, if it is only to end in amorning call, you have come a longway for the purpose," replied the Major.

"I have come to ascertain a fact, which,from what I now know of the country

and its inhabitants, will be the sourceof any thing but pleasure if it beestablished. My only hope is that it mayprove otherwise than we suppose; andthere is little chance of that, I fear."

"At all events, come what may,"observed Swinton, "you will have doneyour duty."

On their return, they found all the menand cattle collected, and that night theyincreased the number of their fires, andtied the oxen to the wagons, that theymight not be scattered by the return ofthe lion. The latter did not, however,make his appearance, and the night waspassed without any disturbance. The

following day being Sunday, theHottentots were assembled, and desirednot to start from the camp, as theywould be expected to attend to prayersand Divine service; and as no huntingexpedition was proposed, the Caffrewarriors, as well as the native Caffres,who came in with their baskets of milkand other articles for sale and barter,also remained. Before dinner-time, thebell which had been brought with themfrom the Cape, to ring in case of anyone having strayed from the camp, thathe might be guided to return, wastolled by Bremen, and the Hottentotswere assembled. Prayers and a portionof the Bible were then read.

The Caffre warriors, who had been toldthat the white men were going to prayto their God, were very silent andattentive, although they could notunderstand what was said; and thenative Caffres, men, women andchildren, sat down and listened. Assoon as the service was over, the Caffrehead man of the warriors asked theinterpreter to inquire of our travelerswhy they struck the bell was it to letGod know that they were about to pray,and did he hear what they said

Swinton replied, that their God heardall that they said, and listened to theprayers of those who trusted in him.

A great many other questions were putby the Caffres, all of which werereplied to with great caution by Mr.Swinton, as he was fearful that theymight not otherwise be understood bythe Caffres; but they were, as it wasproved by the questions whichfollowed in consequence. A greatportion of the afternoon was passedaway in explaining and replying to theinterrogatories of these people, andour travelers felt convinced that byhaving kept the Sabbath in that savageland they had done some good by theexample; for, as Swinton truly observed

"The missionaries come into the landto spread the gospel of Christ; they tell

the natives that such is the religion andbelief of the white men, and that suchare the doctrines which are inculcated.Now white men come here as traders,or are occasionally seen here astravelers; and if the natives find, as theyhave found, that these white men,stated by the missionaries to hold thesame belief, not only show no evidenceof their belief, but are guilty of sinsexpressly forbidden by the religionpreached, is not the work of themissionary nearly destroyed

"I have often thought that the behaviorof the Dutch boors toward the nativesmust have had such an effect; indeed, Imay say that the colony has been

founded upon very opposite principlesto those of 'doing unto others as youwould they should do unto you.' Ibelieve that there never yet was anintercourse between Christians nominaland savages, in any portion of theglobe, but that the savages have withgreat justice thrown in the Christians'teeth, that they preached one thing butdid another. Unfortunately the taunt isbut too true. Even those who had lefttheir country for religious persecutionhave erred in the same way. Theconduct of the Puritans who landed atSalem was as barbarous toward theIndians as that of Pizarro and hisfollowers toward the Mexicans. Ineither case the poor aborigines were

hunted to death."

On Monday they started at daylight,and proceeded on the journey; but theymade little progress, on account of thedifficulty of traveling with the wagonsin a country consisting of alternateprecipices and ravines, without anyroads. The second day proved to beone of greater difficulty; they wereobliged to cut down trees, fill up holes,remove large pieces of rock, and withevery precaution the wagons were oftenout of order, and they were obliged tohalt for repairs.

At night they were about ten milesfrom the Umtata River, and it was

doubtful, from the accounts receivedfrom the natives of the country, if theywould be able to go further with thewagons than to its bank. But in theevening, news was brought that theAmaquibi, the nation of warriorswhich were governed by Quetoo, andwhich had come from the north, hadbeen attacked by two of the nativetribes, aided by some white men withguns; that the white men had all beendestroyed, and that the hostile armywere marching south.

The native Caffres appeared to be in apanic, and this panic was sooncommunicated to the Hottentots. Atfirst, murmurings were heard as they sat

round the fire, and at last they brokeout into open mutiny. Big Adam, withthree others, came up to the fire whereour travelers were sitting, and intimatedthat they must return immediately, asthey would proceed no further; that ifit was decided to go on, the Hottentotswould not, as they had no intention ofbeing murdered by the savages whowere advancing. Swinton, who couldspeak the Dutch language, havingconsulted with Alexander and theMajor, replied that it was very true thatthe army of Quetoo was to thenorthward; but that the report of thedefeat of the Caffres and of the armyadvancing was not confirmed. It wasonly a rumor, and might all be false;

that even if true, it did not follow theywere advancing in the direction inwhich they themselves were about toproceed; that it would be sufficient timefor them to retreat when they foundout what were the real facts, whichwould be the case in a few days at thefurthest. But the Hottentots would notlisten to any thing that he said; theydeclared that they would proceed nofurther.

By this time all the other Hottentotshad joined the first who came up toour travelers, and made the samedemand, stating their determination notto proceed a mile further. Only Bremenand Swanevelt opposed the rest, and

declared that they would follow theirmasters wherever they chose to leadthem. Alexander now sent for theinterpreter and the chief of the Caffrewarriors, lent him by Hinza, anddesired the interpreter to ask the Caffrewhether he and his band would followthem. The Caffre answered that theywould; Hinza had given them in charge,and they could not return and say thatthey had left them because there was anenemy at hand. Hinza would kill themall if they did; they must bring back thetravelers safe, or lose their lives in theirdefense.

"Well, then," said the Major, "now wecan do without these cowardly fellows,

who are no use to us but to eat anddrink; so now let us discharge them atonce, all but Bremen and Swanevelt."

"I agree with you, Major," saidAlexander; "what do you think,Swinton "

"Yes, let us discharge them, for thenthey will be in a precious dilemma. Wewill discharge them without arms, anddesire them to go home; that they darenot do, so they will remain. But let usfirst secure their muskets, which lieround their fire, before we dismissthem; or they will not, perhaps,surrender them, and we may be in anawkward position. I will slip away, and

while I am away, do you keep them intalk until I return, which I shall not dountil I have locked up all the guns inthe store-wagon."

As Swinton rose, the Major addressedthe Hottentots. "Now, my lads," said he,"here are Bremen and Swanevelt whoconsent to follow us; all the Caffrewarriors agree to follow us; and hereare about twenty of you who refuse.Now I can not think that you will leaveus; you know that we have treated youwell, and have given you plenty oftobacco; you know that you will bepunished as soon as you return to theCape. Why then are you so foolishNow look you: I am sure that upon

reflection you will think better of it.Let me understand clearly your reasonsfor not proceeding with us; I wish tohear them again, and let each manspeak for himself."

The Hottentots immediately began tostate over again their reasons for notgoing on; and thus the Major, whomade each give his reason separately,gained their attention, and the timewhich was required. Before they all hadspoken, Swinton came back and tookhis seat by the fire.

"All's safe," said he; "Bremen andSwanevelt's guns have been locked upwith the others." Our travelers had their

own lying by them. The Caffre warriors,who were standing behind theHottentots, had all their assaguays intheir hands; but their shields, as usual,were hanging to the sides of thewagons. The Major allowed the wholeof the Hottentots to speak, and whenthey were done, he said, "Now, Wilmot,turn the tables on them."

Alexander then got up with his gun inhis hand, the Major and Swinton didthe same, and then Alexander told theHottentots that they were a cowardlyset of fellows; that with Bremen andSwanevelt, and the band of Caffrewarriors, he could do without them;that since they did not choose to

proceed, they might now leave thecamp immediately, as they should getneither food nor any thing else fromthem in future. "So now be off, thewhole of you; and if I find one to-morrow morning in sight of the camp,or if one of you dares to follow us, Iwill order the Caffres to run himthrough. You are dismissed, and to-morrow we leave without you."

Alexander then called the chief of theCaffre warriors, and desired him, in thepresence of the Hottentots, to giveparticular charge of the cattle, horses,and sheep, to his warriors during thenight; and if any one attempted totouch them, to run him through the

body. "Do this immediately," saidAlexander to the chief, who withoutdelay spoke to his men, and they wentoff in obedience to his orders.

The Hottentots, who had heard all this,now retreated to their wagon, but werestruck with consternation when theyfound that their guns had beenremoved; for they trusted to their gunsand ammunition to enable them toprocure food and protect themselveson their return. They consultedtogether in a low voice; they lookedround and perceived that our threetravelers had quitted the fire, and werekeeping guard with their guns upon thewagons, to prevent any attempt of

breaking them open, on the part of theHottentots. Moreover, ten of theCaffres, with their spears, had since thebreaking up of the conference, beenput in charge of the wagons by thechief, at the request of the Major. TheHottentots now perceived their forlornposition.

How could they, without arms andammunition, and without provisions,return to the Cape, such a number ofmiles distant How could they exist, ifthey remained where they were Whenthey insisted upon our travelersreturning, they had quite overlookedthe circumstance that these couldprotect themselves with the Caffre

warriors, and that they were not in acondition to enforce their demand.

After a long conversation, they didwhat all Hottentots will do under anyemergency, they lay down by the fire,and fell fast asleep. Swinton, havingascertained that they were really asleep,proposed that they themselves shouldretire to the wagon, and leave theCaffres on guard, which they did; asthey well knew that a Hottentot oncefast asleep is not easily roused up evento "treason, stratagem, or spoil."

Shortly after break of day, Bremencame to them, stating that he found thewagons could proceed no further, as he

had walked on, and discovered that amile before them there was a ravine sodeep that it would be difficult for thecattle to go down, and for the wagonsimpossible; that at a distance of threemiles below he could see the river,which was also so embedded in rocks,as to be impassable by the wagons.

The Major immediately went withBremen, to satisfy himself of the truthof this, and returned, stating thatfurther progress with wagons wasimpossible.

"Well, then, we must now hold acouncil," said Swinton. "Of course,proceed you will, Wilmot, that is

decided; the only question is, as wemust now proceed on horseback, whatforce you will take with you, and whatshall be left in charge of the wagons "

"I think we can trust the Caffres, donot you "

"Yes, I do; but I wish from my heartthat the Hottentots had not rebelled;for although in some respects cowardlyfellows, yet with their muskets they arebrave, and their muskets keep thenatives in order."

"To the Caffres, the contents of thewagons would prove a temptation; butthese are not temptations to the

Hottentots, whose object is to get backsafe, and receive their wages. Thus weplay them off against each other."

"Here are all the Hottentots coming upto us," said the Major; "I hope it is tomake submission; it is very desirablethat they should do so before theyknow that the wagons proceed nofurther."

The surmise of the Major was correct:the Hottentots had again canvassed thematter over, and, perceiving thehelplessness of their position, hadcome in a body to beg forgiveness, andto offer to accompany our travelerswherever they pleased to take them.

It was a long while before Alexanderwould consent to receive them again,and not until they had made promiseupon promise, that he seemed at last tobe mollified. Swinton then intercededfor them, and at last Alexanderconsented, upon their future goodbehavior, to overlook their conduct.This matter having been satisfactorilyarranged, the former question wasresumed.

"One of you, I fear, must remain withthe wagons," observed Alexander; "orboth of you, if you please. I have noright to ask you to go upon any wild-goose chase, and run into danger for

nothing."

"That one should remain with thewagons will be necessary," saidSwinton; "and I think that the Major, ifhe does not object, is the properperson. The party who are left mustprovide themselves with food by theirguns; and it will require more militarytact than I possess to arrange that andto defend the wagons. I will accompanyyou, Wilmot, as I can speak betterDutch, and the interpreter will not geton well without me."

"Will you have the kindness to takecharge of the wagons, Major, duringour absence "

"I think, perhaps, it will be as well;although I had rather have gone withyou," replied the Major. "I propose thatyou take thirty of the Caffres, Bremen,and eight Hottentots with you; leave meSwanevelt and the other Hottentots."

"Yes, that will do very well; we willleave the Caffre head man with you."

"No; he must go with the largerportion of his party; he could not wellbe separated from them. I will find aproper place for the wagons, andstockade myself regularly in; that willbe a good job for the Hottentots, and Idare say I shall do very well."

"I shall not leave you Omrah, Major,"said Swinton; "for, as we shall take fourhorses with us, I wish him to ride one,and he can attend upon us, as you haveMahomed."

"You may have Begum to ride theother," replied the Major, "if youplease; then you will each have agroom."

"No, no, it would be a pity to part youand her; however, there is no time to belost, for if this great chief and warriorQuetoo is advancing, it may be as wellto be ready for a retreat; the sooner weare off, the sooner we shall be back; so

now to pack up."

CHAPTER XVI.

The first step taken by Alexander wasto send for the Hottentots, and, afteragain reproving them for their formerbehavior, he asked who were ready tovolunteer to proceed with him, as hehad decided to leave the wagons withMajor Henderson, and proceed onhorseback the short distance of hisjourney which remained to beaccomplished.

Several of the Hottentots immediately

came forward; the heads of the mutinyheld back, and thus proved toAlexander that the men who had comeforward were persuaded into it by theothers, and regretted what they haddone. He therefore immediatelyaccepted their services, and theirmuskets were returned to them.Alexander then stated his intentions tothe Caffre head man, who selected thethirty warriors that were required, andin the course of three hours every thingwas ready for their departure.

It was arranged that in case of dangerarising to either party, they should, ifpossible, fall back to the newlyestablished Mission of Morley, on the

sea-coast; but otherwise, the wagonswould remain where they were tillAlexander's return. Having packed upall they required in small packages, tobe carried by the Caffres, they badefarewell to the Major, and set off,having no baggage but what we havementioned; for Alexander would not beencumbered with a load of heavyarticles which must prevent rapidprogress, or rapid retreat if necessary.

In two hours they arrived by difficultpasses at the banks of the UmtataRiver, which they crossed, and soonafterward falling in with a Caffre kraal,they were informed that Daaka, thechief whom they sought, did not reside

more than twenty miles distant; andthey easily procured a guide to showthem the way.

The reports of the advance of theAmaquibi army were here fullyconfirmed, and the natives werepreparing to leave the kraal with alltheir cattle. It appeared, however, that atpresent the army was stationary; thewarriors carousing and enjoyingthemselves after the victory which theyhad gained over the Caffres. As thesehad been assisted by white men andtheir guns, the spirits of the Amaquibiwere raised to an extraordinary degree,and they were intending to carry theirarms to the southward, as soon as

Quetoo, their chief, had somewhatrecovered from his wounds received inthe late action. Indeed, it was thewounded state of their chief whichwas the principal cause of the army nothaving immediately proceeded to thesouthward.

Having obtained this information, thetravelers resumed their journey alongthe banks of the Umtata, over acountry of surprising beauty, the deepriver being full of hippopotami, whichwere lying on the banks or snorting inthe stream. They could not wait to killone during the daytime, but promisedthe men they would allow them tomake the attempt in the evening, after

their day's march was over. Towardsunset, they stopped on the banks ofthe river on a rising ground, and theHottentots and some Caffres were thendirected to go down to the river inchase of the hippopotami, as it wasadvisable to save their provisions asmuch as possible.

Before night they had succeeded, andthe carcass of the animal was hauled onshore. As soon as the party had taken asmuch as they required, the nativeCaffres carried off the remainder ofthe flesh. As they were sitting downcarousing by the fire which had beenlighted, the Caffre head warrior cameup to the interpreter, and told

Alexander and Swinton not to say thatthey were Hinza's warriors if askedwhere they came from. On being askedwhy, he told them that Hinza hadmarried a daughter of the chief of thiscountry, and after a time had sent herback again to her father, and that thishad created ill blood between the tribes,although no war had taken place.Alexander and Swinton, who perceivedthat the advice was judicious, told himthat they would not, and after partakingof the hippopotamus flesh they all laydown to repose under the far-spreadingbranches of a large tree.

The next morning they set off, and afteran hour's journey the guide told them

that they were at the kraal of Daaka, thedescendant of the Europeans. Thebellowing of the cattle and noise of thecalves soon directed them to the spot,and they entered a kraal consisting ofseveral very wretched huts. Oninquiring for Daaka, a woman pointedout a hut at a little distance, and, as theydismounted and walked up, he cameout to meet them. Swinton andAlexander shook hands with the chief,and said that they were very glad to seehim, and that they had come far to payhim a visit. The chief ordered a hut tobe swept out for their accommodation,which they took possession of.

"You have no idea, Swinton," said

Alexander, "how much I am excitedalready by this interview."

"I can imagine it, my dear Wilmot," saidSwinton; "it is but natural, for he isyour kinsman by all report, andcertainly, although a Caffre in his habitsand manners, his countenance andfeatures are strikingly European."

"That I have observed myself, and ithas fully convinced me of the truth ofthe statement. I am most anxious toexamine him we must call theinterpreter."

The chief entered the hut soonafterward, and took his seat; the

interpreter was sent for, and theconversation was begun by Daaka, wholike most of the Caffre chiefs, with thehope of obtaining presents, statedhimself to be very poor, his cattle to bedying, and his children without milk.Our travelers allowed him to go on forsome time in this manner, and then sentfor a present of beads and tobacco,which they gave him. They thencommenced their inquiries, and the firstquestion they asked was, why he residedso near the sea.

"Because the sea is my mother," repliedhe; "I came from the sea, and the seafeeds me when I am hungry."

"In that reply he evidently refers to thewreck of the ship," observed Swinton;"and I presume, from the fish-bones,which we have seen about the kraal,that these Caffres feed on fish, whichthe other tribes do not, and therefore itis that he says his mother feeds him."

"Was your mother white " inquiredAlexander.

"Yes," replied Daaka, "her skin waswhite as yours; her hair was just likeyours, long and dark; but before shedied it was quite white."

"What was your mother's name "

"Kuma," replied the chief.

"Had you any brothers and sisters "

"Yes, I had; I have one sister alive now."

"What is her name " inquired Swinton.

"Bess," replied the chief.

"This is very confirmatory," saidAlexander; "my aunt's name wasElizabeth; she must have called herchild after herself."

"Whom did your mother marry "

"She first married my uncle, and had no

children; and then she married myfather; both were chiefs, and I am achief; she had five children by myfather."

A long conversation took place afterthis, the substance of which we may aswell communicate to our reader in fewwords. From the children of Kuma,supposed to be Elizabeth, the aunt ofAlexander, were produced a numerousrace of the European blood, who werecelebrated in the Caffre land for theircourage; they were continually engagedin war, as their alliance was eagerlysought, and in consequence had nearly

all perished. Daaka himself wasrenowned for warlike exploits, but hewas now a very old man. In the eveningthe chief took his leave, and went tohis own hut.

As soon as they were alone, Alexandersaid to Swinton, "I have now so farfulfilled my promise to my worthyrelation that I have seen this descendantof his child; but what am I to do Anold man like him is not very likely toconsent to go to England, and as forhis sister Bess, he states that she isequally infirm; the progeny of the restof the family are scattered about, andhe himself knows nothing about them;to collect them would be impossible,

and if collected, equally impossible toremove them, for they would not leave.My old relative fancies, in his mind'seye, his daughter weeping over hercaptivity, and longing to be restored toher country and her relations; stillretaining European feelings andsympathies, and miserable in herposition; her children brought up byher with the same ideas, and some daylooking forward to their emancipationfrom this savage state of existence: Ithink if he were here, and saw oldDaaka, he would soon divest himselfof all these romantic ideas."

"I think so too; but there is one thingwhich has struck me very forcibly,

Alexander, which is, if this Daaka is theson of your aunt how comes it that heis so old When was the Grosvenor lost "

"In the year 1782."

"And we are now in 1829. Your auntyou stated to have been ten or twelveyears old at the time of the wreck.Allowing her to marry at the earliestage, Daaka could not well be more thanforty-eight years old; and surely he ismore than that."

"He looks much older, certainly; butwho can tell the age of a savage, whohas been living a life of constantprivation, and who has been so often

wounded as his scars show that he hasbeen Wounds and hardship will soonmake a man look old."

"That is very true, but still he appearsto me to be older than the dateswarrant."

"I think his stating that his sister wasnamed Bess is full corroboration."

"It is rather circumstantial evidence,Wilmot: now what do you propose todo "

"I hardly know; but I wish to be inDaaka's company some time longer,that I may gain more intelligence; and I

think of proposing to him that weshould go down to visit the remains ofthe wreck of his mother, as he terms it.I should like to see a spot so celebratedfor misfortune, and behold the remainsof the ill-fated vessel; I should like tohave to tell my good old uncle all I can,and he will wish that I should be ableto give him every information."

"Well, I think it is a good plan of yours,and we will propose it to him to-morrow morning."

"And I should like to visit his sisterBess indeed, I must do so. He says sheis much younger than he is."

"He did, and therefore I think his agedoes not correspond with our dates, asI observed before," replied Swinton;"but, as you say, you must see hissister."

Daaka had sent an old cow as a presentto Alexander, which was a veryseasonable supply, as thehippopotamus-flesh had all been eaten.The next morning they proposed thathe should accompany them to wherethe Grosvenor had been wrecked.

Daaka did not at first appear to knowwhat they wished, and inquired,through the interpreter, whether theymeant the ship that was wrecked on the

sea-coast, pointing to the eastward. Onreceiving an answer in the affirmative,he agreed to set off with them thatafternoon, saying that it was aboutforty miles off, and that they could notget there until the next day.

About noon they set off on theirjourney, and as they made but slowprogress over a rugged although mostbeautiful country, they stopped at nightat a kraal about half-way. Early the nextmorning they were led by Daaka andsome Caffres who accompanied him tothe sea-shore, and when they hadarrived at the beach, it being then lowwater, Daaka pointed to a reef, uponwhich were to be seen the guns, ballast,

and a portion of the keelson of a shipall that remained of the unfortunateGrosvenor.

As the sea washed over the reef; nowcovering and now exposing thesemementoes of misery and suffering,Alexander and Swinton remained forsome time without speaking; at lastAlexander said

"Swinton, you have read the history ofthis unfortunate vessel, I know, for youasked me for it to read. What asuccession of scenes of horror dothese remains, which from their solidweight only have defied the power ofthe winds and waves, conjure up at this

moment in my mind. I think I nowbehold the brave vessel dashed uponthe reefs the scream of despair from allon board the heart-rending situation ofthe women and children theirwonderful escape and landing on shore,only to be subjected to greatersuffering. See, Swinton, that must havebeen the rock which they all gained,and upon which they remainedshivering through the night."

"It is, I have no doubt, from itsposition," said Swinton.

"Yes, it must have been; I think I seethem all men, women, and helplesschildren huddled together, half-clothed

and suffering, quitting that rock by thisonly path from it, and setting off upontheir mad and perilous journey; thescattering of the parties their perils andhunger their conflicts with the nativestheir sufferings from heat and fromthirst their sinking down one by oneinto the welcome arms of death, ortorn to pieces by the wolves and hyenasas they lagged behind the others. Howmuch more fortunate those who nevergained the shore."

"Yes, indeed," replied Swinton; "exceptthe eight who reached the Cape, andthe five that Daaka asserts were saved,all the rest must have perished in thatdreadful manner."

Alexander remained for some time inpainful thought; at last he turned toDaaka and said, as he pointed to theremains of the wreck, "And this then isyour mother "

Daaka looked at him and shook hishead, "No, not my mother this," repliedhe; "my mother down there," pointingout in a northerly direction.

"What does he mean, Swinton he saysthis is not his mother."

"I will speak to him, Wilmot; you aretoo much agitated," replied Swinton.

"Is not that the vessel which yourmother was lost in " said Swinton,through the interpreter.

"No," replied Daaka; "my mother cameon shore in a vessel up the little riverout there; I was a boy when this largeship was wrecked; and got some ironfrom her to make assaguays."

"Merciful heaven! what joy I feel; I trustit is true what he says."

"I have no doubt of it, Wilmot; I toldyou he was too old a man," repliedSwinton; "but let me question himfurther."

Our readers may imagine theimpatience of Alexander while thequestions of Swinton were beinganswered, and by which it appears thatDaaka's mother was lost at the mouthof the Lauwanbaz, a small river somemiles to the eastward of theZemsooboo. An old Caffre, who hadcome down with Daaka, now gave aparticular account of the wreck of theGrosvenor, corroborating all Daaka'sassertions.

"Were there none of the Grosvenor'speople left in the country " inquiredSwinton.

"None," replied the old man; "they all

went to the southward."

"Did you hear what became of them "

"Some lay down and died, some foughtthe natives and were killed; the wolvesate the rest; not one left alive; they allperished."

"Were none of the women and childrensaved and kept as slaves "

"No, not one; they had no meat, nomilk, and they all died."

After some other inquiries, the old man,who at first did not reply willingly,stated that he had, with other Caffres,

followed the last party; had seen themall dead, and had taken off theirclothes, and that as they died wereburied by those who still survived.

"A better fate, cruel as it was, thanliving as they must have lived," saidSwinton.

"Yes, truly," replied Alexander; "youdon't know, Swinton, what a load hasbeen removed from my mind, and howlight-hearted I feel, notwithstandingthis recital of their sufferings. My pooruncle! God grant that he may live tillmy return with this distinct intelligence,with the assurance that he has nograndchildren living the life of a

heathen, and knowing no God. What arelief will it prove to him; howsoothing will it be to his last days! Howgrateful am I to God, that I have had sohappy an issue to my mission! Now,Swinton, we will return as soon as youplease; as soon as we arrive at Daaka'skraal, I will take down in writing thestatement of these people, and then wewill hasten back to the Major."

"And I dare say," said Swinton, as heremounted his horse, "that you willmake old Daaka a more handsomepresent, for proving himself no relationto you, than if he had satisfactorilyestablished himself as your own firstcousin."

"You may be sure that my gratitudetoward him is much greater than evercould have been my kindred feelingfrom friendship. I am so light hearted,Swinton, and so grateful to God that Ialmost wish to dismount in my anxietyto return my thanks; but I do so in myheart of hearts, at all event."

On the following day they arrived atDaaka's kraal, and then Alexander tookdown very carefully in writing thestatements made by Daaka and theother Caffres. They all agreed on theone point, which was, that theEuropean descendants now living inthe country were wrecked in another

vessel many years before the loss of theGrosvenor, and that not one of theGrosvenor's people men, women orchildren had survived, except the fewwho arrived at the Cape.

Having obtained these satisfactorydocuments, they made a handsomepresent to Daaka and the other Caffres,and immediately set out upon theirreturn to the wagons. As theyjourneyed back to the westward, theyfound the Caffres quitting their huts,and driving away the cattle, that theymight not fall into the power of thearmy of Quetoo, which it was said wasnow in motion, and scattering the tribesbefore them. As our travelers were not

at all anxious to have anycommunication with these savageinvaders, in two days they crossed theUmtata, and toward the evening werewithin sight of the wagons. A shoutfrom the Hottentots and Caffres gavenotice of their approach. The shoutwas returned, and in a few minutes theywere shaking hands with the Major,who was delighted to see them.

"I did not expect you back so soon,"replied the Major; "and as I perceivethat you are unaccompanied, I presumethat your Caffre relations would notquit their kraals."

"You shall know all about it, Major,

very soon; it will be enough at presentto let you know that we have nothingbut good news."

"That I rejoice to hear; but it was wellyou came back as you did, for I havebeen making every preparation, andhad you not returned in a few days, Ishould have retreated; the invaders areclose at hand."

"We know it, and, if they are told thatthere are wagons here well loaded, theywill come on quickly, with the hopes ofplunder, so we must delay no longer,"replied Alexander; "to-morrow we willyoke and set off. We can determineupon our route as we are traveling, but

the first point is to retreat from thisquarter."

"Exactly; the oxen are in prime orderand can make a long day's march, andwe know our country for some days, atall events; but enter my fortress,dismount, and let us go into the tentwhich I have pitched. You shall thentell me your adventures, whileMahomed fries a delicate piece ofelephant's flesh for you."

"Have you killed an elephant "

"Yes, but not without much difficultyand some danger, I assure you; Iwanted your help sadly, for these

Hottentots are too much alarmed totake good aim, and I had only my ownrifle to trust to; but I have done verywell considering, and I shall prove toour commander-in-chief that I havesupplied the garrison without puttinghim to any expense during his absence.We have been feeding upon greenmonkeys for three days, and very goodeating they are, if you do not happenupon a very old one."

When they entered the inclosure madeby the Major, they were surprised at thestate of defense in which he had put it.His hedge of thorns upon rocks piledup was impregnable, and the wagonswere in the center, drawn up in a

square; the entrance would only admitone person at a time, and was protectedby bars at night.

"Why, Major, you might have held outagainst the whole force of theAmaquibi in this position."

"Yes, provided I had provisions andwater," replied the Major; "but I fearthey would soon have starved me out;however, it was as well to be preparedagainst any sudden night-attack, andtherefore I fortified my camp: nowcome in, and welcome back again."

The news which they had to impart tothe Major was soon given, and he was

highly delighted at the intelligence:"And now," said he, "what do youmean to do, Wilmot go back again, ofcourse, but by what route "

"Why, Major, you and Swinton havebeen so kind in coming with me thusfar, and I have been so successful in myexpedition, that I shall now leave youto decide as you please. I have effectedall that I wished, my business is over,and I am ready to meet you in any wayyou choose; any thing you decide uponI shall agree to willingly and join inheartily, so now speak your wishes."

"Well, I will speak mine very frankly,"replied the Major. "We have had some

sport in this country, it is true, but notso much as I could have wished; forgame is rather scarce, with theexception of elephants and sea-cows.Now I should like to cross themountains, and get into the Bechuanaand Bushman country, where game isas plentiful as I believe water is scarce;we can return that way, if you please,almost as well as we can through theCaffre country what say you, Swinton "

"Well, I am of your opinion. AsWilmot says, business is over and wehave nothing to do but to amuseourselves; I am very anxious to passthrough this country, as I shall addgreatly to my collections, I have no

doubt; but it must not be expected thatwe shall fare as well as we have done inthis; it will be the dry season, and wemay be in want of water occasionally."

"I am equally desirous of goingthrough that country, where I hope toshoot a giraffe, that is my greatambition," replied Wilmot; "thereforewe may consider that we are all agreed,and the affair is settled; but thequestion is, how shall we proceed backWe must return to Hinza's territory andsend back the Caffres. Shall we returnto Butterworth "

"I think that must depend uponcircumstances, and we can talk it over

as we go along: the first point toascertain is, the best passage over themountains; and it appears to me thatwe shall be diverging much too far tothe eastward if we return toButterworth; but the Caffres will soongive us the necessary information."

"I wonder if the quarrel between Hinzaand Voosani has been made up," saidAlexander; "for we must pass throughthe Tambookie tribe if we cross themountains, and if there is war betweenthem we may meet with difficulty."

"We shall hear as soon as we havecrossed the Bashee river," repliedSwinton; "and then we must decide

accordingly. All that can be settled nowis, that to-morrow we start on ourreturn, and that we will cross themountains, if we possibly can."

"Yes, that is decided," repliedAlexander.

"Well, then, as soon as you havefinished your elephant-steak, Wilmot,we will get out a bottle of wine, drinkthe first half of it to congratulate youupon the success of your mission, andthe other half shall be poured out inbumpers to a happy return."

CHAPTER XVII.

THE RETURN.

The delight of the Hottentots at theannouncement of the return of theexpedition was not to be concealed;and now that they knew that they wereretreating from the danger, as they werefurther removed they becameproportionately brave. We must notinclude all the Hottentots in thisobservation, as Bremen, Swanevelt, andone or two more, were really brave men;but we do refer to the principal portionof them, with Big Adam at their head,who now flourished and vaporedabout, as if he could by himself kill

and eat the whole army of the dreadedQuetoo.

As it was the intention of our travelersto pass over the Mambookei chain ofmountains, into the Bushman andKoranna territory, they did not returnthe same route by which they came, butmore to the westward through theterritory of the Tambookie Caffres, notany one time entering upon theterritory of the Amakosas, the tribe ofCaffres governed by Hinza, who hadlent them his warriors.

Voosani, the chief of the Tambookies,was very friendly, and had offered noopposition to their passage through a

portion of his domains on theiradvance. They now lost no time, butcontinued their journey as fast as theycould, although during the day theysaw a great quantity of game, and werealmost every night saluted with theroaring of the lions.

In a week they found themselves on thebanks of the White Kae River, and notfar from the foot of the mountainswhich they intended to pass. Here theyhalted, with the intention of remainingsome few days, that they might unloadand re-arrange the packing of theirwagons, repair what was necessary, andprovide themselves with more oxen andsheep for their journey in the sterile

territory of the Bushmen.

During their route, the rumors relativeto the army of Quetoo were incessant.He had attacked and murdered Lieut.Farewell and his people, who were on atrading expedition in the interior, andtaken possession of and plunderedtheir wagons. Flushed with successover white people armed with muskets,Quetoo had now resolved to turn hisarmy to the southward, and attack thetribes of the Amaponda Caffres,governed by Fakoo, and the missionarystation of Morley, lately establishednear the coast, between the St. John andthe Umtata rivers.

To effect this, Quetoo commenced hisravages upon all the lesser tribestributary to Fakoo, and having putthem to indiscriminate slaughter, drivenaway their cattle, and burned theirkraals, his army advanced to themissionary station, which themissionaries were compelled to desert,and fall back upon the St. John River.

One of the men belonging to the tribenear Morley came to the caravan whereour travelers had halted, and, on beingquestioned as to the loss they hadexperienced, cried out, "Ask not howmany are killed, but how many aresaved: our wives, where are they andour children, do you see any of them "

But Fakoo, the chief of theAmapondas, had roused himself andcollected his army. He resolved upongiving battle to the enemy. He foundthe Amaquibi encamped in a forest,and he surrounded them with asuperior army; he then contrived, byattacking and retreating, to lead theminto a position from which there wasno escape but by the pass by whichthey had entered, and which hecompletely blocked up with his ownforces.

The Amaquibi could not retreat, and afurious conflict took place, whichended in the destruction of the whole

of Quetoo's army. Quetoo himself wasnot present, as he still remainedconfined with the wound he hadreceived in the prior engagement, inwhich he had been victorious. Aportion of Fakoo's army was sentagainst him, and he fled with the lossof all the cattle and treasures he hadcollected; and thus was the invadingforce at last totally dispersed and notheard of any more.

This news was very satisfactory to ourtravelers, as they did not know whetherthey would have had time to make theirarrangements, if Quetoo's army hadbeen victorious; and it was still morepleasing to the Hottentots, who were

now even braver than before, alllamenting that they had not remainedon the banks of the Umtata River,where the combat took place, that theymight have assisted at the destructionof the invaders.

It was toward the end of August beforeour travelers had made theirpreparations and were ready for a start.They had decided to try the passthrough the Mambookei chain ofmountains, to the eastward of the onenamed Stormbergen, and as theyexpected to meet with some difficulties,it was decided that the Caffre warriorsshould not be dismissed till they hadarrived at the Bushman territory; they

proposed then to turn to the N.W., soas to fall in with that portion of theOrange River which was known by thename of the Vaal or Yellow River,crossing the Black or Cradock River,which is also another branch of theOrange River.

This arrangement was made, that theymight get into the country moreabounding with game, and betterfurnished with water than any otherportion of the sterile deserts whichthey had to pass through.

Having, as usual, kept holy the Lord'sday, on the Monday morning theystarted in high spirits, and with their

cattle in excellent order. The passagethrough the ravine was very difficult;they had to fill up holes, roll awaystones, and very often put double teamsto drag the wagons.

They made but ten miles on the firstday, and found the night cold, after theheat to which they had been subjected.The second day was also one of toiland danger, but on the third they foundthat they had commenced the descent,and the whole Bushman country wasspread before them. But the descentwas even more perilous than the ascent,and it was not without great exertionthat they saved their wagons fromfalling over the precipices.

On the fourth evening they had crossedthe mountains, and were now at thefoot of them on the western side. Itwas with difficulty that they collectedwood enough to make their fires forthe night, and the continual roaringtold them that they were now in thedomain of the lion and his satellites.

At break of day they all rose, that theymight view the country which theywere about to traverse. It was one wilddesert of sand and stones, interspersedwith small shrubs, and here and there apatch of bushes; apparently one vast,dry, arid plain, with a haze over it,arising from the heat. Our travelers,

however, did not at first notice thischange; their eyes were fixed upon thegroups of quaggas and variousantelopes which were strewed over thewhole face of the country; and, as soonas they had taken their breakfast, theymounted their horses in pursuit. It hadbeen their intention to have dismissedthe Caffres on that morning, but thechief of the band pointed out that itwould be as well that they should killsome game, to provide them with foodfor their journey back; and our travelersapproved of the suggestion, as it wouldsave their sheep.

Alexander and the Major set off withBremen, Swanevelt, and Omrah on

horseback, while the Caffres on footkept well up with them. The otherHottentots were ordered to remain withSwinton at the encampment, as theyhad to repair the damages done to thewagons in crossing the mountains.

Omrah had shown himself so useful,that he had been permitted to practicewith a fowling-piece carrying ball, andhad proved himself very expert. Henow was mounted on the Major's sparehorse; that in case the Major's wasknocked up, he might change it, forOmrah's weight was a mere nothing.

The plan of the chase was, that theCaffres should spread in a half-circle,

and conceal themselves as much aspossible, while those on horsebackshould turn the animals and drive themin their direction. As they advanced onthe plain, they discovered what the hazehad prevented their seeing at earlydawn, that the plain was covered with avariety of beautiful flowers, of theamaryllis and other tribes, and with thehills of ants and ant-eaters' holes,which latter were very dangerous to thehorses.

The sun was now up in the heavens,and blazed fiercely; the heat wasintense, although still early in the day.When they turned their heads towardthe mountains which they had passed,

they were struck with astonishment atthe grandeur of the scene: rocks andcliffs in wild chaos, barren ridges andtowering peaks, worn by time intocastellated fortresses and other strangeshapes, calling to their fancy the ruinsof a former world. With the exceptionof a pool of water, near to which thecaravan had halted, not a vestige of thatelement was to be seen in any direction;all was one plain, ending only in thehorizon, without a tree, the line onlybroken by the groups of animals andthe long necks of the packs ofostriches in the distance.

If, however, the vegetable kingdom wasdeficient, the animal was

proportionably abundant, andAlexander and the Major were soon attheir speed after a troop of quaggasand zebras, which they succeeded inturning toward the Caffres. As soon asthe animals had entered the radius ofthe half-circle, and were withindistance, they checked their horses andopened their fire upon them; at thesame time the Caffres showedthemselves, and the animals were for atime confounded by finding themselvesso nearly surrounded.

During their hesitation, and while theyattempted to break through here andthere, and then turned again, severalwere brought to the ground by the

guns of the mounted party, till at last,as if they had summoned up theirresolution, the whole herd, led by asplendid male, burst away in a directionclose to the horsemen, and made theirescape from the circle in a cloud ofdust, scattering the stones behind themas they fled.

The Caffres ran up to the animalswhich lay wounded, and put them outof their misery by inserting the pointof their assaguays into the spine, whichcaused immediate death. Seven animalswere killed, three zebras and fourquaggas; and as Swinton had requestedthat they might not be cut up till he hadascertained if he required their skins,

Omrah was sent back to bring him towhere they were lying.

Swinton soon came, and Alexandersaid to him, "Now, Swinton, let usknow if you want any of the skins ofthese animals to preserve."

"No," replied Swinton, "I have themalready; I just thought it possible thatyou might have killed a zebra."

"Well, have we not there are three ofthem."

"No, my good fellow, they are not ofthe real zebra species; they belong to aclass described by Burchell, the traveler,

which is termed the striped quagga.The quagga and striped quagga, as youmay see, have the ears of a horse, whilethe zebra has those of the ass. The truezebra hardly ever descends upon theplains, but lives altogether upon themountainous regions; occasionally itmay be found, it is true, and that is thereason why I came to see."

"Are they good eating, these animals "

"The quagga is very indifferent food,but the striped quagga is very passable;so if you intend to save any for ourdinner, pray let it be some of the latter.Have you done hunting to-day "

"Yes," replied the Major, "if Wilmot isof my opinion, I think we had betternot work our horses any more justnow; the plain is so full of large holes,ant-eaters' holes, Bremen says they are."

"Yes, they are ant-eaters' holes, and verydangerous; I have seen them several feetdeep. If we do not start to-day, I willask the Hottentots to try and procureone for me to-night, as I wish to have astuffed specimen."

"We do not intend to start till to-morrow morning," replied Alexander;"we must dismiss the Caffres to-night,that they may be also ready to go hometo-morrow. They will now have

provisions enough."

Our travelers now rode back to thecaravan, leaving the Caffres to bringhome the flesh. As soon as they haddined, the chief of the warriors wasdesired to come with all his men, andAlexander then made every man ahandsome present, consisting oftobacco, snuff, cloth, knives and beads.To the chief of the band he gave threetimes as much as the others, and then,having delivered to him a very liberalcollection of articles for their kingHinza, Alexander told the chief toacquaint the king that he had been verymuch pleased with the conduct of themen, and thanked his majesty for the

loan of them, and requested that hismajesty would accept of the packet ofarticles which he had selected for him.

He then thanked the men for theirgood conduct, told them to take all theflesh that they wished for the journey,and stated that they were at liberty todepart that evening or the nextmorning, as they thought proper. TheCaffres were perfectly satisfied withAlexander's liberality, and the chief ofthe warriors, making a short speech inreply, retired with his men.

"Well, I'm very sorry that these finefellows are leaving," said the Major.

"And so am I; but I could not welldetain them, and they said that theycould not go further with us withoutthe king's permission," repliedAlexander.

"Of course not," replied the Major;"but that does not lessen my regret attheir departure; they have been bothsteady and brave, as well as active andwilling, and I do not expect that ourHottentots will serve us so well."

"You are right not to expect it, Major,"replied Swinton; "if you did, youwould be miserably disappointed. Ifthey knew now where we were going,they would desert us. The only hold

that we have upon the greater numberof them is their fear; they go forwardbecause they are afraid to go back; butif they could get hold of our horses,with their guns and ammunition, theywould leave us as soon as we advancedin the desert."

"Very true, I fear; but we have a fewstanch fellows among them, and two atleast whom we can depend uponBremen and Swanevelt."

"How far is it from here to the BlackRiver, Swinton "

"About forty miles; not so muchperhaps to the river's bed, but at least

that, if not more, before we shall fall inwith any water at this season of theyear."

"We must not fail to fill our water-kegsbefore we leave this."

"No, for we shall have no water to-night, that is certain. We can not travelmore than twenty miles over such acountry as this; for turning here andthere to avoid the holes and ant-hills,the twenty miles will be at least thirty,"said Swinton; "but now I must go andtell the Hottentots to find me what Iwant: a pound of tobacco will procureit, I have no doubt."

"But I have mine," observed the Major,after Swinton was gone; "we are toonear the pool, and we shall besurrounded with lions to-night; theHottentots may pretend that they willgo, but they will not."

"One can not well blame them; I'm surea pound of tobacco would notpersuade me to put my head into alion's mouth; but I agree with you, weare too near the pool, and as we mustcollect the cattle to secure them duringthe night, I think we had better fill ourwater-kegs, and then yoke and take up aposition for the night about half a milefurther off. But here comes Swinton,who can give us his advice."

As Swinton agreed with them, theyyoked the oxen, and drove forwardabout a mile from the pool; they thensecured them to the wagons and lightedlarge fires round the caravan.

The Major was correct as regarded theHottentots' procuring an ant-eater forSwinton; they would not leave the fires,and the continual approach of thelions during the night proved that theywere wise in so doing. There was nooccasion for the lions to roar; themoaning of Begum, and her clinging tothe Major, the trembling of the dogs,and the uneasiness of the cattle,invariably gave notice of lions being at

hand. Shots were fired off during thenight, to keep them at a distance, butotherwise the night passed awayundisturbed.

They started the following morningabout daybreak, and, at the same time,the Caffres took their departure to theirown country. The ground over whichthe caravan traveled was stony andsandy at intervals, and they had notproceeded far before they againdiscovered a great variety of gamedispersed over the level plain. They didnot, however, attempt to pursue them,as they were anxious to go on as far aspossible, so as to give the oxen anopportunity of picking up what little

food they could during the middle ofthe day, at which time the Major andAlexander proposed that they shouldgo in pursuit of game. But before theyhad traveled three hours, they weresurprised at a cloud of dust, whichobscured the horizon, in the directionthey were proceeding.

"What can that be " said Alexander.

"I think it is springbok," said Brementhe Hottentot.

"Springbok! why, there must bethousands and thousands of them."

"I believe that Bremen is right," said

Swinton; "it must be one of themigratory herds of springboks; I havenever seen them, but I have often beentold of them."

The body of antelopes now advancedtoward them, keeping on a straightpath; and to state their numbers wouldhave been impossible: there might havebeen fifty or a hundred thousand, ormore. As far as the eye could see in anydirection, it was one moving masscovering the whole plain. As theyapproached the caravan, those nearesthuddled on one side and occasionallybounded away with the remarkablesprings made by this animal, and fromwhich it has its name, alighting not

upon the earth, but, for want of room,upon the backs of its companions, andthen dropping in between the ranks.

A hazy vapor arose from thesecountless herds as they moved on, andmore than once the Hottentots, whowere standing on the wagons, whichhad been stopped as the herd came upto them, pointed out a lion which wasjourneying with the crowds to feast athis leisure. The animals appeared verytame, and several were killed close tothe wheels of the wagons, for theevening's supper. Notwithstanding thatthe herd moved at a rapid pace, it wasmore than two hours before the wholehad passed by.

"Well," observed Alexander, "I can nowsay that I have seen no want of game inAfrica. Where will they go to "

"They will go directly on to thesouthward," replied Swinton; "themigration of these animals is one ofthe most remarkable proofs of thefecundity of animal life. Like the ants,they devour every thing before them;and if we journey in the direction theyhave come from, we shall find no foodfor the cattle until after the rains. Afterthe rains fall, these animals will returnto their former pastures. It is the wantof food which has brought them so farto the southward."

"Their track is evidently from the northand eastward," said the Major; "had wenot better change our course more tothe northward "

"No, I should think not; they haveprobably traveled on this side of theNu Gariep or Black River. We shallhave neither water nor food for thecattle to-night, and therefore I think wehad better go on as we are going, so asto make sure of water for them to-morrow, at all events. It's useless nowstopping to feed the cattle, we hadbetter continue right on till the evening;we shall sooner arrive at the river, andso gain by it."

It was but half an hour before darkthat they unyoked the tired oxen. Wateror grass there was none; and, what wasanother misfortune, they could not findsufficient wood of any kind to keep upthe necessary fires during the night. Allthey could collect before dark was butenough for one fire, and theyconsidered it better, therefore, that onlyone should be lighted.

The wagons were drawn up so as toform a square, inside of which weretied the horses; the sheep were drivenunderneath, and the oxen were tied upoutside. They feasted well themselvesupon the delicate meat of the

springboks, but the poor animals hadneither food nor water after their hardday's journey.

As soon as they had supped they retiredto their wagons, and the Hottentotsremained by the side of the fire, whichwas but frugally supplied, that it mightlast till morning; but that there werelions prowling in the vicinity wasevident from the restlessness of theoxen, who tried to break the leathernthongs with which they were fastened.

The moon had just risen, and showedan imperfect light, when they perceivedthe bodies of some animals betweenthem and the horizon. They appeared

very large, as they always do in animperfect light, and the Hottentotssoon made out that they were five orsix lions not forty yards distant. Thetruth of this supposition wasconfirmed by an angry roar from oneof them, which induced most of theHottentots to seize their guns, andsome to creep under the wagons.

The oxen now struggled furiously toescape, for the, roar of the lions hadspread consternation.

Our travelers heard it in their wagons,and were out with their guns in aminute. At last one of the oxen brokeloose, and, as it was running behind its

companions, as if seeking a moresecure shelter, being not more thanthree or four yards from them, anotherroar was followed by a spring of oneof the lions, which bore the animal tothe earth.

The Major and Wilmot were advancingbefore the fire to the attack, when theanimal for a moment let go his prey,and was about to spring upon them.Bremen called out for them to retreat,which they did, as the animal advancedstep by step toward them.

Satisfied with their retiring, the lionthen went to his prey, and dragged it toa distance of about fifty yards, where it

commenced its meal; and they distinctlyheard, although they could not plainlydistinguish, the tearing of the animal'sflesh and the breaking of its bones bythe lion, while its bellowings were mostpitiful.

They all now fired in the directionwhere they heard the noise; the lionreplied to the volley by a tremendousroar, and rushed up within twenty yardsof the wagons, so as to be distinctlyvisible. Bremen begged our travelersnot to molest the animal, as it wasevidently very hungry and very angry,and would certainly make a springupon them, which must be attendedwith disastrous effects.

The other lions were also now movinground and round the camp; theytherefore reloaded their guns, andremained still, looking at the liontearing and devouring his prey.

"We must be quiet here," said Bremento Alexander; "there are many lionsround us, and our fire is not sufficientto scare them away, and they may attackus."

"Would it not be better to fire our guns,that would frighten them "

"Yes, sir, it would frighten the otherlions, perhaps, but it would enrage this

one so near to us, and he wouldcertainly make a charge. We had betterthrow a little gunpowder upon someashes now and then, as we have but asmall fire: the flash will drive themaway for the time."

In the mean time the lion was makinghis meal upon the poor ox, and whenany other of the hungry lionsapproached him, he would rush atthem, and pursue them for some paceswith a horrible growl, which made notonly the poor oxen, but the men also, toshudder as they heard it.

In this manner was the night passedaway, every one with his gun in his

hand, expecting an immediate attack;but the morning at last dawned, to thegreat relief of them all. The lions haddisappeared, and they walked out towhere the old lion had made his meal,and found that he had devoured nearlythe whole of the ox; and such was theenormous strength of his jaws, that therib-bones were all demolished, and thebones of the legs, which are known asthe marrow-bones, were broken as ifby a hammer.

"I really," observed the Major, "havemore respect for a lion, the more Ibecome intimate with his felinemajesty."

"Well, but he is off," observed Swinton,"and I think we had better be off too."

CHAPTER XVIII.

The oxen were yoked, and the caravanproceeded at slow pace to gain thewished-for river. As our travelerswalked their horses for the pooranimals had been without food orwater for twenty-four hours, and allidea of chasing the various herds ofanimals which were to be seen in theirpath was abandoned for the presentSwinton remarked, "We are not farfrom the track of the Mantatees, when

they made their irruption upon theCaffres about eighteen months back."

"I was intending to ask you for someinformation on that point, Swinton.There has been more than oneirruption into the country from thenatives to the northward. Mr. Fairburngave me a very fair idea of the historyof the Cape colony, but we were bothtoo much engaged after our arrival inCape Town for me to obtain furtherinformation."

"I will, you may be assured, tell you all Iknow," replied Swinton; "but you mustnot expect to find in me a Mr. Fairburn.I may as well remark, that Africa

appears to be a country not able toafford support to a dense population,like Europe; and the chief cause of thisis the great want of water, occasionallyrendered more trying by droughts offour or five years' continuance."

"I grant that such is the case atpresent," observed the Major; "but youwell know that it is not that there is nota sufficient quantity of rain, which fallsgenerally once a year, but because thewater which falls is carried off soquickly. Rivers become torrents, and ina few weeks pour all their water intothe sea, leaving, I may say, none for theremainder of the year."

"That is true," replied Swinton.

"And so it will be until the populationis not only dense, but, I may add,sufficiently enlightened andindustrious. Then, I presume, they willtake the same measures for securing asupply of water throughout the yearwhich have been so long adopted inIndia, and were formerly in SouthAmerica by the Mexicans. I mean thatof digging large tanks, from which thewater can not escape, except byevaporation."

"I believe that it will be the onlyremedy."

"Not only the remedy, but more than aremedy; for tanks once established,vegetation will flourish, and thevegetation will not only husband thewater in the country, but attract more."

"All that is very true," replied Swinton,"and I trust the time will come, whennot only this land may be well wateredwith the dew of heaven, but that therivers of grace may flow through it inevery direction, and the tree of Christmay flourish."

"Amen," replied Alexander.

"But to resume the thread of mydiscourse," continued Swinton; "I was

about to say, that the increase ofpopulation, and I may add the increaseof riches, for in these nomadic tribescattle are the only riches, is the greatcause of these descents from the north;for the continued droughts which Ihave mentioned of four or five yearscompel them to seek for pastureelsewhere, after their own is burned up.At all events, it appears that the Caffrenations have been continuallysustaining the pressure from without,both from the northward and thesouthward, for many years.

"When the Dutch settled at the Cape,they took possession of the countrybelonging to the Hottentot tribes,

driving the few that chose to preservetheir independence into the Bushmanand Namaqua lands, increasing thepopulation in those countries, whichare only able to afford subsistence to avery scattered few. Then, again, theyencroached upon the Caffres, drivingthem first beyond the great Fish River,and afterward still more to thenorthward. The Bushman tribes of hillHottentots, if we may so term them,have also been increased by variousmeans, notwithstanding the constantmassacres of these unhappy people bythe Dutch boors; moreover, we have byour injudicious colonial regulationsadded another and a new race ofpeople, who are already considerable in

their numbers."

"Which do you refer to "

"To the people now known by thename of Griquas, from their havingtaken possession of the Griquacountry. They are the mixed racebetween the Hottentots and the whites.By the Dutch colonial law, these peoplecould not hold possession of any landin the colony; and this act of injusticeand folly has deprived us of a veryvaluable race of men, who might haveadded much to the prosperity of thecolony. Brave and intelligent,industrious to a great degree, they,finding themselves despised on account

of the Hottentot blood in their veins,have migrated from the colony andsettled beyond the boundaries. Beingtolerably well provided with fire-arms,those who are peaceably inclined canprotect themselves, while those who areotherwise commit great depredationsupon the poor savages, following theexample shown them by the colonists,and sweeping off their cattle and theirproperty, in defiance of law and justice.You now perceive, Alexander, how it isthat there has been a pressure from thesouthward."

"That is very evident," replied theMajor.

"Perhaps I had better proceed to thenorthward by degrees, and make somemention of the Caffre tribes, which arethose who have suffered from being, asit were, pressed between encroachmentsfrom the north and the south. TheCaffre race is very numerous. Theorigin of the general term Caffre,which means Infidel, and no more, isnot known, any more than is that ofthe term Hottentot."

"A proof of what we found out atschool," observed the Major, "thatnicknames, as they are termed, sticklonger than real ones."

"Precisely," replied Swinton; "our

acquaintance is mostly with the moresouthern Caffres, who occupy the landbordering on the east coast of Africa,from the Cape boundary to Port Natal.These are the Amakosa tribe, whosewarriors have just left us; theTambookies, whose territory we haverecently quitted, and to the northwardof them by Port Natal, the Hambonas.These are the Eastern Caffres.

"On the other side of the Mambookeichain of mountains, and in the centralportion of Africa, below the tropic, arethe Bechuanas, who inhabit an extentof country as yet imperfectly known tous. These may be termed the CentralCaffres.

"On the western side of the Africancoast, and above Namaqua Land,whose inhabitants are probably chieflyof the Hottentot race, we have theDamaras, who may be classed as theWestern Caffres; with these we havehad little or no communication.

"All these tribes speak the Bechuana orCaffre language, with very slightvariations; they are all governed bychiefs or kings, and subdivided intonumerous bodies; but they are allCaffres. Of their characters I have onlyto observe, that as far as we haveexperienced, the Caffres of the easterncoast, which we have just left, are very

superior to the others in courage and inevery other good quality. Now, have Imade myself intelligible, Alexander "

"Most clearly so."

"I nevertheless wish we were sittingdown in some safe place instead oftraveling on horseback over thiswithered tract, and that I had the mapbefore me to make you understandbetter."

"I will refer to the map as soon as Ican," replied Alexander; "but I havestudied the map a great deal, andtherefore do not so much require it."

All these Caffre tribes live much thesame life; their wealth is in cattle; theyare partly husbandmen, partlyherdsmen, and partly hunters; and theircontinual conflicts with the wild beastsof the country prepare them forwarriors. The Eastern Caffres, fromwhom we have lately parted, are themost populous; indeed, now that wehave taken from them so much of theircountry, they have scarcely pasturagefor their cattle. I have said that theEastern Caffres' territory extends as faras the latitude of Port Natal, but itformerly extended much further to thenorthward, as it did to the southward,before we drove them from theirterritory; indeed as far north as Delagoa

Bay; all the country between Port Nataland Delagoa Bay being formerlyinhabited by tribes of Caffres. I believe,Alexander, that Mr. Fairburn gave you ahistory of the celebrated monarchChaka, the king of the Zulus "

"Yes, he did."

"Well, it was Chaka who overran thatcountry I am now speaking of, anddrove out all the tribes who occupied it,as well as a large portion of theBechuana tribes who inhabited landsmore to the northward. Now theirruptions we have had into the Caffreand Bechuana country bordering uponthe colony have been wholly brought

about by the devastations committed byChaka. Of course I refer to thoseirruptions which have taken place sinceour knowledge and possession of theCape. I have no doubt that suchirruptions have been continued, andthat they have occurred once in everycentury for ages. They have beenbrought about by a populationincreasing beyond the means ofsubsistence, and have taken place assoon as the overplus have required it.

"The migration of the springboks,which we witnessed yesterday, may bemore frequent, but are not more certainthan those of the central population ofAfrica. The Caffres themselves state

that they formerly came from thenorthward, and won their territory byconquest; and the Hottentots have thesame tradition as regards themselves.

"The invasion of the Mantatees, as theyare called (and by the Eastern CaffresFicani), was nothing more than that ofa people dispossessed of their property,and driven from the territory by theZoolus, under Chaka; and, indeed, thislast array under Quetoo, which hasbeen destroyed within this month, maybe considered as invading from asimilar cause. Having separated fromChaka, Quetoo could find no resting-place, and he therefore came to thesouthward with the intention of

wresting the territory from the Caffres,in which he has failed. Had he notfailed, and been cut off by the Caffres,he would have destroyed them, andthus made room for his own people."

"Of course; for the end of all theseinvasions and migrations must be insuch a sacrifice of human life as toafford sustenance and the means ofsubsistence to those who remain,"observed the Major.

"Precisely; and such must continue tobe the case on this continent, until thearts and civilization have taught menhow to increase the means ofsubsistence. To produce this,

Christianity must be introduced; forChristianity and civilization go hand inhand."

"But the Mantatees or Ficani, who arethey "

"I have already said they were northernCaffre tribes, dispossessed of theirterritory by Chaka. The names of thetribes we do not know. Mantatee, in theCaffre language, signifies an invader,and Ficani also, marauders; both termsapplicable to the people, but certainlynot the names of the tribes.

"I believe, now, I have said enough onthe subject to allow me to enter upon

the history of this last invasion; but, totell the truth, the heat is sooverpowering, and I feel my tongue soparched, that you must excuse me fordeferring this account till anotheropportunity. As soon as we are a littlemore at our ease, I will give you thehistory of the Mantatees."

"We are much obliged to you for whatyou have told us, Swinton, and willspare you for the present," repliedAlexander. "What animals are thoselook!"

"They are gnoos," replied Swinton."There are two varieties of them, thecommon gnoo and the brindled gnoo.

They form an intermediate linkbetween the antelope family and thebovine or ox, and they are very goodeating."

"Then, I wish we were able to go afterthem. They do not seem to be afraid ofus, but approach nearer at every gallopwhich they make."

"Yes, although shy, they have a greatdeal of curiosity," replied Swinton."Watch them now."

The animals bounded away again, asSwinton spoke, and then returned togaze upon the caravan, stirring up thedust with their hoofs, tossing their

manes, and lashing their sides with theirlong tails, as they curvetted and shooktheir heads, sometimes stamping as ifin defiance, and then flying away likethe wind, as if from fear.

"They are safe this time," observedMajor Henderson; "but another day wewill try their mettle."

"You will find them fierce anddangerous when wounded, sir," saidBremen, who had ridden up. "We arenot many miles from the river, for thecattle begin to sniff."

"I am delighted to hear you say so; forthen there must be water near. But the

haze and glare together are so great thatwe can not distinguish above two miles,if so much."

"No, sir," replied the Hottentot; "but Ican see well enough to see them"continued he, pointing with his fingerto a rising ground about a hundredyards off, on the right of them. "One,two, three there are five of them."

"What are they " said the Major,looking in the direction pointed out. "Isee; they are lions."

"Yes, sir; but we must take no notice ofthem, and they will not annoy us. Theyare not hungry."

"You are right," said Swinton, "we mustgo right on, neither stopping norhastening our speed. Let the driver lookto the oxen; for, tired as they are, thesmell of the lions is sufficient to givethem ungovernable strength for themoment."

"Well," said the Major, "bring us ourguns, Bremen. I am willing to acceptthe armed neutrality, if they willconsent to it."

The caravan passed on; the lionsremaining crouched where they were,eying them, it is true, but not risingfrom their beds. The oxen, however,

either through fear of the lions, or thescent of water near, became more briskin their motions, and in half an hourthey perceived a line of trees beforethem, which told them that they werenear the bed of the Nu Gariep orCradock River.

The poor animals redoubled theirexertions, and soon arrived at thebanks. Bremen had ridden forward andreported that there still was water in theriver, but only in pools. As the herbagewas destroyed on the side where theywere, they would have crossed the bedof the river before they unyoked, butthat they found impossible. Theanimals were so impatient for the water,

that, had they not been released, theywould have broken the wagons.

Horses, oxen and sheep all plunged intothe pools together, and for someminutes appeared as though they wouldnever be satisfied. They at last went out,but soon returned again, till their sideswere distended with the quantity of theelement which they had imbibed.

An hour was allowed for the animals torest and enjoy themselves, and then theywere again yoked to drag the wagons tothe other side of the river, where therewas a sufficiency of pasturage and ofwood to make up their fires.

As it was their intention to remain therefor a day or two, the wagons weredrawn up at some distance from theriver, so as not to interfere with thepath by which the wild animals wentdown to drink. The spoors or tracks ofthe lions and buffaloes and otheranimals were so abundant, as to showthat this precaution was necessary.

As soon as the wagons were arrangedin the usual manner, the cattle werepermitted to graze till the evening,when they were brought in andsecured, as usual, inside and round thewagons. They supped off theremainder of the springbok, which wasnot very sweet; but the horses and men

were both too much exhausted with thefatiguing journey to hunt until thefollowing day.

That night they were not disturbed bylions, but the hyenas contrived to crawlunder the wagons, and, having severelybitten one of the oxen, succeeded incarrying off one of the sheep. Theyhad been so often annoyed by theseanimals, that we have never mentionedthem; but on the following morning itwas found that the ox had been soseriously injured that the leg-bone wasbroken, and they were obliged todestroy the animal.

"Were the courage of the hyena equal

to his strength, it would be a mostformidable animal," observed Swinton;"but the fact is, it seldom or neverattacks mankind, although there may betwenty in a troop. At the same time,among the Caffres they very often doenter the huts of the natives, andoccasionally devour children and infirmpeople. But this is greatly owing to theencouragement they receive from thecustom of the Caffres leaving theirdead to be devoured by these animals,which gives them a liking for humanflesh, and makes them more bold toobtain it."

"They must have a tremendous powerin their jaw," observed Alexander.

"They have, and it is given them for all-wise purposes. The hyena and thevulture are the scavengers of thetropical regions. The hyena devourswhat the vulture leaves, which is theskin and bones of a dead carcass. Itspower of jaw is so great, that it breaksthe largest bone with facility."

"Are there many varieties of them "

"In Africa there are four: The commonspotted hyena, or wolf of the colonists,whose smell is so offensive that dogsleave it with disgust after it is killed; itsown fellows will, however, devour itimmediately. The striped or ferocious

hyena, called the shard-wolf, andanother which the colonists call thebay-wolf, and which I believe to be theone known as the laughing hyena.There is another variety, which is a sortof link between the hyena and the dog,called the venatica. It hunts in packs,and the colonists term it the wildhonde. It was first classed by Burchellthe traveler. This last is smaller, butmuch fiercer, than the others."

"I know that there are leopards in thecountry, but we have never yet fallen inwith one. Are they dangerous "

"The leopard shuns any conflict withman, but when driven to desperation it

becomes a formidable antagonist. Irecollect very well two boors havingattacked a leopard, and the animal,being hotly pressed by them andwounded, turned round and sprangupon the one nearest, pulling him tothe ground, biting his shoulder, andtearing him with his claws. The other,seeing the danger of his comrade,sprang from his horse and attempted toshoot the animal through the head. Hemissed, and the leopard left the firstman, sprang upon him, and, strikinghim on the face, tore his scalp downover his eyes. The hunter grappled withthe animal, and at last they rolledtogether down a steep cliff. As soon asthe first hunter could reload his gun, he

rushed after them to save his friend,but it was too late. The animal hadseized him by the throat, and mangledhim so dreadfully, that death wasinevitable and all that the man could dowas to avenge his comrade's death byshooting the leopard."

"That proves the leopard is not to betrifled with."

"No animal is, when it stands at bay, oris driven to desperation; and, inconfirmation of this, I once witnessedone of these animals the quaggaswhich, being pressed to the edge of aprecipice by a mounted hunter, seizedthe man's foot with its teeth, and

actually tore it off, so that, althoughmedical aid was at hand, the man diedfrom loss of blood."

"One would hardly expect such atragical issue to the chase of a wildjackass," observed the Major.

"No; but 'in the midst of life we are indeath,' and we never know fromwhence the blow may come. Until itoccurred, such an event was supposedimpossible, and the very idea wouldhave created nothing but ridicule. Bythe by, one of our good missionarieswas very near losing his life by aleopard. He went to save a Hottentotwho had been seized, and was attacked

by the leopard which, as in the formerinstance, left his first antagonist to meethis second. Fortunately, Mr. S. was avery powerful man, and assistance wassooner given him than in the formerinstance. Neither he nor the Hottentot,however, escaped without severewounds, which confined them formany weeks."

"Is there more than one variety ofleopard, Swinton "

"Yes, there is the common leopard andthe hunting leopard; besides, I think,two or three smaller varieties, as thetiger-cat and wild cat. What do youpropose doing to-day Do you stay here,

or advance, Wilmot "

"Why, the Major wishes to have a shotat the gnoos; he has never killed oneyet; and as I am of his opinion, that aday's rest will recover the oxen, and weare in no hurry, I think we may as wellstop and provision our camp for a fewdays."

"With all my heart. I am sorry that thehyena has added to our store, byobliging us to kill the poor ox; however,it can not be helped. There is a largebody of gnoos and quaggas under thatsmall hill to the westward; but there arebetter animals for the table when we geta little further to the northward."

"Which are those "

"The eland, the largest of the antelopespecies, and sometimes weighing morethan a thousand pounds; moreover,they are very fat, and very easy to rundown. They are excellent eating. When Iwas in the Namaquas' land, wepreferred them to any other food; but Isee another variety of game on theplain there."

"What "

Omrah pointed them out. "They areeither Bushmen (tame Bushmen, asthey are called, in contradistinction to

the others), or else Korannas; mostprobably the latter. They are comingright towards us; but Mahomed saysbreakfast is ready."

By the time that breakfast was finished,a party of twelve Korannas had joinedthe caravan. They made signs that theywere hungry, pointing to the strapswhich confined their stomachs. Theinterpreter told them that they wereabout to hunt, and that they shouldhave some of the game, at which theywere much pleased.

"Do you know what those straps arecalled, round their waists, Wilmot " saidSwinton. "They are called the belts of

famine. All the natives wear them whenhard pressed by hunger, and they saythat they are a great relief. I have nodoubt but such is the fact."

"Well," said the Major, "I hope soon toenable the poor fellows to loosen theirbelts, and fill their stomachs till they areas tight as a drum. Saddle the horses,Bremen. Omrah, you ride my sparehorse and carry my spare rifle."

Omrah, who now understood English,although he spoke but few words, gavea nod of the head and went off to thewagon for the Major's rifle.

CHAPTER XIX.

As soon as the horses were ready, ourtravelers set out in chase of the gnoosand quaggas, which were collected tothe westward of the caravan. Bremen,Swanevelt, and Omrah were mounted,and ten of the Hottentots followedwith their guns, and the Korannas onfoot; among the others, Big Adam, whohad been explaining to those who hadnever seen the gnoos the manner inwhich he used to kill them.

The herd permitted them to approachwithin two hundred yards of them, andthen, after curvetting and prancing, and

galloping in small circles, they stoodstill at about the same distance, looking,with curiosity and anger mixed, at thehorsemen. After a time, they took totheir heels and scoured the plain forabout two miles, when they againstopped, tossing their heads and manes,and stamping as if in defiance.

The mounted party remained quiet tillthose on foot had again drawn near,and the Hottentots, firing their guns,drove the herd within shot of ourtravelers' guns, and three of the gnoosfell, while the others bounded off to agreater distance; but as they neared thecaravan, they again started back, andwere again closed in by the whole party.

The Hottentots now advancedcautiously, creeping as near as theycould to the animals, whose attentionwas directed to the horsemen. TheHottentots were nearly within range,when Omrah, who was mounted onthe Major's spare horse, fastened to theramrod of the Major's rifle a redbandanna handkerchief, which heusually wore round his head, andseparating quickly from the rest of thehorsemen, walked his horse to whereBig Adam was creeping along to gain ashot, and stationed himself behindhim, waving the red handkerchief atthe animals. Omrah was well aware thata gnoo is as much irritated at a red

handkerchief as a bull, and as soon ashe commenced waving it, one of thelargest males stepped out in thatdirection, pawing the ground andpreparing for a charge.

Big Adam, who had no idea thatOmrah was so occupied behind him,now rose to have a shot, and just as herose the gnoo made his charge, and BigAdam, being between the gnoo and thehorse which Omrah rode, was ofcourse the party against whom theanimal's choler was raised.

Omrah, as soon as the animal charged,had wheeled round and galloped away,while in the meantime Big Adam,

perceiving the animal rushing at him,lost all presence of mind, his gun wentoff without effect, and he turned tail;the horns of the gnoo were close uponhim, when of a sudden, to the surpriseof those who were looking on, BigAdam disappeared, and the gnoopassed over where he had been.

"Why, what has become of him " saidAlexander, laughing.

"I don't know, but I think he has had awonderful escape," replied the Major:"he has disappeared like a ghostthrough a trap-door."

"But I see his heels," cried Swinton,

laughing; "he has fallen into an ant-eater's hole, depend upon it; thatmischievous little urchin might havecaused his death."

"It was only to make him prove hissteady aim which he was boasting somuch about," replied the Major; "butstop a moment; I will bring down thatgallant little animal, and then we willlook for big Adam."

But before the Major could get nearenough to the gnoo, which was stilltearing up the ground and looking forhis adversary, Omrah, who had put bythe handkerchief, advanced with theMajor's rifle, and brought the animal

down. A volley was at the same timedischarged at the herd by theHottentots, and three more fell, afterwhich the remainder scampered away,and were soon out of sight.

They then rode up to where Big Adamhad disappeared, and found him, asSwinton had supposed, in a deep ant-eater's hole, head downward, andbellowing for help. His feet were justabove the surface, and that was all; theHottentots helped him out, and BigAdam threw himself on his back, andseemed exhausted with fright andhaving been so long in a reversedposition, and was more vexed at thelaugh which was raised against him.

The gnoos were soon cut up, and whenthe Hottentots had taken away as muchas they required, the rest of thecarcasses were made over to the hungryKorannas. Swinton shook his head atOmrah, who pretended that he did notunderstand why, until the laughter ofAlexander and the Major was joined inby Swinton himself.

As they had pretty well fatigued theirhorses in the chase, they resolved toreturn to the caravan, and keep them asfresh as they could for future service.They dined and supped on the flesh ofthe gnoos, which was approved of, andafter supper Alexander said "And now,

Swinton, if you feel inclined, the Majorand I will be very glad to hear yourhistory of the Mantatees."

"With pleasure," replied Swinton. "Theassemblage of tribes known as theMantatees or Invaders, according to thebest authorities we can collect,inhabited the countries to the westwardof the Zoolu territory, in the samelatitude, which is that of Delagoa Bay.As all these tribes subsist almostentirely upon the flesh and the milk oftheir cattle, if deprived of them, theyare driven to desperation, and musteither become robbers in their turn, orperish by hunger. Such was the case ofthe Mantatees. Unable to withstand the

attacks of the Zoolus, they were drivenfrom their country, and joined theirforces with others who had shared thesame fate.

"Such was the origin of the Mantatees,who, although they had not courage towithstand the attacks of the Zoolus,were stimulated by desperation andfamine to a most extraordinary couragein the attacks which they made uponothers.

"Forming an immense body, now thatthey were collected together,accompanied by their wives andchildren, and unable to procure thenecessary subsistence, it is certain that

their habits were so far changed thatthey at last became cannibals, and weredriven to prey upon the dead bodies oftheir enemies, or the flesh of theircomrades who fell in the combats.

"The Bechuana tribes, who are theCaffres of the interior, were the firstassailed, their towns sacked andburned, and their cattle seized anddevoured. They proceeded on to theWankeets, one of the Damara tribes,who inhabit the western coast to thenorthward of the Namaqua Land; butthe Wankeets were a brave people, andprepared for them, and the Mantateeswere driven back with great slaughter.Astounded at their defeat, they turned

to the southward, and invaded theBechuana country.

"At that time our missionaries hadestablished themselves at Koranna, andwhen the report of the Mantateesadvancing was brought to them, theBechuanas were in a greatconsternation; for although finer-looking men than the eastern Caffres,they are not by any means so brave andwarlike.

"As the advance of these people wouldhave been the ruin of the mission, aswell as the destruction of the tribe,who were afraid to encounter them, Mr.M., the missionary, determined upon

sending for the assistance of theGriquas, the people whom I havebefore mentioned, and who had notonly horses, but were well armed. TheGriquas came under their chief,Waterboer, and marched against theenemy, accompanied by a large army ofBechuanas, who, encouraged by thepresence of the Griquas, now wentforth to the combat.

"The Mantatees had at that timeadvanced as far, and had takenpossession of, Litakoo, a Bechuanatown, containing 16,000 inhabitants;and I will now give, as nearly as I canrecollect it, the account of Mr. M., themissionary at Kuruman, who

accompanied the Griquas to proposeand effect, if it were possible, anamicable arrangement with theinvaders.

"He told me that as they proceededwith a small party, ahead of the Griquaforce, to effect their purpose, theypassed by numbers of the enemy, whohad advanced to the pools to drink,and had there sunk down and expiredfrom famine. As they neared the massof the enemy, they found that all thecattle which they had captured wereinclosed in the center of a vastmultitude. They attempted a parley, butthe enemy started forward, and hurledtheir spears with the most savage fury,

and they were compelled to retreat,finding no hopes of obtaining a parley.

"The next day it was decided that theGriquas should advance. Theynumbered about one hundred well-mounted and well-armed men. Theenemy flew at them with terrible howls,hurling their javelins and clubs; theirblack dismal appearance, their savagefury, and their hoarse loud voicesproducing a strange effect. TheGriquas, to prevent their beingsurrounded, very wisely retreated.

"It was at last decided that the Griquasshould fire, and it was hoped that asthe Mantatees had never seen the

effects of fire-arms they would behumbled and alarmed, and thus furtherbloodshed might be prevented. Manyof the Mantatees fell; but, although thesurvivors looked with astonishmentupon the dead and their woundedwarriors writhing in the dust, they flewwith lion-like vengeance at thehorsemen, wrenching the weaponsfrom the hands of their dyingcompanions, to replace those whichthey had already discharged at theirantagonists.

"As those who thus stepped out fromthe main body to attack the Griquaswere the chiefs of the Mantatees, andmany of them were killed, their deaths,

one after the other, disheartened thewhole body.

"After the Griquas had commenced theattack, the Bechuana army came up andassisted with their poisoned arrows,with which they plied the enemy; but asmall body of the fierce Mantatees,sallying out, put the whole of theBechuanas to flight.

"After a combat of two hours and ahalf, the Griquas, finding theirammunition failing, determined, atgreat risk, to charge the whole body.They did so, and the Mantatees gaveway, and fled in a westerly direction;but they were intercepted by the

Griquas, and another charge beingmade, the whole was pell-mell andconfusion.

"Mr. M. says that the scene which nowpresented itself was most awful, andthe state of suspense most cruel. Theundulating country around wascovered with warriors Griquas,Mantatees, and Bechuanas, all inmotion so that it was impossible to saywho were enemies and who werefriends. Clouds of dust rose from theimmense masses, some flying, otherspursuing; and to their screams and yellswere added the bellowing of the oxen,the shouts of the yet unvanquishedwarriors, the groans of the dying, and

the wails of women and of children.At last the enemy retreated to the town,which they set in flames, to add to thehorror of the scene.

"Then another desperate struggleensued, the Mantatees attempted toinclose the Griquas in the burningtown; but not succeeding, they fledprecipitately. Strange to say, theMantatee forces were divided into twoparts, and during the time that theGriquas engaged the one, the otherremained in the town, having suchconfidence in the former that they didnot come to their assistance.

"When the town was set on fire, both

armies united, and retreated together tothe northward, in a body of not lessthan 40,000 warriors. As soon as theMantatees retreated, the Bechuanascommenced the work of slaughter.Women and children were butcheredwithout mercy; but as for the woundedMantatees, it appeared as if nothingwould make them yield. There weremany instances of an individual beingsurrounded by fifty Bechuanas, but aslong as life remained he fought.

"Mr. M. says that he saw more than oneinstance of a Mantatee fighting wildlyagainst numbers, with ten or twelvearrows and spears pierced in his body.Struggling with death, the men would

rally, raise themselves from the ground,discharge their weapons, and fall dead,their revengeful and hostile spirit onlyceasing when life was extinct."

"And yet these same people permittedtheir own country to be taken fromthem by the Zoolus."

"Yes, it was so; but want and necessityhad turned them into desperatewarriors."

"I wonder they never thought of goingback and recovering their own country.They would have been a match for theZoolus. Is that the end of their history,Swinton "

"No, not quite. But perhaps you aretired "

"Oh, no. Pray go on."

"The Mantatees, although defeated bythe Griquas, soon recovered theircourage, and intelligence came that theywere about to make a descent uponKuruman, where the missionaries hadtheir station. The Mantatees, havingbeen informed that the Griquas hadgone home, now determined to revengethemselves upon the Bechuanas, whomthey considered but as the dust undertheir feet.

"On this information, Mr. M. wrote toWaterboer, who commanded theGriquas, requesting his immediatereturn; but Waterboer replied that animmense body of Mantatees werecoming down upon the Griquas by theVal or Yellow River, and that they wereforced to remain, to defend their ownproperty, advising Mr. M. to retreat withhis family to the Griqua town, and putthemselves under their protection.

"As they could no longer remain, themission station was abandoned, andthe missionaries, with their wives andfamilies, retreated to Griqua town. Theyhad not, however, been long at Griquatown before news arrived that both the

bodies of Mantatees had altered theirroutes. One portion of them wenteastward, toward the country fromwhich they had been driven by theZoolus, and another, it appears, tookpossession of the country near thesources of the Orange River, where formany years they carried on a predatorywarfare with the tribes in that district.At last a portion of them wereincorporated, and settled down on thatpart which is now known as theMantatee new country; the remaindermade an irruption into the easternCaffre country, where they were knownas the Ficani."

"And what became of them "

"They defeated one or two of theCaffre chiefs, and the Caffres imploredthe assistance of the English colonists,which was granted, and a large armedforce was sent out against the invaders.They were found located for they hadbuilt a town near the sources of theUmtata River. The Caffres joined withall their forces, and the Ficani weresurprised. A horrid slaughter tookplace; muskets, artillery and Congreverockets were poured upon theunfortunate wretches, who werehemmed in on all sides by the Caffres,and the unfortunate Ficani may be saidto have been exterminated, for theCaffres spared neither man, woman nor

child. Such is the history of theMantatees; their destruction washorrible, but perhaps unavoidable."

"Very true," observed Alexander; "I cannot help thinking that desolatingcontests like these are permitted by acontrolling Providence aschastisements, yet with a gracious end;for, surely it was better that they shouldmeet with immediate death, than lingertill famine put an end to their misery.This is certain, that they must havebeen destroyed, or others destroyed tomake room for them. In either case agreat sacrifice of life was to beincurred. War, dreadful as it is in detail,appears to be one of the necessary evils

of human existence, and a means bywhich we do not increase so rapidly asto devour each other.

"I don't know whether you have madethe observation, but it appears to methe plague and cholera are almostnecessary in the countries where theybreak out; and it is very remarkable thatthe latter disease never made itsappearance in Europe (at least not forcenturies, I may say) until after peacehad been established, and the increaseof population was so rapid.

"During the many years that Europewas devastated and the populationthinned by war, we had no cholera, and

but little of one or two other epidemicswhich have since been very fatal. WhatI mean to infer is, that the hand ofProvidence may be seen in all this.Thus sanguinary wars and thedesolating ravages of disease, which arein themselves afflictive visitations, andprobably chastisements for nationalsins, may nevertheless have the effect, insome cases, of preventing the miserieswhich result from an undue increase ofpopulation."

"You may be quite right, Alexander,"observed Swinton; "the ways ofHeaven are inscrutably mysterious, andwhen we offer up prayers for theremoval of what may appear to be a

heavy calamity, we may be deprecatingthat which in the end may prove amercy."

"One thing I could not help remarkingin your narrative, Swinton," observedthe Major, "which is the position of themissionaries during this scene of terror.You passed it slightly over, but it musthave been most trying."

"Most surely it was."

"And yet I have not only read but heardmuch said against them, and strongopposition made to subscriptions fortheir support."

"I grant it, but it is because peopleknow that a great deal of money hasbeen subscribed, and do not know theuses to which it is applied. They hearreports read, and find perhaps that thelight of the Gospel has but as yetglimmered in one place or another; thatin other places all labor has hithertobeen thrown away. They forget that it isthe grain of mustard-seed which is tobecome a great tree, and spread itsbranches; they wish for immoderatereturns, and are therefore disappointed.Of course I can not give an opinion asto the manner in which the missionsare conducted in other countries; but asI have visited most of the missions inthese parts, I can honestly assert, and I

think you have already yourself seenenough to agree with me, that themoney intrusted to the societies is notthrown away or lavishly expended; themissionaries labor with their ownhands, and almost provide for theirown support."

"There I agree with you, Swinton,"replied Alexander; "but what are theobjections raised against them for nowthat I have seen them with my owneyes, I can not imagine what they canbe."

"The objections which I have heard,and have so often attempted to refute,are, that the generality of missionaries

are a fanatical class of men, who aremore anxious to inculcate the peculiartenets of their own sects anddenominations than the religion of ourSaviour; that most of them areuneducated and vulgar men many ofthem very intemperate and veryinjudicious some few of them of badmoral character; and that theirexertions, if they have used themwhether to civilize or to Christianizethe people among whom they are senthave not been followed by anycommensurate results."

"And now let us have your replies tothese many objections."

"It is no doubt true that themissionaries who are laboring amongthe savages of the interior are, many, ifnot most of them, people of limitededucation. Indeed, the major portionof them have been brought up asmechanics. But I much questionwhether men of higher attainments andmore cultivated minds would be betteradapted to meet the capacities ofunintellectual barbarians. A highly-educated man may be appreciatedamong those who are educatedthemselves; but how can he beappreciated by the savage On thecontrary, the savage looks with muchmore respect upon a man who canforge iron, repair his weapons, and

excite his astonishment by his cunningworkmanship; for then the savageperceives and acknowledges hissuperiority, which in the man ofintellect he would never discover.

"Besides, admitting that it would bepreferable to employ persons of highermental attainments, where are they tobe found Could you expect, when somany laborers are required in thevineyard, a sufficient number ofvolunteers among the young menbrought up at the universities Wouldthey be able to submit to thoseprivations, and incur those hardships,to which the African missionaries areexposed Would they be able to work

hard and labor for their daily bread, orbe willing to encounter such toil andsuch danger as must be encountered bythose who are sent here I fear not. Andallow me here to remark, that at the firstpreaching of Christianity it was nottalented and educated men who wereselected by our Saviour; out of thetwelve, the Apostle Paul was the onlyone who had such claims.

"If we had beheld the Galileanfishermen mending their nets, shouldwe have ever imagined that thosehumble laborers were to be the peoplewho should afterward regenerate theworld should overthrow the idolatriesand crumble the superstitions of

ancient empires and kingdoms and thatwhat they uneducated, but, we admit,divinely inspired and supported hadtaught should be joyfully received, as itis now, we may say, from the rising tothe setting of the sun, to the utmostboundaries of the earth "

"Most truly and most admirably argued,Swinton," replied Alexander. "TheAlmighty, as if to prove howinsignificant in his sight is all humanpower, has often made use of themeanest instruments to accomplish thegreatest ends. Who knows but that evenour keeping holy the Sabbath-day inthe desert may be productive of somegood, and be the humble means of

advancing the Divine cause We mustever bear in mind the counsel, 'In themorning sow thy seed, and in theevening withhold not thy hand; forthou knowest not whether shallprosper, either this or that, or whetherthey both shall be alike good.'"

"Surely so," replied Swinton; "thenatives consider us as a superior race;they see our worship, and they are ledto think that must be right which theyperceive is done by those to whom theylook up as their superiors. It mayinduce them to inquire and to receiveinformation eventually to be enrolledamong the followers of our Saviour. Itis, however, not to be denied that in

some few instances persons have beenchosen for the office of missionarieswho have proved themselves unworthy;but that must and will ever be the casewhere human agents are employed. Butit argues no more against the generalrespectability and utility of themissionaries as a body, than theadmission of the traitor Judas amongthe apostles. To the efficacy of theirworks, and their zeal in the cause, Imyself, having visited the station, haveno hesitation in bearing testimony.Indeed I can not but admire theexemplary fortitude, the wonderfulpatience and perseverance, which themissionaries have displayed.

"These devoted men are to be found inthe remotest deserts, accompanying thewild and wandering savages from placeto place, suffering from hunger andfrom thirst, destitute of almost everycomfort, and at times without even thenecessaries of life. Some of them havewithout murmuring spent their wholelives in such service; and yet their zeal isset down as fanaticism by those whoremain at home, and assert that themoney raised for their equipment isthrown away. Happily, they have notlooked for their reward in this world,but have built their hopes upon thatwhich is to come."

"That the people who joined the

Mission stations have become morecivilized, and that they are very superiorto their countrymen, is certain,"observed the Major; "but have you seenany proof of Christianity havingproduced any remarkably good effectamong the natives I mean one thatmight be brought forward asconvincing evidence to those who haveshown themselves inimical orlukewarm in the cause."

"Yes," replied Swinton, "the history ofAfricaner is one; and there are others,although not so prominent as that ofthe party to whom I refer."

"Well, Swinton, you must now be again

taxed. You must give us the history ofAfricaner."

"That I will, with pleasure, that youmay be able to narrate it, whenrequired, in support of the missions.Africaner was a chief, and a descendantof chiefs of the Hottentot nation, whoonce pastured their own flocks andherds on their own native hills, within ahundred miles of Cape Town. As theDutch colonists at the Cape increased,so did they, as Mr. Fairburn has statedto Alexander, dispossess the Hottentotsof their lands, and the Hottentots,unable to oppose their invaders,gradually found themselves more andmore remote from the possessions of

their forefathers.

"After a time, Africaner and hisdiminished clan found themselvescompelled to join and take serviceunder a Dutch boor, and for some timeproved himself a most faithfulshepherd in looking after and securingthe herds of his employer. Had theDutch boor behaved with commonhumanity, not to say gratitude, towardthose who served him so well, he mightnow have been alive; but, like all therest of his countrymen, he consideredthe Hottentots as mere beasts ofburden, and at any momentary angerthey were murdered and hunted downas if they were wild animals.

"Africaner saw his clan dailydiminished by the barbarity of hisfeudal master, and at last resolved uponno further submission. As theBushmen were continually makingattempts upon the cattle of the boor,Africaner and his people had not onlybeen well trained to fire-arms, but hadthem constantly in their possession. Hisassumed master, having an idea thatthere would be a revolt, resolved uponsending a portion of Africaner's peopleto a distant spot, where he intended tosecure them, and by their destructionweaken the power of the clan.

"This, as he was a sort of magistrate, he

had the power to enforce; butAfricaner, suspecting his views,resolved to defeat them. Order afterorder was sent to the huts of Africanerand his people. They positively refusedto comply. They requested to be paidfor their long services, and be permittedto retire further into the interior. Thiswas sternly denied, and they wereordered to appear at the house of theboor. Fearful of violence, yetaccustomed to obey his order, Africanerand his brothers went up; but one ofhis brothers concealed his gun underhis cloak. On their arrival, the boorcame out and felled Africaner to theground. His brother immediately shotthe boor with his gun, and thus did the

miscreant meet with the just reward ofhis villainies and murder.

"The wife, who had witnessed themurder of her husband, shrieked andimplored mercy; they told her that sheneed not be alarmed, but requested thatthe guns and ammunition in the houseshould be delivered up to them, whichwas immediately done. Africaner thenhastened back to his people, collectedthem and all his cattle, with what effectsthey could take with them, and directedhis course to the Orange River.

"He was soon out of the reach of hispursuers, for it required time in soscattered a district to collect a sufficient

force. Africaner fixed his abode uponthe banks of the Orange River, andafterward a chief ceding to him hisdominion in Great Namaqua land, theterritory became his by right as well asby conquest. I think I had better leaveoff now; it is getting late, and we mustto bed, if we are to start early to-morrow morning."

"We will have mercy upon you,Swinton, and defer our impatience,"said the Major. "Good-night to you,and may you not have a lion'sserenade."

"No, I hope not; their music is too loudto be agreeable; good-night."

CHAPTER XX.

Having filled their water-kegs, the nextmorning at day-light they yoked theoxen and left the banks of the Cradockor Black River, to proceed more to thenorthward, through the Bushmen'scountry; but as they were aware thatthere was no water to be procured, ifthey quitted the stream altogether, tillthey arrived at the Val or Yellow River,they decided upon following the courseof the Black River to the westward forsome time, before they struck off forthe Val or Yellow River, near to which

they expected to fall in with plenty ofgame, and particularly the giraffe andrhinoceros.

Although at that season of the year theriver was nearly dry, still there was ascanty herbage on and near its bank,intermixed with beds of rushes andhigh reeds; this was sufficient for thepasture of the cattle, but it was infestedwith lions and other animals, which atthe dry season of the year kept near theriver-bank for a supply of water.

By noon they had proceeded aboutfifteen miles to the westward, and asthey advanced they found that thesupply of water in the river was more

abundant; they then unyoked the cattleto allow them to feed till the evening,for it was too dangerous to turn themloose at night. As they were in no hurry,they resolved that they would onlytravel for the future from daylight tillnoon; the afternoon and evening wereto be spent in hunting, and at nightthey were to halt the caravan and secureevery thing as before, by inclosing thehorses and sheep, and tying up theoxen.

By this arrangement the cattle wouldnot be exhausted with their labor, andthey would have time to follow theobject of their journey that of huntingthe wild animals with which the

country abounded, and also ofprocuring a constant supply of foodfor themselves and their attendants.

Having now traveled as far as theywished, they stopped at the foot of arising ground, about a quarter of a milefrom the river's bank, and which wason the outskirts of a large clump ofmimosa and other trees. As soon as thecattle were unyoked and had gonedown to the river to drink, our travelersordered their horses to be saddled, andas the banks of the river on that sidewere low, they rode up to the risingground to view the country beyond,and to ascertain what game might be insight.

When they arrived at the summit, andwere threading their way through thetrees, Omrah pointed to a brokenbranch, and said, "Elephant here notlong ago."

Bremen said that Omrah was right, andthat the animals could not have leftmore than a week, and that probablythey had followed the course of thestream. The print of another foot wasobserved by Omrah, and he pointed itout; but not knowing the name to givethe animal in English or Dutch, heimitated its motions.

"Does he mean a gnoo " said

Alexander.

Omrah shook his head, and, raising hishands up, motioned that the animalwas twice as big.

"Come here, Bremen; what print of ahoof is this " said Swinton.

"Buffalo, sir, fresh print was here lastnight."

"That's an animal that I am anxious toslay," said the Major.

"You must be very careful that he doesnot slay you," replied Swinton; "for it isa most dangerous beast, almost as

much so as a lion."

"Well, we must not return without one,at all events," said Alexander; "norwithout a lion also, as soon as we canfind one alone; but those we have seenin the daytime have always been inthrees and fours, and I think the oddstoo great with our party; but the firstsingle lion we fall in with, I vote we tryfor his skin."

"Agreed," replied the Major; "what doyou say, Swinton "

"Why, I say agreed also; but as I camehere to look for other things ratherthan lions, I should say, as far as I am

concerned, that the best part of valorwould be discretion. However, dependupon it, if you go after a lion I shall bewith you: I have often been at thedestruction of them when with Dutchboors; but then recollect we have nohorses to spare, and therefore we mustnot exactly follow their method."

"How do they hunt the lions, then "inquired Alexander.

"They hunt them more for self-defensethan for pleasure," replied Swinton;"but on the outskirts of the colony thelions are so destructive to the herds,that the colonists must destroy them.They generally go out, ten or twelve of

them, with their long guns, not fewer ifpossible; and you must recollect thatthese boors are not only very cool,brave men, but most excellent shots. Ifear you will not find that numberamong our present party, as, with theexception of our three selves andBreman and Swanevelt, I do not believethat there is one man here who wouldface a lion; so that when we do attackone, it will be at a disadvantage.

"The Dutch boors, as soon as they haveascertained where the lion lies,approach the bushes to within amoderate distance, and then alighting,they make all their horses fast togetherwith their bridles and halters. In this

there is danger, as sometimes the lionwill spring out upon them at once, and,if so, probably not only horses but menare sacrificed. If the lion remains quiet,which is usually the case, they advancetoward him within thirty paces orthereabouts, as they know that hegenerally makes a spring at half thatdistance; but as they advance, they backtheir horses toward him, as a shield infront of them, knowing that the lionwill spring upon the horses.

"As they move forward, the lion at firstlooks at them very calmly, and veryoften wags his tail as if in a playfulhumor; but when they approach nearer,he growls, as if to warn them off. Then,

as they continue to approach, hegradually draws up his hind legs underhis body, ready for a spring at them assoon as they are within distance, andyou see nothing of him except hisbristling mane and his eyes glaring likefire; for he is then fully enraged, and inthe act of springing the next moment.

"This is the critical moment, and thesignal is given for half the party to fire.If they are not successful in laying himdead on the spot with this first volley,he springs like a thunderbolt upon thehorses. The remainder of the party thenfire, and seldom fail to put an end tohim; but generally one or more of thehorses are either killed or so wounded

as to be destroyed in consequence; andsometimes, although rarely, one or moreof the hunters share the same fate. Soyou observe that, with every advantage,it is a service of danger, and thereforeshould not be undertaken without dueprecaution."

"Very true, Swinton; but it will neverdo to return to the Cape withouthaving killed a lion."

"As you please; but even that would bebetter than being killed yourself by alion, and not returning at all. However,my opinion is that you will have to killa lion before you have traveled muchfurther, without going in quest of him.

There are hundreds of them here; asmany as there are in Namaqua-land."

"Look, master!" said Bremen, pointingto seven or eight splendid antelopesabout a mile distant.

"I see," replied the Major. "What arethey "

"Gemsbok," said Swinton. "Now I willthank you for a specimen of thatbeautiful creature, if you can get it forme. We must dismount, leave ourhorses here, and crawl along from treeto tree, and bush to bush, till we getwithin shot."

"They are, indeed, noble animals. Lookat that large male, which appears to bethe leader and master of the herd. Whatsplendid horns!" cried Alexander.

"Give the horses to Omrah andSwanevelt. Bremen shall go with us.Hist; not a word; they are looking inthis direction." said the Major.

"Recollect to try for the large male. Iwant him most particularly," saidSwinton.

"Master," said Bremen, "We must creeptill we get those bushes between us andthe game. Then we can crawl throughthe bushes and get a good shot."

"Yes, that will be the best plan," saidSwinton. "As softly as we can, for theyare very shy animals."

They followed one another for two orthree hundred yards, creeping from onecovert to another, till they had placedthe bushes on the plain between themand the herd. They then stopped a littleand reconnoitered. The herd ofantelopes had left off feeding, and nowhad all their heads turned toward thebushes, and in the direction where theywere concealed; the large male rather inadvance of the others, with his longhorns pointing forward, and his noseclose to the ground. Our party kept

silence for some time, watching theanimals; but none of them movedmuch from their positions; and as forthe male, he remained as if he were astatue.

"They must have scented us,"whispered Alexander.

"No, sir," said Bremen; "the wind blowsfrom them to us. I can't think what theyare about. But perhaps they may haveseen us."

"At all events, we shall gain nothing byremaining here; we shall be moreconcealed as we descend and approachthem," observed the Major.

"That is true; so come along. Creep likemice," said Swinton.

They did so, and at last arrived at thepatch of brushwood which wasbetween them and the antelopes, andwere now peeping and creeping to findout an opening to fire through, whenthey heard a rustling within. Brementouched the sleeve of the Major andbeckoned a retreat, and motioned tothe others; but before they coulddecide, as they did not know why theHottentot proposed it, for he did notspeak himself, and put his hand to hismouth as a hint to them to be silent, aroar like thunder came from the bushes,

within three yards of them,accompanied with a rushing noisewhich could not be mistaken. It wasthe roar and spring of the lion; andthey looked round amazed andstunned, to ascertain who was thevictim.

"Merciful Heaven!" exclaimedAlexander, "and no one hurt!"

"No, master; lion spring at antelope.Now we shall find him on other sideof the bush, and kill him easy, when hiseyes are shut."

Bremen led the way round the copse,followed by our travelers; they soon

arrived on the other side of it, withtheir guns all ready; but on their arrival,to their astonishment they perceived thelion and the male gemsbok lyingtogether. The antelope was dead, butthe lion still alive; though the horns ofthe gemsbok had passed through hisbody. At the sight of the hunters, thelion, pierced through as he was, raisedhis head with a loud roar, and struckout with his paw, as he twisted towardthem, his eyes glowing like hot coals,and showing his tremendous fangs.Alexander was the first who fired, andthe ball penetrating the brain of thenoble animal, it fell down dead uponthe body of the antelope.

"This is the finest sight I everwitnessed," observed Swinton. "I haveheard that the gemsboks' horns aresometimes fatal to the lion, but I couldhardly credit it. They have passed nearlythrough his body; the points are underthe skin."

"Now we know, master, why gemsbokhave his nose to the ground and hishorn pointed," said Bremen; "he sawthe lion, and fought him to save hisherd."

"I am quite stunned yet," observedAlexander. "What a noble animal it is!Well, at all events I can say that I haveshot a lion, which is more than you can,

Major."

"I only wish that when I shoot one Imay have no more danger to incur,"replied the Major. "What a differentidea does one have of a lion in amenagerie and one in its free and nativestate. Why, the menagerie lions can'troar at all; they are nothing butovergrown cats, compared to the lionof the desert."

"That is very true," observed Swinton;"however, I am delighted, for now Ihave not only my gemsbok, which is agem above price, but also as fine a lionas I have ever seen. I should like tohave them stuffed and set up just as

they were before Alexander killed them.His rage and agony combined weremost magnificent. After all, the lion isthe king of the beasts. Bremen, sendSwanevelt to the caravan for some ofthe men. I must have both skin andskeleton of the antelope, and the skinof the lion."

Our travelers were quite satisfied withthe sport of the day, and after waitingfor some time, while the Hottentotsdisentangled the animals and took offthe skins, they returned to the caravan,Omrah having secured a portion of theflesh of the gemsbok for their supper.

As they were returning, they observed a

herd of buffaloes at a great distance,and proposed to themselves thehunting of them after they had haltedon the following day, if the animalswere at any reasonable distance fromthem. At supper the flesh of theantelope was pronounced better thanthat of the gnoo; and after supper, assoon as the cattle had been all secured,and the fires lighted, Alexanderproposed that Swinton should finishhis history of Africaner.

"If I remember right, I left off whereAfricaner and his people had escapedto Namaqua-land, where he became achief. Attempts were made to take himprisoner and bring him to the colony,

but without success. Expedition afterexpedition failed, and Africaner daredthem to approach his territories. At last,the colonists had recourse to theGriquas, and offered them a largereward if they would bring Africanerin.

"The Griquas, commanded by acelebrated chief of the name ofBerend, made several attempts, and inconsequence a cruel war was carried onbetween Berend and Africaner, inwhich neither party gained theadvantage. Africaner, discovering thatthe colonists had bribed Berend tomake war against him, now turned hiswrath against them. A Dutch boor fell a

victim to his fury, and he carried offlarge quantities of their cattle, andeventually Africaner became the terrorof the colony. The natives also whoresided in Namaqua-land commenceddepredations upon Africaner, but herepaid them with such interest that atlast every tribe fled at his approach, andhis name carried dismay into theirsolitary wastes. The courage andintrepidity shown by Africaner and hisbrothers in their various combats weremost remarkable; but to narrate all hisadventures would occupy too muchtime. It is certain that he not onlybecame dreaded, but in consequence ofhis forbearance on several occasions hewas respected.

"It was in 1810 that the missionariescame into the Namaqua-land, and itunfortunately happened that a disputearose about some of Africaner'sproperty which was seized, and at thesame time Africaner lost some cattle.The parties who were at variance withAfricaner lived near to the Missionstation, and very unwisely the people atthe Mission station were permitted togo to their assistance.

"This roused the anger of Africaner,who vowed vengeance on the Missionand the people collected around it orconnected with it. As Africaner hadcommenced his attacks upon the

Namaquas, and was advancing towardthe mission, the missionaries werecompelled to abandon the station andreturn to the colony. The Missionstation was soon afterward takenpossession of by Africaner, and thehouses burned to the ground.

"A curious circumstance occurredduring this affair: his followers wereseeking everywhere for plunder, whensome of them entered the burialground, and one of them, treading onan apparently new made grave, wasastonished by soft notes of musicproceeding from the ground beneath.

"Superstitious as the natives are, and

having most of them, in former days,heard something of the Christiandoctrines, they started and stoodtransfixed with astonishment, expectingthe dead to arise, as they had been oncetold. One of them mustered courage toput his foot again upon the spot, andthe reply was soft and musical asbefore. Away they all started toAfricaner, to inform him that there waslife and music in the grave.

"The chief, who feared neither theliving nor the dead, went to the burial-ground with his men, and jumpedupon the spot, which immediately gaveout the soft note as before. Africanerordered an immediate exhumation,

when the source of the mystery provedto be the piano-forte of themissionary's wife, which being toocumbrous an article to take away, hadbeen buried there, with the hope ofbeing one day able to recover it. Neverhaving seen such an instrument before,Africaner had it dissected for the sakeof the brass wires; and thus the pianowas destroyed."

"I doubt if it would ever have been dugup in Caffreland," observed Alexander.

"I am convinced it never would havebeen, but have remained as a wonderand object of fear as long as it heldtogether," replied Swinton; "but to

proceed

"The Mission station having been forsome time broken up by this attack ofAfricaner, Mr. C., a missionary, anxiousto restore it, wrote a letter to Africaneron the subject, and received a favorablereply, and a Mr. E. was sent to theresidence of Africaner himself. After ashort time, Africaner and his twobrothers, with a number of others, werebaptized.

"At first it must be admitted that theirprofession of Christianity did notgreatly improve their conduct; but thiswas very much to be ascribed to thecircumstance that the duties of the

station had devolved upon one whoought not to have been selected for thetask. Upon his removal, and a morefitting minister of the Gospel taking hisplace, a great change was soonobservable in Africaner; and, fromhaving been one of the mostremorseless pursuers of his vengeancea firebrand spreading discord, war andanimosity among the neighboring tribeshe would now make every concessionand any sacrifice to prevent collisionand bloodshed between contendingparties.

"Although his power was so great thathe might have raised his arm and daredthem to lift a spear or draw a bow, he

would entreat them as a suppliant to bereconciled.

"'Look at me,' he would say, 'how manybattles have I fought; how much cattlehave I taken; but what has it done forme, but make me full of shame andsorrow '

"In short, from that time till he died, hebecame a peacemaker and a Christian,both in word and deed. His whole lifewas devoted to acts of kindness andcharity to instructing and exhorting,and following the precepts of Him inwhose faith eventually he lived anddied."

"Well, Swinton, you have indeed givenus a remarkable proof that themissionary labors are not alwaysthrown away, and we thank you foryour compliance with our request."

"It is a remarkable instance, if you onlyconsider how many hundreds of livesmight have been sacrificed, if Africanerhad continued his career of slaughterand of plunder; and how many lives, Imay add, have been also saved by hisinterference as a peacemaker, instead ofbeing, as he formerly was, a promoterof war and bloodshed."

"Swinton," said Alexander, "I wantedto ask you a question which I had

nearly forgotten. Do you recollect whatBremen said to us, that the lion hadseized the gemsbok, and that now thelion would shut his eyes, and that hewould shoot him "

"Yes, I do; and he was correct in whathe stated, for I have witnessed it myself.When a lion seizes a large animal likean ox or horse, or the animal he fell amartyr to this afternoon, he springsupon it, seizes it by the throat with histerrible fangs, and holds it down withhis paws till it expires. From themoment the lion seizes his prey, heshuts his eyes, and never opens themagain until the life of his prey is extinct.I remember a Hottentot, when a lion

had seized an ox in this way, runningup to him with his gun and firingwithin a few yards' distance. The lion,however, did not deign to notice thereport of the gun, but continued tohold fast his prey. The Hottentotloaded again, fired, and again missed;reloaded again, and then shot the lionthrough the head."

"How very strange!"

"It is, and I can not give any reason forit; but that it is so, I well know to be afact. Perhaps it may be that the animal,after long fasting, is quite absorbedwith the grateful taste of the bloodflowing into his mouth, while the

animal is writhing under his clutches.But there are many singular pointsabout the lion, which is a much morenoble and intelligent animal than mostpeople have any idea of; I havecollected a number of facts relative tohis majesty which would surprise you.The Bushmen know the animal and hishabits so well, that they seldom cometo any accident from their inhabiting acountry in which I really believe thepopulation of lions exceeds that ofBushmen."

"Is it true that the lion, as well as otheranimals, is afraid of the eye of man "said the Major; "can you reply to thatquestion "

"Yes, I can," answered Swinton; "I wasabout to say that he is and is not, but abetter answer will be to give you whathas come to my knowledge: I considerthat the lion is a much more dangerousanimal in this country, and indeed inany other where there are no firearms,than where the occupants are possessedof them.

"It may appear strange, but it is myfixed opinion, that the lion has an ideaof the deadly nature of firearms, andthat he becomes in consequence moreafraid of man. You remember a story Itold you of a lion watching a man fortwo days without destroying him, but

never permitting him to lay hold of hisgun. Now it is satisfactorily proved thata lion will pass a man who has a gun inhis hand without attacking him,provided that he does not attempt tolevel the gun; but the moment that hedoes he will spring upon him.

"An instance of that occurred to thegreat lion-hunter Diedrich Muller, whomentioned it to me. He had been alonehunting in the wilds, when he camesuddenly upon a large lion, which,instead of giving way as they usuallydo, seemed disposed, from the angryattitude which he assumed, to disputehis progress.

"Muller instantly alighted, and,confident of his unerring aim, leveledhis gun at the forehead of the lion,which had crouched in the act tospring, within sixteen paces of him; butas he fired, his horse, whose bridle wasround his arm, started back, and,jerking him aside, caused him to miss;the lion bounded forward, but stoppedwithin a few paces, confronting Muller,who stood defenseless, as his gun wasdischarged, and his horse had gallopedoff.

"The man and the beast stood lookingeach other in the face for a short time.At length the lion moved backward, asif to go away. Muller began loading his

gun; the lion looked over his shoulder,growled, and immediately returned tohis former position within a few pacesof Muller. Muller stood still, with hiseyes fixed on the animal. The lion againmoved cautiously off; when he was at acertain distance, Muller proceeded toram down his bullet. The lion againlooked back and growled angrily.Muller again was quiet, and the animalcontinued turning and growling as itmoved off, till at last it bounded away."

"You imagine then, that the lion isaware of the fatal effects of fire-arms "said the Major.

"It would appear so, not only on

account of their being so angry ifpresented at them, or being touchedeven when they are close to them, butalso from the greater respect the lionpays to man where fire-arms are in use.The respect that he pays to men in thecolony is not a general custom of theanimal.

"As I said before, the lion is moredangerous in this Bushman country;because, in the first place, his awe ofman has been removed, from hisinvariably successful encounters withthose who have no weapons of forcewith which to oppose him; and,secondly, because he has but too oftentasted human flesh, after which a lion

becomes more partial to it than anyother food.

"It is asserted, that when a lion hasonce succeeded in snatching someunfortunate Bushman from his cave, henever fails to return regularly everynight, in hopes of another meal, untilthe horde is so harassed that they arecompelled to seek some other shelter.From apprehension of such attacks, itis also asserted that the Bushmen are inthe habit of placing their aged andinfirm people at the entrance of thecave during the night, that, should thelion come, the least valuable and mostuseless of their community may firstfall a prey to the animal."

"Of course, if permitted to helphimself in that way, the lion can nothave much fear of man," observedWilmot; "and his lurking abroad in thenight takes away much from thenobleness of disposition which you areinclined to attribute to him."

"By no means," continued Swinton."That a lion generally lurks and lies inwait to seize his prey is certain, but thisis the general characteristic of the felinetribe, of which he may be considered asthe head; and it is for this mode ofhunting that nature has fitted him.

"The wolf, the hound, and others, are

furnished with an acute scent, and areenabled to tire down their prey by along chase. The feline tribe are capableof very extraordinary efforts of activityand speed for a very short time; if theyfail to seize their prey at the first spring,or after a few tremendous bounds, theygenerally abandon the pursuit.

"The lion can spring from nine totwelve yards at a leap, and for a fewseconds can repeat these bounds withsuch activity and velocity as to outstripthe movements of the quickest horse;but he can not continue these amazingefforts and does not attempt it. In fact,the lion is no more than a gigantic cat,and he must live by obtaining his prey

in the same manner as a cat.

"In these countries, his prey is chieflyof the antelope species, the swiftestanimals on earth; and what chancewould he have, if he were to give oneof his magnanimous roars to announcehis approach He knows his businessbetter; he crouches in the rank grassand reeds by the sides of the pathsmade by the animals to descend to therivers and pools to drink, and as theypass he makes his spring upon them.

"Now I do not consider that hisobtaining his food as nature haspointed out to him is any argumentagainst what I consider the really noble

disposition of the lion, which is, thathe does not kill for mere cruelty, andthat he is really generous, unlesscompelled by hunger to destroy, as Ihave already shown by one or twoexamples."

"We are convinced, my dear Swinton,"said Alexander; "but now let us haveyour opinion as to his being afraid tomeet the eye of man."

"I consider that the lion will generallyretreat before the presence of man; buthe does not retreat cowardly, like theleopard or hyena, and others. He neverslinks away, he appears calmly to surveyhis opponent, as apparently measuring

his prowess. I should say that the lionseems to have a secret impression thatman is not his natural prey, andalthough he will not always give placeto him, he will not attack him, if, in thefirst place, the man shows no sign offear, and in the second, no signs ofhostility.

"But this instinctive deference to man isnot to be reckoned upon. He may bevery angry, he may be very hungry, hemay have been just disappointed intaking his prey, or he may beaccompanied by the female and cubs; inshort, the animal's temper may havebeen ruffled, and in this case hebecomes dangerous.

"An old Namaqua chief with whom Iwas conversing, and who had beenaccustomed to lions from childhood,fully corroborated these opinions, andalso that there is that in the eye of manbefore which the lion quails. Heassured me that the lion very seldomattacks a man, if not provoked; but hewill approach him within a few pacesand survey him steadily. Sometimes heattempts to get behind him, as if hecould not stand his look, but wasdesirous of springing upon himunawares. He said, that if a man insuch a case attempted to fly, he wouldrun the greatest danger, but that if hehad presence of mind to confront the

animal, it would in almost everyinstance after a short time retire.

"Now I have already brought forwardthe instance of Muller and the lion, as aproof of the effect of a man's eyeupon the lion. I will now give another,still more convincing, as the contactwas still closer, and the lion had eventasted blood.

"A boor of the name of Gyt was outwith one of his neighbors hunting.Coming to a fountain, surrounded asusual with tall reeds and rushes, Gytgave his gun to his comrade, andalighted to see if there was any waterremaining in it; but as he approached

the fountain, an enormous lion startedup close at his side, and seized him bythe left arm. Gyt, although thus takenby surprise, stood motionless andwithout struggling, for he was awarethat the least attempt to escape wouldoccasion his immediate destruction.The animal also remained motionless,holding Gyt fast by the arm with hisfangs, but without biting it severely, atthe same time shutting his eyes, as if hecould not withstand the eyes of hisvictim fixed upon him."

"What a terrible position!"

"Yes; but I may here observe that thelion was induced to seize the man in

consequence of their coming socompletely in contact, and, as it were,for self-defense. Had they been furtherapart, the lion would, as usually is thecase, have walked away; and, moreover,the eye of the man being so close tohim had, at the same time, more powerover the lion, so as to induce him toshut his own. But to continue

"As they stood in this position, Gytrecovered his presence of mind, andbeckoned to his comrade to advancewith his gun and shoot the lionthrough the head. This might easilyhave been done, as the animalcontinued still with his eyes closed, andGyt's body concealed any object

approaching. But his comrade was acowardly scoundrel, and, instead ofcoming to Gyt's assistance, hecautiously crawled up a rock to securehimself from any danger. For a longwhile Gyt continued earnestly toentreat his comrade by signs to come tohis assistance the lion continuing allthis while perfectly quiet but in vain."

"How my blood boils at the conductof this scoundrel," said the Major;"admitting his first impulse to havebeen fear, yet to allow his comrade toremain in that position so long a whilecovers him with infamy."

"I think if Gyt escaped, he must have

felt very much inclined to shoot thewretch himself."

"The lion-hunters affirm that, if Gythad but persevered a little longer, theanimal would have at last released hishold and left Gyt uninjured; that thegrip of the lion was more from fearthat the man would hurt him, thanfrom any wish to hurt the man; andsuch is my opinion. But Gyt, indignantat the cowardice of his comrade, andlosing patience with the lion, at lastdrew his hunting-knife, which all theboors invariably carry at their side, andwith all the power of his right armthrust it into the lion's breast.

"The thrust was a deadly one, for it wasaimed with judgment, and Gyt was abold and powerful man; but it did notprove effectual so as to save Gyt's life,for the enraged lion, striving in hisdeath agonies to grapple with Gyt, heldat arm's length by the strength ofdesperation on the part of the boor, sodreadfully lacerated with his talons thebreast and arms of poor Gyt, that hisbones were left bare.

"At last the lion fell dead, and Gyt fellwith him. His cowardly companion,who had witnessed this fearful strugglefrom the rock, now took courage toadvance, and carried the mangled bodyof Gyt to the nearest house. Medical

aid was at hand, but vainly applied, ason the third day, he died of a lockedjaw. Such was the tragical end of thisrencounter, from the sheer cowardiceof Gyt's companion.

"I could mention many other instancesin which lions have had men in theirpower and have not injured them, ifthey have neither attempted to escapenor to assault; but I think I have givenenough already, not only to prove thefact of his general forbearance towardman, but also that there is something inthe eye of man at which the lion andother animals, I believe, will quail."

"I can myself give an instance that this

fascinating effect, or whatever it may be,of the human eye, is not confinedwholly to the lion," said the Major.

"One of our officers in India, havingonce rambled into a jungle adjoiningthe British encampment, suddenlyencountered a Bengal tiger. Themeeting was evidently most unexpectedon both sides, and both parties made adead halt, earnestly gazing at eachother. The officer had no fire-arms withhim, although he had his regulationsword by his side; but that he knewwould be of no defense if he had tostruggle for life with such a fearfulantagonist. He was, however, a man ofundaunted courage, and he had heard

that even a Bengal tiger might bechecked by looking him steadily in theface.

"His only artillery being, like a lady's,that of his eyes, he directed them pointblank at the tiger. He would haveinfinitely preferred a rifle, as he was notat all sure but that his eyes might missfire. However, after a few minutes,during which the tiger had beencrouched ready for his spring, theanimal appeared disturbed andirresolute, slunk on one side, and thenattempted to crawl round behind theofficer.

"This, of course, the officer would not

permit, and he turned to the tiger as thetiger turned, with the same constancythat, Tom Moore says, the 'sunflowerturns to the sun.'

"The tiger then darted into the thicket,and tried to catch him by comingsuddenly upon him from anotherquarter, and taking him by surprise; butour officer was wide awake, as you maysuppose, and the tiger, finding that itwas no go, at last went off himself, andthe officer immediately went off too, asfast as he could, to the encampment."

"I am glad to have heard your narrative,Major," replied Swinton; "for manydoubts have been thrown upon the

question of the power of the humaneye, and your opinion is a verycorroborative one."

"Do not you imagine that the lion-tamers who exhibit in Europe havetaken advantage of this peculiar fact "

"I have no doubt but that it is one oftheir great helps; but I think that theyresort to other means, which haveincreased the instinctive fear that theanimals have of them. I have witnessedthese exhibitions, and always observedthat the man never for a moment tookhis eyes off the animal which he wasplaying with or commanding.

"I have observed that also; but what arethe other means to which you allude "

"I can not positively say, but I can onlyexpress an opinion. The most painfuland most stunning effects of a blowupon any part of the body, not only ofman but of brutes, is a blow on thenose. Many animals, such as the sealand others, are killed by it immediately,and there is no doubt but a severe blowon that tender part will paralyze almostany beast for the time and give him adread for the future. I believe thatrepeated blows upon the nose will gofurther than any other means to breakthe courage of any beast, and I imaginethat these are resorted to: but it is only

my opinion, recollect, and it must betaken for just as much as it is worth."

"Do not you think that animals may betamed by kindness, if you can producein them the necessary proportion oflove and fear "

"Yes, I was about to say every animal,but I believe some must be excepted;and this is from their having so great afear of man, rather than from any othercause. If their fear could be overcome,they might be tamed. Of course thereare some animals which have notsufficient reasoning power to admit oftheir being tamed; for instance, whowould ever think of taming a scorpion

"

"I believe that there is one animalwhich, although taken as a cub, hasresisted every attempt to tame it in theslightest degree, this is the grizzly bearof North America."

"I have heard so too," replied Swinton;"at all events, up to the present timethey have been unsuccessful. It is ananimal of most unamiable disposition,that is certain; and I would ratherencounter ten lions, if all that they sayof it is true. But it is time for us to goto bed. Those fires are getting ratherlow. Who has the watch "

The Major rose and walked round tofind the Hottentot who was on thatduty, and found him fast asleep. Aftersundry kicks in the ribs, the fellow atlast woke up.

"Is it your watch "

"Yaw, Mynher," replied Big Adam,rolling out of his kaross.

"Well, then, you keep it so well, thatyou will have no tobacco next time it isserved out."

"Gentlemen all awake and keep watch,so I go to sleep a little," replied Adam,getting up on his legs.

"Look to your fires, sir," replied theMajor, walking to his wagon.

CHAPTER XXI.

As they fully expected to fall in with aherd of buffaloes as they proceeded,they started very early on the followingmorning. They had now the satisfactionof finding that the water was plentifulin the river, and, in some of the largeholes which they passed, they heard thesnorting and blowing of thehippopotami, to the great delight ofthe Hottentots, who were very anxious

to procure one, being very partial to itsflesh.

As they traveled that day, they fell inwith a small party of Bushmen; theywere shy at first, but one or two of thewomen at last approached, andreceiving some presents of snuff andtobacco, the others soon joined; and asthey understood from Omrah and theHottentots that they were to hunt in theafternoon, they followed the caravan,with the hopes of obtaining food.

They were a very diminutive race, thewomen, although very well formed, notbeing more than four feet high. Theircountenances were pleasing, that is, the

young ones; and one or two of themwould have been pretty, had they notbeen so disfigured with grease and dirt.Indeed the effluvia from them was sounpleasant, that our travelers were gladthat they should keep at a distance; andAlexander said to Swinton, "Is it truethat the lion and other animals prefer ablack man to a white, as being of ahigher flavor, Swinton, or is it only ajoke "

"I should think there must be sometruth in the idea," observed the Major;"for they say that the Bengal tiger willalways take a native in preference to aEuropean."

"It is, I believe, not to be disputed,"replied Swinton, "that for oneEuropean devoured by the lion orother animals, he feasts upon tenHottentots or Bushmen, perhaps more;but I ascribe the cause of his so doing,not exactly to his perceiving anydifference in the flesh of a black andwhite man, and indulging hispreference. The lion, like many otherbeasts of prey, is directed to his gameby his scent as well as by his eye; that iscertain. Now I appeal to you, who havegot rid of these Bushmen, and whoknow so well how odoriferous is theskin of a Hottentot, whether a lion'snose is not much more likely to beattracted by one of either of these

tribes of people, than it would by eitheryou or me. How often, in traveling,have we changed our position, whenthe wind has borne down upon us theeffluvia of the Hottentot who wasdriving why that effluvia is borne downwith the wind for miles, and is assavory to the lion, I have no doubt, as abeefsteak is to us."

"There can, I think, be no doubt ofthat," said Alexander; "but it is said thatthey will select a Hottentot from whitemen."

"No doubt of it, because they followup the scent right to the party fromwhence it emanates. I can give you an

instance of it. I was once traveling witha Dutch farmer, with his wagon andHottentots. We unyoked and lay downon the sand for the night; there werethe farmer and I, two Hottentot menand a woman by the by, a very fat one,and who consequently was more heatedby the journey. During the night a lioncame and carried away the woman fromamong us all, and by his tracks, as wefound on the following morning, hehad passed close to the farmer andmyself."

"Was the woman killed "

"The night was so dark that we couldsee nothing; we were roused by her

shrieks, and seized our guns, but it wasof no use. I recollect another instancewhich was not so tragical. A Hottentotwas carried off by a lion during thenight, wrapped up in his sheep-skinkaross, sleeping, as they usually do, withhis face to the ground. As the liontrotted away with him, the fellowcontrived to wriggle out of his kaross,and the lion went off only his mantle."

"Well, I should think one of thekarosses must be a very savory morselfor a hungry lion," said the Major; "butI imagine it is almost time to unyoke;we must have traveled nearly twentymiles, and these forests promise wellfor the game we are in search of."

"I suspect that they contain not onlybuffaloes, but elephants; however, weshall soon find out by examining thepaths down to the river, which theymake in going for water."

"I think that yonder knoll would be agood place to fix our encampment,Swinton," said the Major; "it is wellshaded with mimosas, and yet clear ofthe main forest."

"Well, you are quartermaster-general,and must decide."

The Major ordered Bremen to arrangethe wagons as usual, and turn the cattle

out to feed. As soon as this had beenaccomplished, they saddled theirhorses, and awaited the return ofSwanevelt, who had gone toreconnoiter. Shortly afterward hereturned, with the report that therewere the tracks of elephants, buffaloes,and lions, in every direction by theriver's banks; and as the dogs wouldnow be of use, they were ordered to belet loose, which they seldom were,unless the game was large and to beregularly hunted down. Our travelersmounted and proceeded into the forest,accompanied by all the Hottentotsexcept the cattle-keepers and theBushmen; Bremen, Swanevelt, andOmrah only being on horseback, as

well as themselves. As they rodeforward slowly and cautiously at theoutset, Swinton asked the Majorwhether he had ever shot buffaloes.

"Yes, in India," replied the Major; "anddesperate animals they are in thatcountry."

"I was about to say that you will findthem such here; and, Alexander, youmust be very careful. In the first place, aleaden bullet is of little use against theirtough hides, and, I may almost say,impenetrable foreheads. The best shotis under the fore-shoulder."

"Our balls are hardened with tin,"

observed Alexander.

"I know that," replied Swinton; "butstill they are most dangerous animals,especially if you fall in with a singlebuffalo. It is much safer to attack aherd; but we have no time to talk overthe matter now, only, as I say, be verycareful, and whatever you do, do notapproach one which is wounded, evenif he be down on his knees. But herecomes Bremen with news."

The Hottentot came up and announcedthat there was a large herd of buffaloeson the other side of the hill, andproposed that they should take a sweepround them, so as to drive them toward

the river.

This proposal was considered good,and was acted upon; and, after ridingabout a mile, they gained the positionwhich seemed the most desirable. Thedogs were then let loose, and theHottentots on foot, spread themselveson every side, shouting so as to drivethe animals before them. The herdcollected together and for a short whilestood at bay with the large bulls infront, and then set off through theforest toward the river, followed by allthe hunters on horse and on foot. In aquarter of an hour the whole herd hadtaken refuge in a large pool in the river,which, with the reeds and rushes, and

small islands in the center, occupied along slip of ground.

The Major, with Swanevelt and twoother Hottentots, proceeded further upthe river, that they might cross it beforethe attack commenced, and the othersagreed to wait until the signal was givenby the Major's firing. As soon as theyheard the report of the Major's rifle,Swinton and Alexander, with theirparty, advanced to the banks of theriver. They plunged in, and were soonup to the horses' girths, with the reedsfar above their heads. They could hearthe animals forcing their way throughthe reeds, but could not see them; andafter some severe labor, Swinton said

"Alexander, it will be prudent for us togo back; we can do nothing here, andwe shall stand a chance of being shotby our own people, who can not see us.We must leave the dogs to drive themout, or the Hottentots and Bushmen;but we must regain the banks."

Just as Swinton said this, a loud rushingwas heard through the reeds. "Lookout!" cried he; but he could say nomore before the reeds opened and alarge hippopotamus rushed upon them,throwing over Alexander's horse on hisside, and treading Alexander and hishorse both deep under the water as hepassed over them and disappeared.Although the water was not more than

four feet in depth, it was with difficultythat the horse and rider could extricatethemselves from the reeds, amongwhich they had been jammed andentangled; and Alexander's breath wasquite gone when he at last emerged.Bremen and Swinton hastened to givewhat assistance they could, and thehorse was once more on his legs. "Myrifle," cried Alexander; "it is in thewater." "We will find it," said Swinton:"haste up to the banks as fast as youcan, for you are defenseless."

Alexander thought it advisable tofollow Swinton's advice, and with somedifficulty regained the bank, where hewas soon afterward followed by

Swinton and Bremen, who had securedhis rifle. Alexander called Omrah, andsent him to the caravan for anotherrifle, and then for the first time heexclaimed, "Oh, what a brute! It waslucky the water was deep, or he wouldhave jammed me on the head, so that Inever should have risen up again."

"You have indeed had a providentialescape, Alexander," replied Swinton; "isyour horse hurt!"

"He must be, I should think," saidAlexander, "for the animal trod uponhim; but he does not appear to show itat present."

In the mean time several shots werefired from the opposite side of theriver by the Major and his party, andoccasionally the head or horns of thebuffalo were seen above the reeds bythe Hottentots, who remained withSwinton and Alexander: but theanimals still adhered to their cover.Omrah having brought another rifle,Bremen then proposed that theHottentots, Bushmen, and dogs shouldforce their way through the reeds andattempt to drive the animals out; inwhich there would be no danger, as theanimals could not charge with anyeffect in the deep water and thickrushes.

"Provided they don't meet with ahippopotamus," said Alexander,laughing.

"Won't say a word about him, sir,"replied Bremen, who then went andgave the directions.

The Hottentots and Bushmen,accompanied by the dogs, then wentinto the reeds, and their shouting andbarking soon drove out some of thebuffaloes on the opposite side, and thereports of the guns were heard.

At last one came out on that side of the

river where Alexander and Swintonwere watching; Swinton fired, and theanimal fell on its knees; a shot fromAlexander brought it down dead andturned on its side. One of theBushmen ran up to the carcass, and wasabout to use his knife, when anotherbuffalo charged from the reeds, caughtthe Bushman on his horns, and threwhim many yards in the air. TheBushman fell among the reeds behindthe buffalo, which in vain looked aboutfor his enemy, when a shot fromBremen brought him to the ground.

Shortly afterward the Bushman madehis appearance from the reeds; he wasnot at all hurt, with the exception of a

graze from the horns of the animal,and a contusion of the ribs.

The chase now became warm; theshouting of the Hottentots, the barkingof the dogs, and the bellowing of theherd, which were forcing their waythrough the reeds before them, werevery exciting. By the advice of Swinton,they took up their position on a higherground, where the horses had goodfooting, in case the buffaloes shouldcharge.

As soon as they arrived there, theybeheld a scene on the other side of theriver, about one hundred yards fromthem, which filled them with anxiety

and terror; the Major's horse wasgalloping away, and the Major not to beseen. Under a large tree, Swanevelt wasin a sitting posture, holding his handsto his body as if severely wounded, hishorse lying by his side, and right beforehim an enormous bull buffalo,standing motionless; the blood wasstreaming from the animal's nostrils,and it was evidently tottering fromweakness and loss of blood; at last itfell.

"I fear there is mischief done," criedSwinton; "where can the Major be, andthe two Hottentots who were with him!Swanevelt is hurt and his horse killed,that is evident. We had better call them

off, and let the buffaloes remain quiet,or escape as they please."

"There is the Major," said Alexander,"and the Hottentots too; they are nothurt, don't you see them they were upthe trees; thank God."

They now observed the Major run upto Swanevelt, and presently the twoHottentots went in pursuit of theMajor's horse. Shortly afterward,Swanevelt, with the assistance of theMajor, got upon his legs, and, taking uphis gun, walked slowly away.

"No great harm done, after all," saidAlexander; "God be praised: but here

come the whole herd, Swinton."

"Let them go, my good fellow," repliedSwinton, "we have had enough ofbuffalo-hunting for the present."

The whole herd had now broken fromthe reeds about fifty paces from wherethey were stationed, and with their tailsraised, tossing with their horns, andbellowing with rage and fear, darted outof the reeds, dripping with slime andmud, and rushed off toward the forest.In a few seconds they were out ofsight.

"A good riddance," said Swinton; "Ihope the Major is now satisfied with

buffalo-hunting."

"I am, at all events," replied Alexander."I feel very sore and stiff. What anarrow escape that Bushman had."

"Yes, he had indeed; but, Alexander,your horse is not well: he can hardlybreathe. You had better dismount."

Alexander did so, and unloosed hisgirths. Bremen got off his horse, and,offering it to Alexander, took the bridleof the other and examined him.

"He has his ribs broken, sir," said theHottentot, "two of them, if not more."

"No wonder, poor fellow; lead himgently, Bremen. Oh, here comes theMajor. Now we shall know what hasoccurred; and there is Swanevelt andthe two men."

"Well, Major, pray tell us youradventures, for you have frightened usdreadfully."

"Not half so much as I have beenfrightened myself," replied the Major;"we have all had a narrow escape. I canassure you, and Swanevelt's horse isdead."

"Is Swanevelt hurt "

"No, he was most miraculouslypreserved; the horn of the buffalo hasgrazed the whole length of the body,and yet not injured him. But let us goto the caravan and have something todrink, and then I will tell you all aboutit I am quite done up, and my tonguecleaves to the roof of my mouth."

As soon as they had arrived at thecaravan and dismounted, the Majordrank some water, and then gave hisnarrative. "We had several shots on ourside of the river, for the buffaloes hadevidently an intention of crossing over,had we not turned them. We had killedtwo, when a bull buffalo charged fromthe reeds upon Swanevelt, and before

he could turn his horse and put him tohis speed, the horns of the buffalo hadripped up the poor animal, and he fellwith Swanevelt under him. The enragedbrute disengaged himself from thehorse, and made a second charge uponSwanevelt; but he twisted on one side,and the horn only grazed him, as I havementioned. I then fired and woundedthe animal. He charged immediately,and I turned my horse, but from frighthe wheeled so suddenly that I lost mystirrups, and my saddle turned round.

"I found that I could not recover myseat, and that I was gradually slidingunder the horse's belly, when he passedunder a tree, and I caught a branch and

swung myself on to it, just as thebuffalo, which was close behind us,came up to me. As he passed under, hisback hit my leg; so you may imagine itwas 'touch and go.' The animal,perceiving that the horse left him, and Iwas not on it, quitted his pursuit, andcame back bellowing and roaring, andlooking everywhere for me.

"At last it perceived Swanevelt, whohad disengaged himself from the deadhorse, and was sitting under the tree,apparently much hurt, as he is, poorfellow, although not seriously. Itimmediately turned back to him, andwould certainly have gored him todeath, had not Kloet, who was up in a

tree, fired at the animal and woundedhim mortally for his career was stoppedas he charged toward Swanevelt, andwas not ten yards from him. The animalcould proceed no further, and there hestood until he fell dead."

"We saw that portion of the adventureourselves, Major," said Swinton; "andnow we will tell you our own, whichhas been equally full of incident anddanger." Swinton having related whathad passed on his side of the river, theMajor observed:

"You may talk about lions, but I'drather go to ten lion-hunts than onemore buffalo-hunt. I have had enough

of buffaloes for all my life."

"I am glad to hear you say so," repliedSwinton, "for they are most ferociousand dangerous animals, as you maynow acknowledge, and the difficulty ofgiving them a mortal wound rendersthe attack of them very hazardous. Ihave seen and heard enough ofbuffalo-hunting to tell you that youhave been fortunate, although you havelost one horse and have another verymuch hurt; but here come the spoils ofthe chase; at all events, we will benefitby the day's sport, and have a goodmeal."

"I can't eat now," said Alexander; "I am

very stiff. I shall go and lie down for anhour or two."

"And so shall I," said the Major; "Ihave no appetite."

"Well, then, we will all meet at supper,"said Swinton. "In the mean time I shallsee if I can be of any use to Swanevelt.Where's Omrah "

"I saw him and Begum going outtogether just now," said the Major."What for, I do not know."

"Oh! I told him to get some of theBushman roots," said Alexander; "theyare as good as potatoes when boiled;

and he has taken the monkey to findthem."

The Major and Alexander remained ontheir beds till supper-time, whenMahomed woke them up. They foundthemselves much refreshed by theirsleep, and also found that theirappetites had returned. Buffalo-steaksand fried Bushman roots were declaredto be a very good substitute forbeefsteaks and fried potatoes; and afterthey had made a hearty meal, Alexanderinquired of Swinton what he had seenof buffalo-hunting when he had beenat the Cape before.

"I have only been once or twice

engaged in a buffalo-hunt; but I can tellyou what I have heard, and what I havecollected from my own knowledge, asto the nature of the animal, of whichindeed to-day you have had a verygood proof. I told you this morning,that a single buffalo was moredangerous than a herd; and the reasonis this: At the breeding season, thefiercest bulls drive the others away fromthe herd, in the same manner as theelephants do; and these solitarybuffaloes are extremely dangerous, asthey do not wait to be attacked, but willattack a man without any provocation.They generally conceal themselves, andrush out upon you unawares, whichmakes it more difficult to escape from

them. They are so bold, that they donot fear the lion himself; and I havebeen told by the Dutch boors, thatwhen a buffalo has killed one of theircomrades by goring and tossing him, itwill not leave its victim for hours, butcontinue to trample on him with hishoofs, crushing the body with its kneesas an elephant does, and with its roughtongue stripping off the skin as far as itcan. It does not do all this at one time,but it leaves the body, and returnsagain, as if to glut its vengeance."

"What a malicious brute!"

"Such is certainly its character. Irecollect a history of a buffalo-hunting

adventure, told me by a Dutch farmer,who was himself an eye-witness to thescene. He had gone out with a party tohunt a herd of buffaloes which weregrazing on a piece of marshy ground,sprinkled with a few mimosa-trees. Asthey could not get within shot of theherd, without crossing a portion of themarsh, which was not safe for horses,they agreed to leave their steeds incharge of two Hottentots, and toadvance on foot; thinking that, in caseany of the buffaloes should chargethem, it would be easy to escape byrunning back to the marsh, whichwould bear the weight of a man, butnot of a horse, much less that of abuffalo.

"They advanced accordingly over themarsh, and being concealed by somebushes, they had the good fortune tobring down, with the first volley, threeof the fattest of the herd; and also soseverely wounded the great bull, whichwas the leader of the herd, that hedropped down on his knees, bellowingmost furiously. Thinking that theanimal was mortally wounded, theforemost of the huntsmen walked outin front of the bushes from which theyhad fired, and began to reload hismusket as he advanced, in order to givethe animal a finishing shot. But nosooner did the enraged animal see theman advancing, than he sprang up and

charged headlong at him. The manthrew down his gun, and ran towardthe marsh; but the beast was so closeupon him, that he despaired ofescaping by that direction, and turningsuddenly round a clump ofcopsewood, began to climb an oldmimosa tree which stood close to it.

"The buffalo was, however, too quickfor him. Bounding forward with a roar,which the farmer told me was one ofthe most hideous and appalling soundsthat he ever heard, he caught the poorfellow with his terrible horns, just as hehad nearly got out of reach, and tossedhim in the air with such force, that afterwhirling round and round to a great

height, the body fell into the fork ofthe branches of the tree. The buffalowent round the tree roaring, andlooking for the man, until, exhaustedby wounds and loss of blood, it againfell down on its knees. The otherhunters then attacked and killed him;but they found their comrade, who wasstill hanging in the tree, quite dead."

"Well; I have no doubt but that suchwould have been the fate of Swaneveltor of me, had the brute got hold ofus," said the Major; "I never saw such amalignant, diabolical expression in anyanimal's countenance as there was uponthat buffalo's. A lion is, I should say, agentleman and a man of honor

compared to such an evil-disposedruffian."

"Well, Major, you have only to let themalone; recollect, you were theaggressor," said Swinton, laughing.

"Very true; I never wish to see oneagain."

"And I never wish to be in the way of ahippopotamus again, I can assure you,"said Alexander, "for a greater want ofpoliteness I never met with."

During this conversation theHottentots and Bushmen at the otherfires had not been idle. The Hottentots

had fried and eaten, and fried andeaten, till they could hold no more; andthe Bushmen, who in the morninglooked as thin and meager as if theyhad not had a meal for a month, werenow so stuffed that they could hardlywalk, and their lean stomachs weredistended as round as balls. TheBushman who had been tossed by thebuffalo came up and asked for a littletobacco, at the same time smiling andpatting his stomach, which wasdistended to a most extraordinary size.

"Yes, let us give them some," saidAlexander; "it will complete their day'shappiness. Did you ever see a fellow sostuffed I wonder he does not burst."

"It is their custom. They starve for days,and then gorge in this way when anopportunity offers, which is butseldom. Their calendar, such as it is, ismainly from recollections of feasting;and I will answer for it, that if oneBushman were on some future day toask another when such a thing tookplace, he would reply, just before or justafter the white men killed thebuffaloes."

"How do they live in general "

"They live upon roots at certain seasonsof the year; upon locusts when a flighttakes place; upon lizards, beetles any

thing. Occasionally they procure game,but not very often. They are obliged tolie in wait for it, and wound it withtheir poisoned arrows, and then theyfollow its track and look for it the nextday. Subtle as the poison is they onlycut out the part near the wound, andeat the rest of the animal. They dig pit-holes for the hippopotamus andrhinoceros and occasionally take them.They poison the pools for the gamealso; but their living is very precarious,and they often suffer the extremities ofhunger."

"Is that the cause, do you imagine, oftheir being so diminutive a race,Swinton "

"No doubt of it. Continual privationand hardships from generation togeneration have, I have no doubt,dwindled them down to what you see."

"How is it that these Bushmen are sofamiliar I thought that they were savageand irreclaimable."

"They are what are termed tameBushmen; that is, they have lived nearthe farmers, and have, by degrees,become less afraid of the Europeans.Treated kindly, they have done good inreturn to the farmers by watching theirsheep, and performing other littleservices, and have been rewarded with

tobacco. This has given themconfidence to a certain degree. But wemust expect to meet with others thatare equally wild, and who will be verymischievous; attempting to drive offour cattle, and watching in ambush allround our caravan, ready for anypilfering that they can successfullyaccomplish; and then we shall discoverthat we are in their haunts without evenseeing them."

"How so "

"Because it will only be by their theftsthat we shall find it out. But it is timefor bed, and as to-morrow is Sundayyou will have a day of rest, which I

think you both require."

"I do," replied Alexander, "so good-night to you both."

CHAPTER XXII.

As arranged, they did not travel on theSunday. Early in the morning the oxenand horses and sheep were turned outto pasture; all except the horse whichhad been ridden by Alexander on thepreceding day, and which was found tobe suffering so much that they tookaway a large quantity of blood fromhim before he was relieved.

The Bushmen still remained with them,and were likely to do so as long as therewas any prospect of food. The fourbuffaloes which had been killed, as wellas the horse which had been gored todeath, were found picked clean to thebones on the following day, by thehyenas and other animals which wereheard prowling during the whole night.But as large quantities of the buffalo-flesh had been cut off, and hung uponthe trees near the caravan, there wasmore than sufficient for a second feastfor the Bushmen and Hottentots, andthere was nothing but frying androasting during the whole of the day.

The sun was intensely hot, andAlexander and the Major both felt sofatigued from the exertions of the daybefore, that after breakfast they retiredto their wagons, and Swinton did notattempt to disturb them, as they were ina sound sleep till the evening, whenthey were much refreshed and veryhungry. Swinton said he had thought itbetter that they should not beawakened, as the heat was sooverpowering, and they could performDivine service in the evening, if theythought proper, when it would becooler. This was agreed to, and, after anearly supper, they summoned all theHottentots, who, although gorged, werestill unwilling to leave their fires; as they

said the Bushmen would devour all theflesh that was left, in their absence.

This remonstrance was not listened to,and they all assembled. The prayerswere read and the service gone throughby the light of a large fire, for it wasvery dark before the service wasfinished. The Bushmen, as theHottentots prophesied, had takenadvantage of their absence, to helpthemselves very liberally; and asSwinton read the prayers, the eyes ofthe Hottentots were continually turninground to their own fires, where theBushmen were throwing on large piecesof buffalo-flesh, and, before they wereeven heated through, were chewing

them and tearing them to pieces withtheir teeth.

Never perhaps was there acongregation whose attention was sodivided, and who were more anxiousfor the conclusion of the service. Thisuneasiness shown by the Hottentotsappeared at last to be communicated tothe oxen, which were tied up round thewagons. The fire required replenishing,but none of the Hottentots moved toperform the office; perhaps theythought that if Swinton could nolonger see, the service must conclude:but Swinton knew it by heart, andcontinued reading the Commandments,which was the last portion which he

read, and Alexander and the Majorrepeated the responses. The Major,whose face was toward the cattle, hadobserved their uneasiness, and guessedthe cause, but did not like to interruptthe service, as it was just over. Begumbegan clinging to him in the way shealways did when she was afraid;Swinton had just finished, and theMajor was saying, "Swinton, dependupon it," when a roar like thunder washeard, and a dark mass passed overtheir heads.

The bellowing and struggling of theoxen was almost instantaneouslysucceeded by a lion, with an ox borneon his shoulder, passing right through

the whole congregation, sweeping awaythe remnants of the fire and theHottentots right and left, and vanishingin a moment from their sight. As maybe imagined, all was confusion andalarm. Some screamed, some shoutedand ran for their guns; but it was toolate. On examination, it was found thatthe lion had seized the ox which hadbeen tied up near to where they weresitting; their fire being nearlyextinguished, and the one whichshould have been kept alight next to italtogether neglected by the Hottentots,in their anxiety to keep up those onwhich they had been broiling theirbuffalo-steaks.

The leather thongs by which the ox hadbeen tied up were snapped like threads,and many of the other oxen had, intheir agony of fear, broken theirfastenings and escaped. As the lionbounded away through the assembledparty, it appeared as if the ox was not afeather's weight to him. He had,however, stepped rather roughly upontwo of the Hottentots, who laygroaning, as if they had been severelyhurt; but upon examination it wasfound that they had only been wellscratched and covered with ashes. TheBushmen, however, had left their meal,and with their bows and smallpoisoned arrows had gone in pursuit.Bremen and one or two of the

Hottentots proposed also to go, butour travelers would not permit them.About an hour afterward the Bushmenreturned, and Omrah hadcommunication with them; andthrough Bremen they learned that theBushmen had come up with the lionabout a mile distant, and haddischarged many of their arrows athim, and, they were convinced, witheffect, as a heavy growl or an angry roarwas the announcement when he washit; but, although he was irritated, hecontinued his repast. Omrah then said,"Lion dead to-morrow, Bushmen findhim."

"Well," said Alexander, as they went to

their wagons, which, in consequence ofthis event, and their having to make uplarge fires before they went to bed, theydid not do till late, "I believe this is thefirst time that Divine service was everwound up by such intrusion."

"Perhaps so," replied Swinton; "but Ithink it proves that we have more causefor prayer, surrounded as we are bysuch danger. The lion might have takenone of us, and by this time we shouldhave suffered a horrid death."

"I never felt the full force of the manysimiles and comparisons in theScriptures, where the lion is so oftenintroduced, till now," observed

Alexander.

"It was indeed a most awful sermonafter the prayers," said the Major: "Itrust never to hear such a one again:but is it not our own fault This is thesecond time that one of our oxen hasbeen carried off by a lion, from thecircle of fires not being properlyattended to. It is the neglect of theHottentots, certainly; but if they are soneglectful, we should attend to themourselves."

"It will be as well to punish them fortheir neglect," said Swinton, "bystopping their tobacco for the week; forif they find that we attend to the fires

ourselves, they will not keep one in,that you may depend upon. However,we will discuss that point to-morrow,so good-night."

Omrah came to the Major the nextmorning, before the oxen were yoked,to say that the Bushmen had found thelion, and that he was not yet dead, butnearly so; that the animal had draggedaway that portion of the ox that he didnot eat, about half a mile further; thatthere he had lain down, and he was sosick that he could not move.

At this intelligence they mounted theirhorses, and, guided by the Bushmen,arrived at the bush where the lion lay.

The Bushmen entered at once, for theyhad previously reconnoitered, and weresaluted with a low snarl, very differentfrom the roar of the preceding night.Our travelers followed, and found thenoble creature in his last agonies, hisstrength paralyzed, and his eyes closed.One or two of the small arrows of theBushmen were still sticking in his hide,and did not appear to have enteredmore than half an inch; but the poisonwas so subtle, that it had rapidlycirculated through his whole frame; andwhile they were looking down uponthe noble beast, it dropped its jaws andexpired.

As our travelers turned back to join the

caravan, Alexander observed: "ThoseBushmen, diminutive as they are in size,and contemptible as their weaponsappear, must be dangerous enemies,when the mere prick of one of theirsmall arrows is certain death. What istheir poison composed of "

"Of the venom extracted from snakes,which is mixed up with the juice of theeuphorbia, and boiled down till itbecomes of the consistency of glue.They then dip the heads of the arrowsinto it, and let it dry on."

"Is then the venom of snakes so activeafter it has been taken away from theanimal "

"Yes, for a considerable time after. Iremember a story, which is, I believe,well authenticated, of a man who hadbeen bitten through his boot by arattlesnake in America. The man died,and shortly afterward his two sons diedone after the other, with just the samesymptoms as their father, although theyhad not been bitten by snakes. It wasafterward discovered that upon thefather's death the sons had one after theother taken possession of and put onhis boots, and the boots beingexamined, the fang of the rattlesnakewas discovered to have passed throughthe leather and remained there. Thefang had merely grazed the skin of the

two sons when they put on the boots,and had thus caused their death."

"Are the snakes here as deadly in theirpoison as the rattlesnake of America "

"Equally so, that is, two or three ofthem; some are harmless. The mostformidable is the cobra capella (not thesame as the Indian snake of the samename). It is very large, being usually fivefeet long; but it has been found six andeven seven feet. This snake has beenknown to dart at a man on horseback,and with such force as to overshoot hisaim. His bite is certain death, I believe,as I never heard of a man recoveringfrom the wound."

"Well, that is as bad as can be. What isthe next "

"The next is what they call the puffadder. It is a very heavy, sluggishanimal, and very thick in proportion toits length, and when attacked in front, itcan not make any spring. It has,however, another power, which, if youare not prepared for it, is perhapsequally dangerous that of throwingitself backward in a most surprisingmanner. This is, however, only whentrod upon or provoked; but its bite isvery deadly. Then two of the mountainadders are among the most dangeroussnakes here. The mountain adder is

small, and, from its not being so easilyseen and so easily avoided, is verydangerous, and its bite as fatal as theothers."

"I trust that is the end of yourcatalogue "

"Not exactly; there is another, which Ihave specimens of, but whose facultiesI have never seen put to the test, whichis called the spirting snake. It is aboutthree feet long, and its bite, althoughpoisonous, is not fatal. But it has afaculty, from which its name is derived,of spirting its venom into the face ofits assailant, and if the venom entersthe eye, at which the animal darts it,

immediate blindness ensues. There are agreat many other varieties, some ofwhich we have obtained possession ofduring our journey. Many of them arevenomous, but not so fatal as the firstthree I have mentioned.

"Indeed, it is a great blessing that theAlmighty has not made the varieties ofsnakes aggressive or fierce, which theyare not. Provided, as they are, with suchdreadful powers, if they were so, theywould indeed be formidable; but theyonly act in self-defense, or whenprovoked. I may as well here observe,that the Hottentots, when they kill anyof the dangerous snakes, invariably cutoff the head and bury it; and this they

do, that no one may by chance treadupon it, as they assert that the poisonof the fangs is as potent as ever, notonly for weeks but months afterward."

"That certainly is a corroboration ofthe story that you told us of therattlesnake's fang in the boot."

"It is so; but although there are somany venomous snakes in this country,it is remarkable how very few accidentsor deaths occur from them. I made aninquiry at the Moravian Mission, wherethese venomous snakes are veryplentiful, how many people they hadlost by their bites, and the missionariestold me, that out of 800 Hottentots

belonging to the Mission, they had onlylost two men by the bites of snakesduring a space of seven years; and inother places where I made the sameinquiry, the casualties were much less inproportion to the numbers."

"Is the boa constrictor found in thispart of Africa "

"Not so far south as we now are, but itis a few degrees more to the northward.I have never seen it, but I believe thereis no doubt of its existence."

"The South American Indians have avery subtle poison with which they killtheir game. Are you aware, Swinton, of

its nature Is it like the Bushmen'spoison "

"I know the poison well; it was broughtover by Mr. Waterton, whose amusingworks you may have read. It is calledthe wourali poison, and is said to beextracted from a sort of creeping vine,which grows in the country. Thenatives, however, add the poison ofsnakes to the extract; and thepreparation is certainly very fatal, as Ican bear witness to."

"Have you ever seen it tried "

"Yes, I have tried it myself. When I wasin Italy I became acquainted with Mr.

W., and he gave two or three of us, whowere living together, a small quantity,not much more than two grains ofmustard-seed in size. We purchased ayoung mule to make the experimentupon; an incision was made in itsshoulder, and the poison insertedunder the skin. I think in about six orseven minutes the animal was dead. Mr.W. said that the effects would have beeninstantaneous, if the virtue of thepoison had not somewhat deterioratedfrom its having been kept so long."

"The wourali poison only acts upon thenerves, I believe " said the Major.

"Only upon the nerves; and although

so fatal, if immediate means areresorted to, a person who is apparentlydead from it may be brought to lifeagain by the same process as is usual inthe recovery of drowned or suffocatedpeople. A donkey upon which thepoison had acted was restored in thismanner, and for the remainder of hisdays permitted to run in Sir JosephBanks's park. But the poison of snakesacts upon the blood, and thereforeoccasions death without remedy."

"But there are remedies, I believe, foreven the most fatal poisons "

"Yes, in His provident mercy God hasbeen pleased to furnish remedies at

hand, and where the snake exists theremedy is to be found. The rattlesnakeroot is a cure, if taken and appliedimmediately; and it is well known thatthe ichneumon when bitten by thecobra capella, in his attack upon it, willhasten to a particular herb and eat itimmediately, to prevent the fatal effectof the animal's bite."

"I once saw a native of India," said theMajor, "who for a small sum wouldallow himself to be bitten by a cobracapella. He was well provided with thesame plant used by the ichneumon,which he swallowed plentifully, andalso rubbed on the wound. It isimpossible to say, but, so far as I could

judge, there was no deception."

"I think it very possible; if the plantwill cure the ichneumon, why not aman I have no doubt but that there aremany plants which possess virtues ofwhich we have no knowledge. Somefew, and perhaps some of the mostvaluable, we have discovered; but ourknowledge of the vegetable kingdom,as far as its medicinal properties areknown, is very slight; and perhapsmany which were formerly knownhave, since the introduction of mineralantidotes, been lost sight of."

"Why, yes; long before chemistry hadmade any advances, we do hear in old

romances of balsams of mostsovereign virtues," said Alexander,laughing.

"Which, I may observe, is almost aproof that they did in reality exist; andthe more so, because you will find thatthe knowledge of these sovereignremedies was chiefly in the hands ofthe Jews, the oldest nation upon theearth; and from their constantcommunication with each other, mostlikely to have transmitted theirknowledge from generation togeneration."

"We have also reason to believe that notonly they had peculiar remedies in their

times, but also if we are to credit whathas been handed down to us that theart of poisoning was much betterunderstood," said the Major.

"At all events, they had not theknowledge of chemistry which nowleads to its immediate detection,"replied Swinton. "But, Alexander, thereare three hippopotami lying asleep onthe side of the river. Have you a mindto try your skill "

"No, not particularly," repliedAlexander; "I have had enough ofhippopotami. By the by, the river ismuch wider than it was."

"Yes, by my calculation we ought totravel no more to the westward after to-day. We must now cut across to theYellow or Val River. We shall certainlybe two days without water or pasturagefor the cattle, but they are in such goodcondition that they will not much feelit. There is a river which we shall crossnear its head, but the chance of water isvery small; indeed, I believe we shallfind it nowhere, except in these greatarteries, if I may so call them."

"Well; I was thinking so myself,Swinton, as I looked at the mapyesterday, when I lay in my wagon,"said the Major; "so then to-morrow fora little variety; that is, a desert."

"Which it will most certainly be,"replied Swinton; "for, except on thebanks of the large rivers, there are nohopes of vegetation in this country atthis season of the year; but in anothermonth we may expect heavy falls ofrain."

"The Bushmen have left us, I perceive,"said Alexander.

"Yes, they have probably remainedbehind to eat the lion."

"What, will they eat it now that it hasbeen poisoned "

"That makes no difference to them;they merely cut out the parts wounded,and invariably eat all the carcasses ofthe animals which they kill, andapparently without any injury. There isnothing which a Bushman will not eat.A flight of locusts is a great feast tohim."

"I can not imagine them to be verypalatable food."

"I have never tasted them," repliedSwinton; "but I should think not. Theydo not, however, eat them raw; theypull off their wings and legs, and drytheir bodies; they then beat them into apowder."

"Do you suppose that St. John's fare oflocusts and wild honey was the locustwhich we are now referring to "

"I do not know, but I should ratherthink not, and for one reason, which is,that although a person in thewilderness might subsist upon theseanimals, if always to be procured, yetthe flights of locusts are very uncertain.Now there is a tree in the countrywhere St. John retired, which is calledthe locust-tree, and produces a largesweet bean, shaped like the commonFrench bean, but nearly a foot long,which is very palatable and nutritious.It is even now given to cattle in large

quantities; and I imagine that this wasthe locust referred to; and I believemany of the commentators on the holywritings have been of the sameopinion. I think we have now gone farenough for to-day; we may as well haltthere. Do you intend to hunt, Major Isee some animals there at a distance."

"I should say not," said Alexander; "ifwe are to cross a desert tract to-morrow, we had better not fatigue ourhorses."

"Certainly not. No, Swinton, we willremain quiet, unless game comes to us."

"Yes, and look after our water-kegs

being filled, and the fires lighted to-night," said Alexander; "and I trust wemay have no more sermons from lions,although Shakespeare does say,'sermons from stones, and good ineverything.'"

They halted their caravan upon a risingground, and having taken theprecaution to see the water-kegs filledand the wood collected, they sat downto dinner upon fried ham and cheese;for the Hottentots had devoured all thebuffalo-flesh, and demanded a sheep tobe killed for supper. This wasconsented to although they did notdeserve it; but as their tobacco hadbeen stopped for their neglect of

providing fuel and keeping up the fires,it was considered politic not to makethem too discontented.

Alexander had been walking by the sideof the river with the Major, while theHottentots were arranging the camp,and Swinton was putting away somenew specimens in natural history whichhe had collected, when Omrah, whowas with them, put his finger to his lipsand stopped them. As they perfectlyunderstood what he required, theystood still and silent. Omrah thenpointed to something which was lyingon the low bank, under a tuft ofrushes; but they could not distinguishit, and Omrah asked by signs for the

Major's rifle, took aim, and fired. Aloud splashing was heard in the water,and they pushed their way through thehigh grass and reeds, until they arrivedat the spot, where they perceived ananimal floundering in the agonies ofdeath."

"An alligator!" exclaimed the Major;"well, I had no idea that there were anyhere inland. They said that there wereplenty at the mouths of the rivers, onthe coast of the Eastern Caffres, but Iam astonished to find one here."

"What did you fire at " asked Swinton,who now joined them.

"An alligator, and he is dead. I amafraid that he won't be very goodeating," replied the Major.

"That's not an alligator, Major," saidSwinton, "and it is very good eating. Itis a large lizard of the guana species,which is found about these rivers; it isamphibious, but perfectly harmless,subsisting upon vegetables and insects.I tell you it is a great delicacy, ugly as itlooks. It is quite dead, so let us drag itout of the water, and send it up toMahomed by Omrah."

The animal, which was about four feetlong, was dragged out of the water bythe tail, and Omrah took it to the camp.

"Well, I really thought it was a smallalligator," said the Major; "but now Iperceive my mistake. What a variety oflizards there appears to be in thiscountry."

"A great many from the chameleonupward," replied Swinton. "By the by,there is one which is said to be veryvenomous. I have heard many well-authenticated stories of the bite beingnot only very dangerous, but in someinstances fatal. I have specimens of theanimal in my collection. It is called herethe geitje."

"Well, it is rather remarkable, but we

have in India a small lizard, called thegecko by the natives, which is said to beequally venomous. I presume it must bethe same animal, and it is singular thatthe names should vary so little. I havenever seen an instance of its poisonouspowers, but I have seen a wholecompany of sepoys run out of theirquarters because they have heard theanimal make its usual cry in the thatchof the building; they say that it dropsdown upon people from the roof."

"Probably the same animal; and astrong corroboration that the report ofits being venomous is with goodfoundation."

"And yet if we were to make theassertion in England, we should in allprobability not be believed."

"Not by many, I grant not by thosewho only know a little; but by thosewho are well informed, you probablywould be. The fact is, from a too readycredulity, we have now turned toalmost a total skepticism, unless wehave ocular demonstration. In the timesof Marco Polo, Sir John Mandeville,and others, say in the fifteenth century,when there were but few travelers andbut little education, a traveler mightassert almost any thing, and gaincredence; latterly a traveler hardly dareassert any thing. Le Vaillant and Bruce,

who traveled in the South and Northof Africa, were both stigmatized asliars, when they published theiraccounts of what they had seen, andyet every tittle has since been proved tobe correct. However, as people are nowbetter informed, they do not reject sopositively; for they have certain rules toguide them between the possible andthe impossible."

"How do you mean "

"I mean, for instance, that if a personwas to tell me that he had seen amermaid, with the body of a womanand the scaly tail of a fish, I should atonce say that I could not believe him.

And why because it is contrary to thelaws of nature. The two componentparts of the animal could not becombined, as the upper portion wouldbelong to the mammalia, and be a hot-blooded animal, the lower to a cold-blooded class of natural history. Such ajunction would, therefore, beimpossible. But there are, I have nodoubt, many animals still undiscovered,or rather still unknown to Europeans,the description of which may at firstexcite suspicion, if not doubt. But as Ihave before observed, the accountwould, in all probability, not be rejectedby a naturalist, although it might be bypeople without much knowledge ofthe animal kingdom, who would not be

able to judge by comparison whetherthe existence of such an animal wascredible. Even fabulous animals havehad their origin from existing ones. Theunicorn is, no doubt, the gemsbokantelope; for when you look at theanimal at a distance, its two hornsappear as if they were only one, and theBushmen have so portrayed the animalin their caves. The dragon is also notexactly imaginary; for, the Lacerta volans,or flying lizard of Northern Africa, isvery like a small dragon in miniature.So that even what has been consideredas fabulous has arisen fromexaggeration or mistake."

"You think, then, Swinton, that we are

bound to believe all that travelers tell us"

"Not so; but not to reject what theyassert, merely because it does notcorrespond with our own ideas on thesubject. The most remarkable instanceof unbelief was relative to the aerolitesor meteoric stones formed during athunder-storm in the air, and falling tothe earth. Of course you have heardthat such have occurred "

"I have," replied the Major, "and I haveseen several in India."

"This was treated as a mere fable not acentury back; and when it was reported

(and not the first time) that such astone had fallen in France, the savanswere sent in deputation to the spot.They heard the testimony of thewitnesses that a loud noise was heard inthe air; that they looked up and beheldan opaque body descending; that it fellon the earth with a force which nearlyburied it in the ground, and was so hotat the time that it could not be touchedwith the hand. It afterward becamecold. Now the savans heard all this, andpronounced that it could not be; andfor a long while every report of thekind was treated with contempt. Nowevery one knows, and every one is fullysatisfied of the fact, and not the leastsurprise is expressed when they are told

of the circumstance. As Shakespearemakes Hamlet observe very truly 'Thereare more things in heaven and earth,Horatio, than are dreamt of in yourphilosophy.'"

CHAPTER XXIII.

There was no alarm during the night,and the next morning they yoked theoxen and changed their course to thenorthward. The whole of the cattle hadbeen led down to the river to drink,and allowed two hours to feed beforethey started; for they were about to passthrough a sterile country of more than

sixty miles, where they did not expect tofind either pasturage or water. They hadnot left the river more than three milesbehind them, when the landscapechanged its appearance. As far as theeye could scan the horizon, all vestigesof trees had disappeared, and now theground was covered with low stuntedbushes and large stones. Here and therewere to be seen small groups ofanimals, the most common of whichwere the quaggas. As our travelers werein the advance, they started six or sevenostriches which had been sitting, and aball from the Major's rifle brought oneto the ground, the others running offat a velocity that the fastest horse couldscarcely have surpassed.

"That was a good shot, Major," saidAlexander.

"Yes," replied Swinton; "but take carehow you go too near the bird; you havebroken his thigh, and he may bedangerous. They are very fierce. As Ithought, here is the nest. Let Bremenkill the bird, he understands them,Major. It is the male, and those whichhave escaped are all females."

"What a quantity of eggs!" saidAlexander. "Is the nest a joint concern "

"Yes," replied Swinton. "All thosewhich are in the center of the nest with

their points upward are the eggs forhatching. There are, let me see, twenty-six of them, and you observe that thereare as many more round about the nest.Those are for the food of the youngostriches as soon as they are born.However, we will save them thattrouble. Bremen must take the eggsoutside the nest for us, and the othersthe people may have. They are not veryparticular whether they are fresh ornot."

"This is a noble bird," said the Major,"and has some beautiful feathers. Isuppose we may let Bremen take thefeathers out and leave the body!"

"Yes; I do not want it; but Bremen willtake the skin, I dare say. It is worthsomething at the Cape."

As soon as the Hottentots had securedthe eggs, and Bremen had skinned theostrich, which did not occupy manyminutes, they rode on, and Swintonthen said

"The male ostrich generally associateswith from three to seven females, whichall lay in the same nest. He sits as wellas the females, and generally at night,that he may defend the eggs from theattacks of the hyenas and otheranimals."

"You do not mean to say that he canfight these animals!"

"And kill them also. The ostrich hastwo powerful weapons; its wing, withwhich it has often been known to breaka hunter's leg, the blow from it is soviolent; and what is more fatal, its foot,with the toe of which it strikes and killsboth animals and men. I once myself,in Namaqua-land, saw a Bushman whohad been struck on the chest by thefoot of the ostrich, and it had tornopen his chest and stomach, so that hisentrails were lying on the ground. Ihardly need say that the poor wretchwas dead."

"I could hardly have credited it,"observed Alexander.

"The Bushmen skin the ostrich, andspread the skin upon a frame ofwicker-work; the head and neck aresupported by a skin thrust throughthem. The skin they fix on one of theirsides, and carry the head and neck inone of their hands, while the otherholds the bow and arrows. In thisdisguise of course with the featheredside of him presented to the bird orbeast he would get near to he walksalong, pecking with the head at thebushes, and imitating the motions ofthe ostrich. By this stratagem he veryoften is enabled to get within shot of

the other ostriches, or the quaggas andgnoos which consort with these birds."

"I should like to see that very much,"said the Major.

"You would be surprised at the closeimitation, as I have been. I ought tohave said that the Bushman whitens hislegs with clay. It is, however, a serviceof danger, for I have, as I told you,known a man killed by the male ostrich;and the natives say that it is by nomeans uncommon for them to receivevery serious injury."

"Hold hard," said the Major, "there is alion; what a terrible black mane he has

got! What do you say, Swinton He is byhimself."

Swinton looked at the animal, whichwas crossing about three hundred yardsahead of them; he was on a low hill,with his head close to the ground.

"I certainly say not. Let him pass, by allmeans; and I only hope he will take nonotice of us. I must give you the advicewhich an old Namaqua chief gave me.He said 'Whenever you see a lionmoving in the middle of the day, youmay be certain that he is in great wantof food and very angry. Never attackone then, for they are very dangerousand most desperate,' If, therefore,

Major, you wish a very serious affair,and one or two lives lost you will attackthat animal. But you must expect thatwhat I say will happen."

"Indeed, my dear Swinton, I neitherwish to lose my own life, nor to riskthose of others, and therefore we willremain here till his majesty has had timeto get out of our way; and I hope hemay soon find a dinner."

By this time the caravan had come upwith them, and they then proceeded.The face of the country became evenmore sterile, and at last not an animalof any description was to be seen. Asthere was nothing for the oxen to feed

upon they continued their route duringthe whole of the day, and at night theyhalted and secured the cattle to thewagons. Wood for fires they were notable to procure, and therefore theymade one half of the Hottentots watchduring the night with their muskets toscare off wild beasts. But, as Swintonobserved, there was little chance oftheir being disturbed by lions or otheranimals, as they were so distant fromwater, and there was no game nearthem upon which the wild beasts prey;and so it proved, for during the wholenight they did not even hear the cry ofa hyena or a jackal.

At the first gleaming of light the oxen

were again yoked, with the hopes oftheir being able to gain the Val River bynight. The relay oxen were now put to,to relieve those which appeared tosuffer most. At noon the heat wasdreadful, and the horses, which couldnot support the want of water as theoxen could, were greatly distressed.They continued for about two hoursmore, and then perceived a few lowtrees. Begum, who had been keptwithout water, that she might exertherself to find it, started off as fast asshe could, followed by Omrah. Afterrunning to the trees, they altered theircourse to the eastward, toward someragged rocks. The caravan arrived at thetrees, which they found were growing

on the banks of the river Alexandria,which they knew they should pass; butnot a drop of water was to bediscovered; even the pools were quitedry. As they searched about, all of asudden Begum came running backscreaming, and with every mark ofterror, and clung, as usual, to the Majorwhen frightened.

"Where is the Bushboy " said Bremen.

"Something has happened," criedSwinton; "come all of you with yourguns."

The whole party, Hottentots and all,hastened toward the rocks where

Omrah and Begum had been in searchof water. As soon as they reachedwithin fifty paces, quite out of breathwith their haste, they were saluted withthe quah, quah, of a herd of baboons,which were perched at the edge of therocks, and which threatened them intheir usual way, standing on their fore-legs, and making as if they would fly atthem.

"Now, then, what is to be done " saidthe Major. "Shall we fire Do you thinkthat they have possession of the boy "

"If they have, they will let him go. Yes,we are too numerous for them now,and they will not show fight, depend

upon it. Let us all take good aim andfire a volley right into them."

"Well, then, I'll take that venerable oldchap that appears to be the leader, andthe great-grandfather of them all," saidthe Major. "Are you all ready then fire."

The volley had its effect; three or fourof the animals were killed, many werewounded, and the whole herd wentscampering off with loud shrieks andcries, the wounded trailing themselvesafter the others as well as they could.

The whole party then ascended thecrags to look after Omrah all butBegum, who would not venture. They

had hardly gained the summit whenthey heard Omrah's voice below, butcould not see him. "There he is, sir,"said Swanevelt, "down below there."Swinton and the Major went downagain, and at last, guided by the shoutsof the boy, they came to a narrow cleftin the rock, about twenty feet deep, atthe bottom of which they heard, butcould not see, the boy. The cleft was sonarrow that none of the men couldsqueeze down it. Swinton sent one ofthem back for some leathern thongs ora piece of rope to let down to him.

During the delay, Bremen inquired ofOmrah if he was hurt, and received ananswer in the negative. When the rope

came, and was lowered down to him,Omrah seized it, and was hauled up bythe Hottentots. He appeared to havesuffered a little, as his hair was torn outin large handfuls, and his shirt was inribbons; but with the exception ofsome severe scratches from the nails ofthe baboons, he had no serious injury.Omrah explained to the Hottentots,who could talk his language, thatBegum and he had come to the cleft,and had discovered that there was waterat the bottom of it; that Begum hadgone down, and that he was following,when the baboons, which drank in thechasm, had come upon them. Begumhad sprung up and escaped, but hecould not; and that the animals had

followed him down, until he was sojammed in the cleft that he coulddescend no further; and that there theyhad pulled out his hair and torn hisshirt, as they saw. Having heardOmrah's story, and satisfied themselvesthat he had received no serious injury,they then went to where the baboonshad been shot. Two were dead; but theold one, which the Major had fired at,was alive, although severely wounded,having received two shots, one in hisarm and the other in his leg, which wasbroken by the ball. All the poor oldcreature's fierceness appeared to haveleft him. It was evidently very weakfrom the loss of blood, and sat downleaning against the rock. Every now

and then it would raise itself, and lookdown upon the wound in its leg,examining the hole where the bullethad passed through; then it would holdup its wounded arm with its otherhand, and look them in the faceinquiringly, as much as to say, "Whathave you done this for "

"Poor creature," said Alexander; "howmuch its motions are those of a humanbeing. Its mute expostulation is quitepainful to witness."

"Very true," said the Major; "but still, ifit had not those wounds, it would tearyou to pieces if it could."

"That it certainly would," said Swinton;"but still it is an object of pity. It cannot recover, and we had better put itout of its misery."

Desiring Bremen to shoot the animalthrough the head, our travelers thenwalked back to the caravan. As theyreturned by the banks of the river, theyperceived Begum very busy, scraping upthe baked mud at the bottom of apool.

"What is the princess about " saidAlexander.

"I know," cried Omrah, whoimmediately ran to the assistance of the

baboon; and after a little more scraping,he pulled out a live tortoise about afoot long.

"I have heard that when the pools dryup, the tortoises remain in the mud tillthe pools are filled up again," saidSwinton.

"Are they good eating, Swinton "

"Excellent."

"Turtle soup in the desert, that'ssomething unexpected."

The Hottentots now set to work anddiscovered five or six more, which they

brought out. They then tried in vain toget at the water in the deep cleft, butfinding it impossible, the caravancontinued its course.

"How much more of this desert havewe to traverse," said Alexander, "beforewe come to the river "

"I fear that we shall not arrive therebefore to-morrow night," said Swinton,"unless we travel on during the night,which I think will be the best plan; forfatiguing as it will be to the animals,they will be even more exhausted ifthey pass another day under the sun

without water, and at night they willbear their work better. We gain nothingby stopping, as the longer they are onthe journey, the more they will beexhausted."

"I am really fearful for the horses, theysuffer so much."

"At night we will wash their mouthswith a sponge full of water; we canspare so much for the poor creatures."

"In the deserts of Africa you havealways one of three dangers toencounter," said Swinton; "wild men,wild beasts, and want of water."

"And the last is the worst of the three,"replied the Major. "We shall have amoon to-night for a few hours."

"Yes, and if we had not, it would be ofno consequence; the stars give lightenough, and we have little chance ofwild beasts here. We now want water; assoon as we get rid of that danger, weshall then have the other to encounter."

The sun went down at last; the pooroxen toiled on with their tongueshanging out of their mouths. At sunset,the relay oxen were yoked, and theycontinued their course by the stars. Thehorses had been refreshed, as Swintonhad proposed; but they were too much

exhausted to be ridden, and ourtravelers, with their guns on theirshoulders, and the dogs loose, to givenotice of any danger, now walked bythe sides of the wagons over the sandyground. The stars shone out brilliantly,and even the tired cattle felt relief, fromthe comparative coolness of the nightair. All was silent, except the creakingof the wheels of the wagons, and theoccasional sighs of the exhausted oxen,as they thus passed through the desert.

"Well," observed the Major, after theyhad walked about an hour withoutspeaking, "I don't know what yourthoughts may have been all this while,but it has occurred to me that a party

of pleasure may be carried to too greatlengths; and I think that I have beenvery selfish, in persuading Wilmot toundergo all that we have undergoneand are likely to undergo, merelybecause I wished to shoot a giraffe."

"I presume that I must plead guiltyalso," replied Swinton, "in havingassisted to induce him; but you know anaturalist is so ardent in his pursuit thathe thinks of nothing else."

"I do not think that you have either ofyou much to answer for," repliedAlexander; "I was just as anxious to goas you were; and as far as I amconcerned, have not the slightest wish

to turn back again, till we have executedour proposed plans. We none of usundertook this journey with theexpectation of meeting with nodifficulties or no privations; and I fullyanticipate more than we have yetencountered, or are encountering now.If I get back on foot, and without asole left to my shoe, I shall be quitecontent; at the same time, I will notcontinue it if you both wish to return."

"Indeed, my dear fellow, I have no wishbut to go on; but I was afraid that wewere running you into dangers whichwe have no right to do."

"You have a right, allowing that I did

not myself wish to proceed," repliedAlexander. "You escorted me safethrough the country to ascertain apoint in which you had not theslightest interest, and it would indeedbe rewarding you very ill, if I were nowto refuse to gratify you: but the fact is, Iam gratifying myself at the same time."

"Well, I am very glad to hear you sayso," replied the Major, "as it makes mymind at ease; what time do you think itis, Swinton "

"It is about three o'clock; we shall soonhave daylight, and I hope with daylightwe shall have some sight to cheer us.We have traveled well, and can not by

my reckoning be far from the Val River.Since yesterday morning we have madesixty miles or thereabouts; and if wehave not diverged from our course, thepoor animals will soon be relieved."

They traveled on another weary hour,when Begum gave a cry, and started offahead of the wagons; the oxen raisedtheir heads to the wind, and thosewhich were not in the yokes after ashort while broke from the keepers,and galloped off, followed by thehorses, sheep, and dogs. The oxen inthe yokes also became quite unruly,trying to disengage themselves from thetraces.

"They have smelt the water; it is not faroff, sir," said Bremen; "we had betterunyoke them all, and let them go."

"Yes, by all means," said Alexander.

So impatient were the poor beasts, thatit was very difficult to disengage them,and many broke loose before it couldbe effected; as soon as they were freed,they followed their companions at thesame rapid pace.

"At all events, we shall know where tofind them," said the Major, laughing:"well, I really so felt for the pooranimals that I am as happy as if I wasas thirsty as they are, and was now

quenching my thirst. It's almostdaylight."

As the day dawned, they continued toadvance in the direction that theanimals had taken, and they thendistinguished the trees that borderedthe river, which was about two milesdistant. As soon as it was broaddaylight, they perceived that the wholelandscape had changed in appearance.Even where they were walking therewas herbage, and near to the river itappeared most luxuriant. Tall mimosa-trees were to be seen in every direction,and in the distance large forests oftimber. All was verdant and green, andappeared to them as a paradise after the

desert in which they had beenwandering on the evening before. Asthey arrived at the river's banks, theywere saluted with the lively notes of thebirds hymning forth their morningpraise, and found the cattle, afterslaking their thirst, were now quietlyfeeding upon the luxuriant grass whichsurrounded them.

"Well may the Psalmist and prophetstalk of the beauty of flowing rivers,"said Alexander; "now we feel the truthand beauty of the language; one wouldalmost imagine that the sacred writingswere indited in these wilds."

"If not in these, they certainly were in

the Eastern countries, which assimilatestrongly with them," said Swinton;"but, as you truly say, it is only byhaving passed through the country thatyou can fully appreciate their beauties.We never know the real value of anything till we have felt what it is to bedeprived of it; and in a temperateclimate, with a pump in every house,people can not truly estimate the valueof 'flowing rivers.'"

The Hottentots having now arrived, thecattle were driven back to the wagonsand yoked, that they might be broughtup to a spot which had been selectedfor their encampment. In the mean timeour travelers, who were tired with their

night's walk, lay down under a largemimosa-tree, close to the banks of theriver.

"We shall stay here a day or two, ofcourse," said the Major.

"Yes, for the sake of the cattle; the poorcreatures deserve a couple of days'rest."

"Do you observe how the mimosas aretorn up on the other side of the river "said Swinton; "the elephants have beenvery numerous there lately."

"Why do they tear the trees up " saidAlexander.

"To feed upon the long roots, whichare very sweet; they destroy an immensenumber of the smaller trees in thatmanner."

"Well, we must have another elephant-hunt," said the Major.

"We may have hunts of every kind, Iexpect, here," replied Swinton; "we arenow in the very paradise of wildanimals, and the further we go themore we shall find."

"What a difference there is in one day'sjourney in this country," observedAlexander; "yesterday morning there

was not a creature to be seen, and allwas silent as death. Now listen to thenoise of the birds, and as for beasts, Isuspect we shall not have far to lookfor them."

"No, for there is a hippopotamus justrisen; and now he's down again there'sfood for a fortnight at one glance,"cried the Major.

"How the horses and sheep areenjoying themselves they are making upfor lost time; but here come thewagons."

"Well, then, I must get up and attend tomy department," said the Major. "I

presume that we must expect ourfriends the lions again now."

"Where there is food for lions, youmust expect lions, Major," saidSwinton.

"Very true, and fuel to keep them off;by the by, turtle soup for dinner,recollect; tell Mahomed."

"I'll see to it," said Alexander; "but wemust have something for breakfast, assoon as I have had a wash at the river'sside. I would have a bath, only I havesuch a respect for the hippopotami."

"Yes, you will not forget them in a

hurry," said Swinton, laughing.

"Not as long as I have breath in mybody, for they took all the breath outof it. Come, Swinton, will you go withme, and make your toilet at the river'sbanks "

"Yes, and glad to do so; for I amcovered with the sand of the desert."

CHAPTER XXIV.

Our travelers remained very quiet thatday and the next. The horses hadsuffered so much, that they required

two days of rest, and they themselveswere not sorry to be inactive after theirfatiguing journey over the desert. Thecattle enjoyed the luxuriant pasture, andalthough the tracks of the lions werediscovered very near to them, yet, asthey had plenty of fuel and attendedthemselves to the fires, they had not anyvisits from them during the night. TheHottentots had been out toreconnoiter, and found a profusion ofgame, in a large plain, about two milesdistant; and it was decided that theywould rest where they were for a day ortwo, if the game were not frightenedaway. The river had been crossed bySwanevelt, who stated that there was alarge herd of elephants on the other

side, and the tracks of the rhinoceroswere to be seen on both sides of theriver.

On the third morning after their arrivalat the Val, they set off, accompanied bythe Hottentots, to the plain which theyhad spoken of; riding throughmagnificent groups of acacia orcamelthorn trees, many of which werecovered with the enormous nests ofthe social grosbeaks. As they descendedto the plain they perceived large herdsof brindled gnoos, quaggas, andantelopes, covering the whole face ofthe country as far as the eye couldreach, moving about in masses to andfro, joining each other and separating,

so that the whole plain seemed alivewith them.

"Is not this splendid " cried the Major."Such a sight is worth all the troubleand labor which we have undergone.What would they say in England, ifthey could but behold this scene "

"There must be thousands andthousands," said Alexander. "Tell me,Swinton, what beautiful animals arethose of a purple color "

"They are called the purple sassabys,"replied Swinton; "one of the mostelegant of the antelope tribe."

"And those red and yellow out there "

"They are the harte beests. I wish tohave male and female specimens ofboth, if I can."

"See!" said the Major, "there is a fineflock of ostriches. We are puzzledwhere to begin. Come, we havesurveyed the scene long enough; nowforward, to change it."

They rode down, and were soon withinshot of the animals, and the riflesbegan their work. The Hottentotscommenced firing from various points,and, alarmed by the report of the guns,the animals now fled away in every

direction, and the whole place was onecloud of dust. Our travelers put theirhorses to their speed, and soon cameup with them again, as their numbersimpeded the animals in their flight.Every shot told, for it was hardlypossible to miss; and the Hottentotswho followed on foot, put those whowere wounded out of their misery. Atlast the horses were too fatigued andtoo much out of wind to continue thepursuit, and they reined up.

"Well, Alexander, this has been sport,has it not " said the Major.

"Yes, a grand battue, on a grand scale,indeed."

"There were three animals which youdid not observe," said Swinton; "but itwas impossible to get at them, theywere so far off; but we must try forthem another time."

"What were they "

"The elands, the largest of the antelopetribe," replied Swinton, "and the besteating of them all. Sometimes they arenineteen hands high at the chest, andwill weigh nearly 2,000 lbs. It has thehead of an antelope, but the body ismore like that of an ox. It hasmagnificent straight horns, but they arenot dangerous. They are easily run

down, for, generally speaking, they arevery fat and incapable of muchexertion."

"We will look out for them to-morrow," said the Major. "See how thevultures are hovering over us; theyknow there will be bones for them topick this night."

"More than bones," replied Alexander;"for what can we do with so manycarcasses There is provision for amonth, if it would keep. What aprodigious variety of animals thereappears to be in this country."

"Yes, they are congregated here, because

the country, from want of rain, may beconsidered as barren. But within eightor nine degrees of latitude from theCape, we find the largest and mostminute of creation. We have the ostrichand the little creeper among the birds.Among the beasts we have theelephant, weighing 4,000 lbs., and theblack specked mouse, weighing aquarter of an ounce. We have thegiraffe, seventeen feet high, and thelittle viverra, a sort of weasel, of threeinches. I believe there are thirty varietiesof antelopes known and described;eighteen of them are found in thiscountry, and there are the largest andsmallest of the species; for we have theeland, and we have the pigmy antelope,

which is not above six inches high. Wesee here also the intermediate links ofmany genera, such as the eland and thegnoo; and as we find the elephant, therhinoceros, and Wilmot's friend, thehippopotamus, we certainly have thebulkiest animals in existence."

Bremen now came up to say that theyhad discovered a rhinoceros close tothe river-side, concealed in the bushesunderneath a clump of acacia. TheMajor and Alexander having declaredtheir intention of immediately going inpursuit, Swinton advised them to becautious, as the charge of a rhinoceroswas a very awkward affair, if they didnot get out of the way. They rode

down to the clump of trees and busheswhere the animal was said to be hid,and, by the advice of Bremen, sent forthe dogs to worry the animal out.Bremen, who was on foot, was desiredby the Major to take the horse whichOmrah rode, that he might be moreexpeditious, and our travelers remainedwith a clear space of two hundredyards between them and the busheswhere the animal was concealed. TheHottentots had also followed them,and were ordered on no account to firetill they had taken their positions, andthe dogs were sent in to drive theanimal out.

When Bremen was but a short distance

from them with the dogs, Swintonadvised that they should dismount andtake possession of a small clump oftrees which grew very close together, asthey would be concealed from theanimal. They called Omrah to take thehorses, but he was not to be seen; sothey gave them to one of theHottentots, to lead them to somedistance out of harm's way.

"The vision of the rhinoceros is solimited," observed Swinton, "that it isnot difficult to get out of his way onhis first charge; but at his second he isgenerally prepared for your maneuver.A ball in the shoulder is the most fatal.Look out, Bremen has turned in the

dogs." The barking of the dogs, whichcommenced as soon as they entered thebushes, did not continue more than aminute, when a female rhinoceros ofthe black variety burst out of thethicket in pursuit of the retreating dogs.Several shots were fired by theHottentots, who were concealed indifferent quarters without effect; theanimal rushing along and tearing up theground with its horns, looking out forits enemies. At last it perceived aHottentot, who showed himself from abush near to where our travelers wereconcealed. The animal chargedimmediately, and in charging wasbrought down on its knees by a shotfrom Alexander. The Hottentots rushed

out, regardless of Swinton's calling outto them to be careful, as the animal wasnot dead, and had surrounded it withina few yards, when it rose again andfiercely charged Swanevelt, whonarrowly escaped. A shot from theMajor put an end to its career, and theythen walked to where the animal lay,when a cry from Omrah, who wasstanding near the river, attracted theirnotice, and they perceived that the malerhinoceros, of whose presence theywere not aware, had just burst out ofthe same covert, and was chargingtoward them.

Every one immediately took to hisheels; many of the Hottentots in their

fear dropping their muskets, andfortunately the distance they were fromthe covert gave them time to concealthemselves in the thickets before theanimal had time to come up with them.A shot from Swinton turned theassailant, who now tore up the earth inhis rage, looking everywhere roundwith its sharp flashing eye for a victim.At this moment, while it seemedhesitating and peering about, to theastonishment of the whole party,Omrah showed himself openly on theother side of the rhinoceros, waving hisred handkerchief, which he had takenoff his head. The rhinoceros, themoment that the boy caught his eye,rushed furiously toward him. "The

boy's lost," cried Swinton; but hardlyhad the words gone from his mouth,when to their astonishment, therhinoceros disappeared, and Omrahstood capering and shouting withdelight. The fact was that Omrah, whenhe had left our travelers, had gonedown toward the river, and as he wentalong had with his light weight passedover what he knew full well to be oneof the deep pits dug by the Bushmento catch those animals. Having fullysatisfied himself that it was so, he hadremained by the side of it, and whenthe rhinoceros rushed at him, had keptthe pit between himself and the animal.His object was to induce the animal tocharge at him, which it did, and when

within four yards of the lad, hadplunged into the pit dug for him. Thesuccess of Omrah's plan explained thewhole matter at once, and our travelershastened up to where the rhinoceroswas impounded, and found that a largestake, fixed upright in the center of thepit, had impaled the animal. A shotfrom the Major put an end to the furyand agony of the animal.

"I never was more excited in my life; Ithought the boy was mad and wantedto lose his life," said Alexander.

"And so did I," replied Swinton; "andyet I ought to have known him better.It was admirably done; here we have an

instance of the superiority of manendowed with reasoning power overbrutes. A rhinoceros will destroy theelephant; the lion can make noimpression on him, and flies beforehim like a cat. He is, in fact, the mostpowerful of all animals; he fears noenemy, not even man, when he isprovoked or wounded; and yet he hasfallen by the cleverness of that littlemonkey of a Bushboy. I think, Major,we have done enough now, and may goback to the caravan."

"Yes, I am well satisfied with our day'ssport, and am not a little hungry. Wemay now let the Hottentots bring homeas much game as they can. You have

taken care to give directions about yourspecimens, Swinton "

"Yes, Bremen knows the animals Irequire, and is now after them. Omrah,run and tell that fellow to bring ourhorses here."

"Swinton, can birds and beasts talk, orcan they not " said the Major. "I askthat question because I am nowlooking at the enormous nests of thegrosbeaks. It is a regular town, withsome hundreds of houses. These birds,as well as those sagacious animals, thebeaver, the ant, and the bee, not tomention a variety of others, must havesome way of communicating their

ideas."

"That there is no doubt of," repliedSwinton, laughing; "but still I believethat man only is endowed with speech."

"Well, we know that; but if not withspeech, they must have some means ofcommunication which answers as well"

"As far as their wants require it, nodoubt," replied Swinton, "but to whatextent is hidden from us. Animals haveinstinct and reasoning powers, but notreason."

"Where is the difference "

"The reasoning powers are generallylimited to their necessities; but withanimals who are the companions ofman, they appear to be more extended."

"We have a grand supper to-night," saidAlexander; "what shall I help you toharte-beest, sassaby, or rhinoceros "

"Thank you," replied the Major,laughing; "I'll trouble you for a smallpiece of that rhinoceros steakunderdone, if you please."

"How curious that would sound inGrosvenor Square."

"Not if you shot the animals in

Richmond Park," said Swinton.

"Those rascally Hottentots will collectno fuel to-night if we do not makethem do it now," said the Major. "Ifthey once begin to stuff it will be allover with them."

"Very true; we had better set themabout it before the feast begins. CallBremen, Omrah."

"Having given their directions, ourparty finished their supper, and thenAlexander asked Swinton whether hehad ever known any serious accidentsresulting from the hunting of therhinoceros.

"Yes," replied Swinton; "I once waswitness to the death of a native chief."

"Then pray tell us the story," said theMajor. "By hearing how other peoplehave suffered, we learn how to takecare of ourselves."

"Before I do so, I will mention whatwas told me by a Namaqua chief abouta lion; I am reminded of it by theMajor's observations as to the meansanimals have of communicating witheach other. Once when I was travelingin Namaqua-land, I observed a spotwhich was imprinted with at leasttwenty spoors or marks of a lion's paw;

and as I pointed them out a Namaquachief told me that a lion had beenpracticing his leap. On demanding anexplanation, he said that if a lionsprang at an animal, and missed it byleaping short, he would always go backto where he sprang from, and practicethe leap so as to be successful onanother occasion; and he then relatedto me the following anecdote, statingthat he was an eye-witness to theincident:

"'I was passing near the end of a craggyhill from which jutted out a smoothrock of from ten to twelve feet high,when I perceived a number of zebrasgalloping round it, which they were

obliged to do, as the rock beyond wasquite steep. A lion was creeping towardthe rock to catch the male zebra, whichbrought up the rear of the herd. Thelion sprang and missed his mark; he fellshort, with only his head over the edgeof the rock, and the zebra gallopedaway, switching his tail in the air.Although the object of his pursuit wasgone, the lion tried the leap on the rocka second and a third time, till hesucceeded. During this two more lionscame up and joined the first lion. Theyseemed to be talking, for they roared agreat deal to each other; and then thefirst lion led them round the rock againand again. Then he made another grandleap, to show them what he and they

must do another time.' The chiefadded, 'They evidently were talking toeach other, but I could not understanda word of what they said, although theytalked loud enough; but I thought itwas as well to be off, or they mighthave some talk about me.'"

"Well, they certainly do not whisper,"said the Major, laughing. "Thank youfor that story, Swinton, and now for therhinoceros hunt."

"I was once out hunting with a Griqua,of the name of Henrick, and two orthree other men; we had wounded aspringbok, and were following its track,when we came upon the footing of a

rhinoceros, and shortly afterward wesaw a large black male in the bush."

"You mention a black rhinoceros. Isthere any other "

"Yes, there is a white rhinoceros, as it iscalled, larger than the black, but not sodangerous. It is, in fact, a stupid sort ofanimal. The black rhinoceros, as you areaware, is very fierce. Well, to continue:Henrick slipped down behind a bush,fired, and wounded the animal severelyin the foreleg. The rhinoceros charged,we all fled, and the animal, singling outone of our men, closely pursued him;but the man, stopping short, while thehorn of the rhinoceros plowed up the

ground at his heels, dexterously jumpedon one side. The rhinoceros missedhim and passed on in full speed, andbefore the brute could recover himselfand change his course, the whole of ushad climbed up into trees. Therhinoceros, limping with his wound,went round and round, trying to findus out by the scent, but he tried in vain.At last, one of the men, who had onlyan assaguay, said, 'Well, how long arewe going to stay here Why don't youshoot '

"'Well,' said Henrick, 'if you are soanxious to shoot, you may if youplease. Here is my powder-and-shotbelt, and my gun lies under the tree.

The man immediately descended fromthe tree, loaded the gun, andapproaching the rhinoceros he firedand wounded it severely in the jaw. Theanimal was stunned, and dropped onthe spot. Thinking that it was dead, weall descended fearlessly and collectedround it; and the man who had firedwas very proud, and was givingdirections to the others, when of asudden the animal began to recover,and kicked with his hind legs. Henricktold us all to run for our lives, and setus the example. The rhinoceros startedup again, and singling out theunfortunate man who had got downand fired at it, roaring and snortingwith rage, thundered after him.

"The man, perceiving that he could notoutrun the beast, tried the same plan asthe other hunter did when therhinoceros charged him: stoppingshort, he jumped on one side, that theanimal might pass him; but the brutewas not to be balked a second time; hecaught the man on his horn under theleft thigh, and cutting it open as if ithad been done with an ax, tossed him adozen yards up in the air. The poorfellow fell facing the rhinoceros, withhis legs spread; the beast rushed at himagain, and ripped up his body from hisstomach to almost his throat, and againtossed him in the air. Again he fellheavily to the ground. The rhinoceros

watched his fall, and running up to himtrod upon him and pounded him to amummy. After this horrible tragedy, thebeast limped off into a bush. Henrickthen crept up to the bush; the animaldashed out again, and would certainlyhave killed another man if a dog hadnot turned it. In turning short roundupon the dog, the bone of its fore-leg,which had been half broken throughby Henrick's first shot, snapped in two,and it fell, unable to recover itself, andwas then shot dead."

"A very awkward customer, at allevents," observed the Major. "Ipresume a leaden bullet would notenter "

"No, it would flatten against most partsof his body. By the by, I saw aninstance of a rhinoceros having beendestroyed by that cowardly brute thehyena."

"Indeed!"

"Yes, patience and perseverance on thehyena's part effected the work. Therhinoceros takes a long while to turnround, and the hyena attacked himbehind, biting him with his powerfuljaws above the joint of the hind leg,and continued so to do, till he hadsevered all the muscles, and the animal,forced from pain to lie down, was

devoured as you may say alive frombehind; the hyena still tearing at thesame quarter, until he arrived at thevital parts. By the track which wasmarked by the blood of the rhinoceros,the hyena must have followed theanimal for many miles, until therhinoceros was in such pain that itcould proceed no further. But if youare to hunt to-morrow at daybreak, it istime to go to sleep; so good-night."

At daybreak the next morning, theytook a hasty meal, and started again forthe plain. Swinton, having to preparehis specimens, did not accompanythem. There was a heavy fog on theplain when they arrived at it, and they

waited for a short time, skirting thesouth side of it, with the view ofdrawing the animals toward theencampment. At last the fog vanished,and discovered the whole country, asbefore, covered with every variety ofwild animals. But as their object was toobtain the eland antelope, theyremained stationary for some time,seeking for those animals among thevarieties which were scattered in alldirections. At last Omrah, whose eyeswere far keener than even theHottentots', pointed out three at adistance, under a large acacia thorn.They immediately rode at a trot in thatdirection, and the various herds ofquaggas, gnoos, and antelopes scoured

away before them; and so numerouswere they, and such was the clatteringof hoofs, that you might have imaginedthat it was a heavy charge of cavalry.The objects of their pursuit remainedquiet until they were within threehundred yards of them, and then theyset off at a speed, notwithstanding theirheavy and unwieldy appearance, whichfor a short time completely distancedthe horses. But this speed could not becontinued, and the Major andAlexander soon found themselvesrapidly coming up. The poor animalsexerted themselves in vain; their sleekcoats first turned to a blue color, andthen white with foam and perspiration,and at last they were beaten to a stand-

still, and were brought down by therifles of our travelers, who thendismounted their horses, and walkedup to the quarry.

"What magnificent animals!" exclaimedAlexander.

"They are enormous, certainly," said theMajor.

"Look at the beautiful dying eye of thatnoble beast. Is it not speaking "

"Yes, imploring for mercy, as it were,poor creature."

"Well, these three beasts, that they say

are such good eating, weigh more thanfifty antelopes."

"More than fifty springboks, I grant.Well, what shall we do now "

"Let our horses get their wind again,and then we will see if we can fall inwith some new game."

"I saw two or three antelopes, of a verydifferent sort from the sassabys andharte-beests, toward that rising ground.We will go that way as soon as theHottentots come up and take charge ofour game."

"Does Swinton want to preserve one

of these creatures "

"I believe not, they are so very bulky.He says we shall find plenty as we goon, and that he will not encumber thewagons with a skin until we leave theVal River, and turn homeward. Now,Bremen and Omrah, come with us."

The Major and Alexander then turnedtheir horses' heads, and rode slowlytoward the hill which they had noticed,and the antelopes which the Major hadobserved were now seen among thebushes which crowned the hill. Bremensaid that he did not know the animals,and the Major was most anxious toobtain one to surprise Swinton with.

As soon as they came within twohundred yards of the bushes on theother side of which the antelopes wereseen, the Major gave his horse toOmrah and advanced alone verycautiously, that he might bring onedown with his rifle. He gained thebushes without alarming the animals,and the party left behind wereanxiously watching his motions,expecting him every moment to fire,when the Major suddenly turned roundand came back at a hurried pace.

"What is the matter " said Alexander.

"Matter enough to stop my growth forall my life," replied the Major. "If ever

my heart was in my mouth, it was justnow. I was advancing softly, and step bystep, toward the antelopes, and was justraising my rifle to fire, when I heardsomething flapping the ground three orfour yards before me. I looked down,and it was the tail of a lioness, whichfortunately was so busy watching theantelopes with her head the other way,that she did not perceive my being nearher; whereupon I beat a retreat, as youhave witnessed."

"Well, what shall we do now "

"Wait a little till I have recovered mynerves," said the Major, "and then I'llbe revenged upon her. Swinton is not

here to preach prudence, and have alion-hunt I will."

"With all my heart," replied Alexander."Bremen, we are going to attack thelioness."

"Yes, sir," said Bremen; "then we hadbetter follow Cape fashion. We willback the horses toward her, and Omrahwill hold them while we will attack her.I think one only had better fire, so wekeep two guns in reserve."

"You are right, Bremen," saidAlexander. "Then you and I will reserveour fire, and the Major shall try his rifleupon her."

With some difficulty the horses werebacked toward the bush, until theMajor could again distinguish wherethe lioness lay, at about sixty paces'distance. The animal appeared stilloccupied with the game in front of her,watching her opportunity to spring, forher tail and hind-quarters were towardthem. The Major fired, and the animalbounded off with a loud roar; whilethe antelopes flew away like the wind.The roar of the lioness was answeredby a deep growl from another part ofthe bush, and immediately afterward alion bolted out, and bounded from thebushes across the plain, to a smallmimosa grove about a quarter of a mile

off.

"What a splendid animal!" saidAlexander; "look at his black mane, italmost sweeps the ground."

"We must have him," cried the Major,jumping on his horse.

Alexander, Bremen, and Omrah did thesame, and they followed the lion, whichstood at bay under the mimosas,measuring the strength of the party,and facing them in a most noble andimposing manner. It appeared,however, that he did not like theirappearance, or was not satisfied withhis own position, for as they advanced

he retreated at a slow pace, and took uphis position on the summit of a stonyhill close by, the front of which wasthickly dotted with low thorn-bushes.The thorn-bushes extended about 200yards from where the lion stood,disdainfully surveying the party as theyapproached toward him, and appearing,with a conscious pride in his ownpowers, to dare them to approach him.

They dismounted from their horses assoon as they arrived at the thorn-bushes, and the Major fired. The rifle-ball struck the rock close to the lion,who replied with an angry growl. TheMajor then took the gun from Omrahand fired, and again the ball struck

close to the animal's feet. The lion nowshook his mane, gave another angryroar; and by the glistening of his eyes,and the impatient switching of his tail,it was evident that he would soonbecome the attacking party.

"Load both your guns again," saidAlexander, "and then let me have ashot, Major."

As soon as the Major's guns wereloaded, Alexander took aim and fired.The shot broke the lion's fore-leg,which he raised up with a voice ofthunder, and made a spring from therock toward where our party stood.

"Steady now," cried the Major toBremen, at the same time handing hisspare rifle to Alexander.

The rush of the angry animal washeard through the bushes advancingnearer and nearer; and they all stoodprepared for the encounter. At last outthe animal sprang, his mane bristling onend, his tail straight out, and hiseyeballs flashing rage and vengeance.He came down upon the hind-quartersof one of the horses, whichimmediately started off, overthrowingand dragging Omrah to some distance.One of the lion's legs being broken,had occasioned the animal to roll offon the side of the horse, and he now

remained on the ground ready for asecond spring, when he received a shotthrough the back from Bremen, whostood behind him. The lion, withanother dreadful roar, attempted tospring upon the Major, who was readywith his rifle to receive him; but theshot from Bremen had passed throughhis spine and paralyzed his hind-quarters, and he made the attempt invain, a second and a third timethrowing his fore-quarters up in the air,and then falling down again, when abullet from the Major passed throughhis brain. The noble beast sunk down,gnawing the ground and tearing it withthe claws of the leg which had notbeen wounded, and then, in a few

seconds, breathed his last.

"I am glad that is over, Alexander," saidthe Major; "it was almost too exciting tobe pleasant."

"It was very awful for the time, I mustacknowledge," replied Alexander."What an enormous brute! I think Inever saw such a magnificent skin.

"It is yours by the laws of war," saidthe Major.

"Nay," replied Alexander, "it was youthat gave him his coup de grace"

"Yes, but if you had not broken his leg,

he might have given some of us ourcoup de grace. No, no, the skin is yours.Now the horses are off, and we can notsend for the Hottentots. They have gotrid of Omrah, who is coming backwith his shirt torn into tatters."

"The men will catch the horses andbring them here, depend upon it, sir,"said Bremen, "and then they can takeoff the skin."

"Well, if I am to have the lion's skin, Imust have that of the lioness also,Major; so we must finish our day'shunting with forcing her to join hermate."

"Very good, with all my heart."

"Better wait till the men come with thehorses, sir," said Bremen; "three gunsare too few to attack a lion very greatdanger indeed."

"Bremen is right, Alexander; we mustnot run such a risk again. Dependupon it, if the animal's leg had notbeen broken, we should not have hadso easy a conquest. Let us sit downquietly till the men come up."

In about half an hour, as Bremen hadconjectured, the Hottentots, perceivingthe horses loose, and suspecting thatsomething had happened, went in

chase of them, and as soon as they hadsucceeded in catching them, broughtthem in the direction to which they hadseen our travelers ride. They were not alittle astonished at so small a partyhaving ventured to attack a lion, andgladly prepared for the attack of thelioness. Three of the dogs havingaccompanied them, it was decided thatthey should be put into the busheswhere the lioness was lying when theMajor fired at her, so as to discoverwhere she now was; and leaving thelion for the present, they all set off forthe first jungle.

The dogs could not find the lioness inthe bushes, and it was evident that she

had retreated to some other place; andSwanevelt, who was an old lion-hunter,gave his opinion that she would befound in the direction near to wherethe lion was killed. They went thereforein that direction, and found that shewas in the clump of mimosas to whichthe lion had first retreated. Theprevious arrangement of backing thehorses toward where she lay wasattempted, but the animals had beentoo much frightened in the morning bythe lion's attack, to be persuaded. Theyreared and plunged in such a manner asto be with difficulty prevented frombreaking loose; it was thereforenecessary to abandon that plan, andtrust to themselves and their numbers.

The clump of trees was surrounded bythe party, and the dogs encouraged togo in, which they did, every now andthen rushing back from the paws ofthe lioness. The Hottentots now firedinto the clump at random, and theirvolleys were answered by the loud roarsof the animal, which would not,however, show herself, and half anhour was passed away in this manner.

At last she was perceived at one side ofthe jungle, by Swanevelt, who firedwith effect, for the animal gave a loudroar, and then bounded out, notattempting to rush upon any person,but to make her escape from herassailants. A volley was fired at her, and

one shot took effect, for she fell withher head to the ground, and tumbledright over; but immediately after sherecovered herself, and made off for thebushes where she had been firstdiscovered.

"She was hit hard that time, at allevents," said the Major.

"Yes, sir," said Bremen, "that was herdeathshot, I should think; but she isnot dead yet, and may give us a greatdeal of trouble."

They followed her as fast as they couldon foot, and the dogs were soon uponher again; the animal continued to roar,

and always from the same spot; so thatit was evident she was severelywounded. Alexander and the Majorreserved their fire, and approached towhere the dogs were baying, not twentyyards from the jungle. Another roar wasgiven, and suddenly the body of thelioness rushed through the air, right inthe direction where they stood; shepassed, however, between them, andwhen she reached the ground, she fellon her side, quite dead. It was her lastexpiring effort, and she died in theattempt. Alexander and the Major, whowere both ready to fire, lowered theirrifles when they perceived that she wasdead.

"Well," said the Major, "I will say thatwhen I first saw her tail, I was morefrightened than I was just now, whenshe made the spring; I was so taken bysurprise."

"I don't doubt it. She is a very largeanimal, and will make a handsomecompanion to the lion. If we live anddo well, and get home to Englandagain, I will have her stuffed along withhim, and put them in the same case."

"I trust you will, and that I shall comeand see them," replied the Major.

"I am sure I do, from my heart, mygood fellow. I am very much pleased at

our having killed both these beasts,without Swinton being with us, as hewould have been persuading us to leavethem alone."

"And he would have done very right,"replied the Major. "We are two naughtyboys, and shall be well scolded whenwe go back."

"Which I vote we do now. I think wehave done quite enough for to-day."

"Yes, indeed," replied the Major,mounting his horse; "enough to talk ofall our lives. Now let us gallop home,and say nothing about having killed thelions until the Hottentots bring them to

the caravan."

CHAPTER XXV.

"Well, what sport have you had " wasSwinton's first question when he wasjoined by Alexander and the Major.Replied the latter "Pretty well; we sawan antelope quite new to us, which wetried very hard to shoot, but wereprevented by an unexpected meetingwith a lioness." The Major then gave anaccount of his perceiving the tail of thelioness, and his rapid retreat.

"I am very glad to hear that you were so

prudent, Major; it would have been avery rash thing to attack a lioness withonly three guns. So the antelopesescaped "

"Yes, but we have the elands, which yousay are such good eating. Do we stayhere any longer, or do we proceed upthe river "

"You must ask Wilmot to decide thatpoint," said Swinton.

"It is just as you please," saidAlexander; "but they say that the moreyou go to the northward, the moreplentiful is the game."

"Yes, and we shall fall in with thegiraffe," said the Major, "which is nowthe great object of my ambition. I havekilled the rhinoceros and elephant, andnow I must have the giraffe; they cankill the two first animals in India, butthe other is only to be had in thiscountry."

"And when you meet again your Indianfriends, you wish to say that you havekilled what they have not "

"Certainly; what is the good oftraveling so far, if one has notsomething to boast of when onereturns If I say I have hunted andkilled the rhinoceros and elephant, they

may reply to me, 'So have we;' but if Iadd the giraffe, that will silence them;don't you observe, Swinton, I thenremain master of the field But herecome the Hottentots with our game;come, Swinton, leave your preparationsfor a little while, and see what ourmorning's sport has been."

Swinton put aside the skin of thesassaby that he was cleaning, andwalked with them to where the menwere assembled, and was not a littlesurprised when he saw the skins andjaws of the lion and lioness. He wasstill more so when the Major recountedhow they had been shot.

"You certainly have run a great risk,"said he, "and I am glad that you havebeen so successful. You are right insaying that I should have persuadedyou not to attempt it; you are like twolittle boys who have taken advantage ofthe absence of their tutor to run intomischief. However, I am glad that it hasbeen done, as I now hope your desireto kill a lion will not again lead youinto unnecessary danger."

"No, indeed," replied Alexander;"having once accomplished the feat,and being fully aware of the great riskthat is run, we shall be more prudent infuture."

"That is all I ask of you," said Swinton,"for I should be unhappy if we did notall three return safe to the Cape. I neversaw a finer lion's skin: I will arrange itfor you, that it shall arrive at the Capein good order."

As usual, the afternoon was by theHottentots devoted to eating as muchas they could possibly contrive to getdown their throats; the flesh of theeland was pronounced excellent by ourtravelers, and there was much morethan they could possibly consume. TheHottentots were only allowed to bring acertain quantity into the camp, that theymight not attract the wild beasts. Theywould have brought it all in, although

they never could have eaten it. Thecattle were driven up in the evening, thefires lighted, and the night passedquietly away.

At daylight they turned the cattle out tograze for a couple of hours, and thenyoked and proceeded on their journey,keeping as near as they could to thebanks of the river. They saw manyhippopotami, snorting and rising for amoment above the water, but theypassed by them without attempting toshoot at them, as they did not wish todisturb the other game. As theyadvanced, the variety of flowers whichwere in bloom attracted the notice ofAlexander, who observed "Does not

this plain put you in mind of a Turkeycarpet, Major; so gay with every varietyof color "

"Yes, and as scentless," replied theMajor; "they are all very brilliant inappearance; but one modest Englishviolet is, to my fancy, worth them all."

"I agree with you," replied Swinton;"but still you must acknowledge thatthis country is beautiful beyonddescription, these grassy meads sospangled with numerous flowers, andso broken by the masses of grove andforest! Look at these aloes blooming inprofusion, with their coral tufts inEngland what would they pay for such

an exhibition and the crimson and lilachues of these poppies and amaryllisblended together: neither are you just insaying that there is no scent in this gayparterre. The creepers which twine upthose stately trees are very sweetlyscented; and how picturesque are thetwinings of those vines upon themimosas. I can not well imagine thegarden of Eden to have been morebeautiful."

"And in another respect there is aresemblance," said the Major, laughing;"the serpent is in it"

"Yes, I grant that," replied Swinton.

"Well, I can feel no real pleasurewithout security; if I am to be ever onthe alert, and turning my eyes in everydirection, that I may not tread upon apuff adder, or avoid the dart of thecobra capella, I can feel little pleasure inlooking at the rich hues of thoseflowers which conceal them. As I saidbefore, give me the violet and the roseof England, which I can pick and smellin security."

"I agree with you, Major," saidAlexander; "but," continued he,laughing, "we must make allowance forSwinton, as a naturalist. A puff adderhas a charm for him, because it addsone more to the numerous specimens

to be obtained; and he looks uponthese flowers as a botanist, rejoicing ashe adds to his herbal, or gathers seedsand bulbs to load his wagon with. Youmight as well find fault with ahusbandman for rejoicing in a richharvest."

"Or with himself, for being sodelighted at the number and the varietyof the animals which fall to his rifle,"replied Swinton, smiling. "There I haveyou, Major."

"I grant it," replied the Major; "butwhat is that in the river the back of ahippopotamus "

"No, it is the back of an elephant, Ishould rather think; but the reeds are sohigh, that it is difficult to ascertain.There may be a herd bathing in theriver, nothing more likely."

"Let us stop the caravan; the creakingof these wheels would drive away anything," replied the Major; "we will thenride forward and see what it is. It is notmore than half a mile from us."

"Be it so," replied Swinton. "Omrah, getthe rifles, and tell Bremen to come here.Now, Major, is it to be a regular hunt,or only a passing shot at them; for Inow perceive through my glass thatthey are elephants "

"Well, I think a passing shot will bebest; for if we are to hunt, we mustsend a party on the opposite side ofthe river, and that will be a tediousaffair."

"I think myself it will be better toproceed," said Swinton; "so now then,to scatter the enemy."

They soon arrived at that part of theriver where they had at a distancediscovered the elephants bathing; but asthey approached, the high reedsprevented them from seeing theanimals, although they could hear themplainly. At last, as they proceeded a little

further up the river, they discovered afemale with its young one by its side;the mother playing with its offspring,pouring water over it with its trunk,and now and then pressing it into thewater, so as to compel it to swim. Theywatched the motions of the animals forsome time, and the Major first brokesilence by saying, "I really have not theheart to fire at the poor creature; itsmaternal kindness, and the playing ofthe little one, are too interesting. Itwould be cruel, now that we do notwant meat, for an eland is to be killedevery ten minutes."

"I am glad to hear you say so," repliedSwinton. "Let us fire over them, and set

them all in motion."

"Agreed," said the Major; "this is tostart them," and he fired off his rifle inthe air.

The noise that ensued was quiteappalling; the shrieks and cries of theelephants, and the treading down andrushing through the reeds, thesplashing and floundering in the mud,for a few seconds, was followed by thebounding out of the whole herd on theopposite bank of the river, tossing theirtrunks, raising up their ears, roaringwildly, and starting through the bushesinto the forest from which they haddescended. Two large males only were

to be perceived among the whole herd,the rest were all females and theiryoung ones, who scrambled away afterthe males, crowding together, but stilloccasionally looking behind after theiryoung ones, till they had all disappearedin the forest, the cracking and crushingof the bushes in which were heard formany minutes afterward.

"That was a splendid scene," saidAlexander.

"Yes, it was a living panorama, whichone must come to Africa to behold."

"I do not think that I shall ever becomea true elephant-hunter," said the Major.

"I feel a sort of repugnance to destroyso sagacious an animal, and a degree ofremorse when one lies dead. At thesame time, if once accustomed to thefearful crashing and noise attendingtheir movements, I do not considerthem very dangerous animals topursue."

"Not if people are cool and collected.We have had several famous elephant-hunters among the Dutch farmers. Iremember that one of them, after areturn from a successful chase, made abet that he would go up to a wildelephant and pluck eight hairs out ofhis tail. He did so and won his bet, forthe elephant can not see behind him,

and is not very quick in turning round.However, a short time afterward hemade the same attempt, and beingfoolhardy from success, the animal wastoo quick for him, and he was crushedto death."

Bremen now came up to them, to saythat there was a party of people to theeastward, and he thought that there wasa wagon. On examination with theirtelescopes, they found that such wasthe case; and our travelers turned theirhorses' heads in the direction, toascertain who they might be, leavingthe caravan to proceed by the banks ofthe river. In about an hour, they cameclose to them, and Swinton

immediately recognized them asGriquas, or mixed European andHottentot races. Of course, they met inthe most friendly manner, and theGriquas said that they had come tohunt the elephant, eland, and otheranimals; the former for their ivory, andthe latter for their flesh. Their wagon,which was a very old one, was loadedwith flesh, cut in long strips, andhanging to dry; and they had a greatmany hundred-weight of ivory, whichthey had already collected. As soon asour travelers had explained to themtheir own motions, the Griquas saidthat they would bring their wagondown in the evening and encamp withthem. Our travelers then returned to

the caravan.

As they promised, the Griquas joinedthem late in the afternoon. They were aparty of sixteen; all stout fellows, andarmed with the long guns used by theDutch boors. They said that they hadbeen two months from Griqua-town,and were thinking of returning verysoon, as their wagon was loaded to theextent that it would bear. The Majorstating that it was their intention tohunt the giraffe, the Griquas informedthem that they would not find theanimal to the southward of the ValRiver, and they would have to crossover into the territories of the kingMoselekatsee, who ruled over the

Bechuana country, to the northward ofthe river; and that it would be verydangerous to attempt so to do withouthis permission; indeed, that therewould be danger in doing so, even withit.

"Do you know any thing of thisperson, Swinton "

"Yes, I have heard of him, but I did notknow that he had extended hisconquests so low down as to the ValRiver."

"Who is he "

"You have heard of Chaka, the king of

the Zoolus, who conquered the wholecountry, as far as Port Natal to theeastward "

"Yes," replied Alexander; "we haveheard of him."

"Well, Moselekatsee was a chief of twoor three tribes, who, when hard pressedby his enemies, took refuge with Chaka,and became one of his principalwarrior chiefs. After a time he quarreledwith Chaka, about the distribution ofsome cattle they had taken, and awarethat he had no mercy to expect fromthe tyrant, he revolted from him with alarge force, and withdrew to theBechuana country. There he conquered

all the tribes, enrolled them in his ownarmy, and gradually became asformidable as Chaka himself. In thearrangements of his army, he followedthe same plans as Chaka, and has nowbecome a most powerful monarch, and,they do say, is almost as great a tyrantand despot as Chaka himself was. Ibelieve that the Griquas are right insaying there would be danger in passingthrough his dominions without hispermission."

"But," said Alexander, "I suppose if wesend a message to him and presents,there will be no difficulty "

"Perhaps not, except that our caravan

may excite his cupidity, and he may beinduced to delay us to obtainpossession of its contents. However,we had better put this question to theGriquas, who probably can answer itbetter."

The Griquas, on being questioned,replied, that the best plan would be tosend a message to the Matabili capital,where Moselekatsee resided, requestingpermission to hunt in the country, andbegging the monarch to send some ofhis principal men to receive thepresents which they had to offer; that itwould not take long to receive ananswer, as it would only be necessary todeliver the message to the first officer

belonging to Moselekatsee, at theadvanced post. That officer wouldimmediately dispatch a native with themessage, who would arrive muchsooner than any one they could sendthemselves. Bremen and three otherHottentots offered to take the message,if our travelers wished it. This wasagreed to, and that afternoon theymounted their horses, and crossed theriver. By the advice of the Griquas, thecamp was shifted about a mile furtherup the river, on account of the lions.

The weather now threatened a change;masses of clouds accumulated, butwere again dispersed. The next day theweather was again threatening; thunder

pealed in the distant mountains, andthe forked lightning flew in everydirection; but the rain, if any, wasexpended on the neighboring hills.

A strong wind soon blew up so as totry the strength of the canvas awningof their wagons, and they found itdifficult to keep their fires in at night.They had encamped upon a wide plaincovered with high grass, and aboundingwith elands and other varieties ofantelopes: here they remained for fivedays, waiting the reply of the king ofthe Matabili, and went out every day toprocure game. On the Sabbath-day,after they had, as usual, performedDivine service, they observed a heavy

smoke to windward, which, as the windwas fresh, soon bore down upon themand inconvenienced them much.

Swanevelt stated that the high grass hadbeen fired by some means or another,and as it threatened to come downupon the encampment, the Hottentotsand Griquas were very busy beatingdown the grass round about them.When they had so done, they went towindward some hundred yards and setfire to the grass in several places; thegrass burned quickly, till it arrived atwhere it had been beaten down, andthe fire was extinguished. That this wasa necessary precaution was fullyproved, for as the night closed in, the

whole country for miles was on fire,and the wind bore the flames downrapidly toward them.

The sky was covered with clouds, andthe darkness of the night made theflames appear still more vivid; the winddrove them along with a loud cracklingnoise, sweeping over the undulatingground, now rising and nowdisappearing in the hollows, the wholelandscape lighted up for miles.

As our travelers watched the progressof the flames, and every now and thenobserved a terrified antelope springfrom its lair, and appearing like a blackfigure in a phantasmagoria, suddenly

the storm burst upon them and the rainpoured down in torrents, accompaniedwith large hailstones and thunder andlightning. The wind was instantly lulled,and after the first burst of the storm adeathlike silence succeeded to thecrackling of the flames. A deluge ofrain descended, and in an instant everyspark of the conflagration wasextinguished, and the pitchy darknessof the night was unbroken by even asolitary star.

The next morning was bright and clear,and after breakfast, they perceived theHottentots who had been sent on theirmessage to Moselekatsee, on theopposite bank of the river,

accompanied by three of the natives;they soon crossed the river and came tothe encampment. The natives, whowere Matabili, were tall, powerful men,well proportioned, and with regularfeatures; their hair was shorn, andsurmounted with an oval ring attachedto the scalp, and the lobe of their leftears was perforated with such a largehole, that it contained a small gourd,which was used as a snuff-box. Theirdress was a girdle of strips of catskins,and they each carried two javelins and aknobbed stick for throwing.

They were heartily welcomed by ourtravelers, who placed before them alarge quantity of eland-steaks, and filled

their boxes with snuff. As soon as theyhad finished eating, and drawn up alarge quantity of snuff into theirnostrils, they explained through theGriquas, who could speak theirlanguage, that they had come from thegreatest of all monarchs in the world,Moselekatsee, who wished to knowwho the strangers were, what theywanted of him, and what presents theyhad brought.

Swinton, who was spokesman,returned for answer that they werehunters, and not traders; that they hadcome to see the wonders of thecountry belonging to so great amonarch, and that hearing that his

majesty had animals in his countrywhich were not to be found elsewhere,they wanted permission to kill some, toshow upon their return to their ownpeople what a wonderful country it wasthat belonged to so great a monarch;that they had brought beads andcopper wire, and knives, and boxes formaking fire, and snuff and tobacco, allof which they wished to present to thegreat monarch; a part as soon as theyhad received his permission to enter histerritory, and another part when theywere about to leave it. A handsomepresent of the above articles was thenproduced, and the messengers of theking, having surveyed the articles withsome astonishment, declared that their

king would feel very glad when he sawall these things, and that he had desiredthem to tell our travelers that theymight come into his dominions withsafety, and kill all the animals that theypleased. That his majesty hadcommanded one of them to remainwith the party, and that as soon as hehad received his presents, he wouldsend a chief to be answerable for theirsafety. The Matabili then packed up thearticles presented, and two of them setoff at full speed on their return to theking. The third, who remained, assuredour travelers that they might cross theriver and enter the Matabili country assoon as they pleased.

A debate now ensued as to whetherthey should go with their whole forceor not. The Matabili had informedthem that in three days' journey theywould fall in with the giraffe, whichthey were in search of, and as therewould be some risk in crossing theriver, and they had every reason toexpect that it would soon rise, thequestion was whether it would beprudent to take over even one of thewagons. The opinion of the Griquaswas asked, and it was ultimatelyarranged that they should take overAlexander's wagon only, with fifteenpair of oxen, and that some of theGriquas should accompany them, withSwanevelt, Omrah, and Mahomed; that

Bremen and the Hottentots shouldremain where they were, with the otherthree wagons and the rest of theGriquas, until our travelers shouldreturn.

This arrangement was not at alldisagreeable to the Hottentots, who didnot much like the idea of entering theMatabili country, and were very happyin their present quarters, as they wereplentifully provided with good meat.Alexander's wagon was thereforearranged so as to carry the bedding andarticles they might require, all otherthings being removed to the otherwagons. Their best oxen were selected,and eight of the fleetest of their horses,

and on the following morning, havingascertained from the Matabili the bestplace to cross the river, our travelers setoff, and in an hour were on the otherside.

There was no change in the countryduring the first day's journey; the samevariety and brilliancy of flowers wereevery where to be seen. The eland andthe other antelopes were plentiful, andthey were soon joined by parties of thenatives, who requested them to shootthe animals for them, which they did inquantities even sufficient to satisfythem. Indeed if they found themtroublesome, our travelers had only tobring down an eland, and the natives

were immediately left behind, that theymight devour the animal, which wasdone in an incredibly short space oftime. The Matabili who had conductedthem proved to be a chief, and if hegave any order, it was instantly obeyed;so that our travelers had no troublewith the natives except their beggingand praying for snuff, which wasincessant, both from the men andwomen. Neither did they fear anytreachery from the Matabili king, asthey were well armed, and the Griquaswere brave men, and the superiority oftheir weapons made them a match for alarge force. Every precaution, however,was taken when they halted at night,which they invariably did in the center

of an open plain, to prevent anysurprise; and large fires were lightedround the wagon.

They traveled on in this way for twodays more, when in the evening theyarrived at a large plain sprinkled withmimosa-trees, and abutting on the footof a low range of hills. The Matabilitold them that they would find thegiraffes on these plains, and the Major,who was very anxious, kept histelescope to his eyes, looking round inevery direction till nightfall, but did notsucceed in descrying any of the objectsof his search. They retired that nightwith anxious expectation for thefollowing morning, when they

anticipated that they should fall in withthese remarkable animals. Their gunswere examined and every precautiontaken, and having lighted their fires andset the watch, they went to bed; and,after commending themselves to thecare of Providence, were soon fastasleep.

CHAPTER XXVI.

With the exception of three lionscoming very near to the encampmentand rousing up the Griquas, nothingoccurred during the night. In themorning they yoked the oxen and had

all the horses saddled ready for thechase; but they were disappointed fornearly the whole day; as, although theysaw a variety of game, no giraffeappeared in sight. In the afternoon, asthey passed by a clump of mimosas,they were charged by a rhinoceros,which nearly threw down Alexander'sbest horse; but a volley from theGriquas laid him prostrate. It was a verylarge animal, but not of the black orferocious sort, being what is termed thewhite rhinoceros. Within the last twodays they had also observed that thegnoo was not of the same sort as theone which they had seen so long, but avariety which Swinton told them wascalled the brindled gnoo; it was,

however, in every other respect thesame animal, as to its motions andpeculiarities. Toward the evening theMatabili warrior who accompaniedthem pointed to a mimosa at a distance,and made signs to the Major that therewas a giraffe.

"I can not see him do you, Alexander "said the Major; "he points to thatmimosa with the dead stump on theother side of it, there. Yes, it is one, Isee the stump, as I called it, move; itmust be the neck of the animal. Letloose the dogs, Swanevelt," cried theMajor, starting off at full speed, andfollowed by Alexander, and Omrah,with the spare horse. In a minute or

two the giraffe was seen to get clear ofthe mimosa, and then set off in anawkward, shambling kind of gallop;but awkward as the gallop appeared,the animal soon left the Major behind.It sailed along with incredible velocity,its long, swan-like neck keeping timewith its legs, and its black tail curledabove its back.

"Push on, Alexander," cried the Major;"if ever there were seven-league boots,that animal has a pair of them on. Hegoes like the wind; but he can not keepit up long, depend upon it, and ourhorses are in capital condition."

Alexander and the Major were now

neck and neck, close to each other, atfull speed, when of a sudden theMajor's horse stumbled, and fell uponan ostrich, which was sitting on hernest; Alexander's horse also stumbledand followed after the Major; and therethey were, horses and riders, all rollingtogether among the ostrich-eggs; whilethe ostrich gained her legs, and ran offas fast as the giraffe.

As soon as they had got on their legsagain, and caught the bridles of theirhorses, they looked round, but couldnot distinguish the giraffe, which wasout of sight among the mimosa-trees;while Omrah was very busy picking uptheir rifles, and laughing in a very

disrespectful manner. The Major andAlexander soon joined in the laugh. Nobones were broken, and the horses hadreceived no injury. All they had to dowas to return to the caravan lookingvery foolish.

"Your first essay in giraffe-hunting hasbeen very successful," said Swinton,laughing, as they came up to him.

"Yes, we both threw very prettysummersets, did we not " saidAlexander. "However, we have gotsome ostrich-eggs for supper, and thatis better than nothing. It will soon bedark, so we had better encamp for thenight, had we not "

"I was about to propose it," saidSwinton.

"Did you ever hunt the giraffe, Swinton" inquired Alexander, as they weremaking their supper on roasted ostrich-eggs; each of them holding onebetween his knees, and dipping outwith a large spoon.

"Never," replied Swinton; "I have oftenseen them in Namaqua-land, but neverkilled one. I remember, however, acircumstance connected with thegiraffe, which would have beenincredible to me, if I had not seen theremains of the lion. You are well aware

how long and strong are the thorns ofthe mimosa (or kamel-tree, as theDutch call it, from the giraffe browsingupon it), and how the boughs of thesetrees lie like an umbrella, close uponone another. A native chief informedme that he witnessed a lion attacking agiraffe. The lion always springs at thehead or neck, and seizes the animal bythat part, riding him, as it were. Thegiraffe sets off at full speed with itsenemy, and is so powerful as often toget rid of him; for I have seen giraffeskilled which had the marks of the lion'steeth and claws upon them. In thisinstance the lion made a spring, but thegiraffe at that very moment turningsharp round, the lion missed his aim,

and by the blow it received was tossedin the air, so that he fell upon theboughs of the mimosa on his back.The boughs were not only compactenough to bear his weight, but thethorns that pierced through his bodywere so strong as to hold the enormousanimal where he lay. He could notdisengage himself; and they pointed outto me the skeleton on the boughs ofthe tree, as a corroboration of the truthof the story."

"It does really approach to themarvelous," observed the Major; "but,as you say, seeing is believing. I trustthat we shall be more fortunate to-morrow."

"I have gained a piece of informationfrom Swanevelt," said Swinton, "whichmakes me very anxious that we shouldleave this as soon as possible; which is,that the Matabili king had no idea thatwe had Griquas in our company, andstill less that we were to come into hiscountry with only the Griquas asattendants. You are not perhaps awarethat Moselekatsee is the deadly enemyof the Griquas, with whom he has hadseveral severe conflicts, and that we arenot very safe on that account "

"Why did not the Griquas say so "replied Alexander.

"Because they do not care for theMatabili, and I presume are glad tocome into the country, that they mayknow something of it, in case of theirmaking an attack upon it. Dependupon it, as soon as the king hears of it,we shall be looked upon as spies, andhe may send a party to cut us off."

"Have you said any thing to theGriquas "

"Yes, and they laughed, and said thatthey should not care if we went rightup to the principal town, whereMoselekatsee resides."

"Well, they are bold enough, and so far

are good traveling companions; but wecertainly did not come here to fight,"observed the Major. "But does theMatabili with us know that they areGriquas "

"He did not; he supposed that theywere Cape people whom we hadbrought with us; but he has found itout by the Hottentots, I suppose.Swanevelt says, that the very first bodyof Matabili that we fell in with, he senta runner off immediately, I presume togive the information. I think, therefore,that the sooner we can get away thebetter."

"Well, I agree with you, Swinton,"

replied Alexander.

"We will try for the giraffe to-morrow,and when the Major has had thesatisfaction of killing one, we willretrace our steps, for should we beattacked, it will be impossible to defendourselves long against numbers. Sonow to bed."

They rose early the next morning, and,leaving the wagon where it was, againproceeded on horseback in search ofgiraffes. They rode at a slow pace forfour or five miles, before they coulddiscover any. At last a herd of themwere seen standing together browsingon the leaves of the mimosa. They

made a long circuit to turn them, anddrive them toward the camp, and in thisthey succeeded. The animals set off attheir usual rapid pace, but did not keepit up long, as there were several not fullgrown among them, which could notget over the ground so fast as the largemale of the preceding day. After a chaseof three miles, they found that theanimals' speed was rapidly decreasing,and they were coming up with them.When within a hundred yards,Alexander fired and wounded a femalewhich was in the rear. The Majorpushed on with the dogs after a largemale, and it stopped at bay under amimosa, kicking most furiously at thedogs. The Major leveled his rifle, and

brought the animal down with his firstshot. It rose again, however, and for ahundred yards went away at a fast pace;but it again fell, to rise no more. Thefemale which Alexander had woundedreceived another shot, and was thenalso prostrated."

"I have killed a giraffe," said the Major,standing by the side of the one he hadkilled. "It has been a long way to travel,and there have been some dangers toencounter for the sake of performingthis feat; but we have all our follies, andare eager in pursuit of just as greattrifles through life; so that in this I amnot perhaps more foolish than the restof mankind. I have obtained my wishes

I have killed a giraffe; and now I don'tcare how soon we go back again."

"Nor do I," replied Alexander; "for Ican say with you, when we arrive inEngland, I too have killed a giraffe; soyou will not be able to boast over me.By Swinton's account if we stay heremuch longer, we shall have to killMatabili, which I am not anxious to do;therefore, I now say with you, I don'tcare how soon we go back to theCape."

As they were not more than two milesfrom the wagon, they rode back, andsent the Griquas to bring in the fleshof the animals; Swinton not caring for

the skins, as he had already procuredsome in Namaqua-land, and the weightof them would be so very great for thewagon. On their return, they had someconversation with the Griquas, whocandidly acknowledged that it was verylikely that the Matabili king wouldattempt to cut them off, although theyappeared not at all afraid of his makingthe attempt. They, however, readilyconsented to return the next morning.That night, a messenger arrived to theMatabili chief who was escorting them.What was the communication ofcourse our travelers could not tell; buttheir suspicions were confirmed by thebehavior of the man. When he foundthat, on the following morning, they

yoked the oxen and retraced their steps,he begged them not to go, but toadvance into the interior of thecountry, where they would find plentyof game; told them that the king wouldbe very angry if they left so soon; andif he did not see them, his heart wouldbe very sad. But our travelers had madeup their mind, and traveled back duringthe whole of that day. The Matabilidispatched the messenger who hadcome to him, and who again set off atall speed; at night he urged our travelersnot to go back, saying that the kingwould be very angry with him. But asthe Griquas were now equallyconvinced that treachery was intended,they paid no attention to the Matabili

chief, and continued their route,shooting elands by the way for theirsustenance. Late in the evening of thethird day they found themselves on theborders of the Val river. It was still twohours before dark, and as the Matabilipressed them to encamp where theywere, they were satisfied that they hadbetter not, and therefore they fordedthe river, and rejoined the caravan,under charge of Bremen, just as nightclosed in.

The Griquas said, that from theMatabili wishing them to remain on theother side of the river, they werepersuaded that a force would arriveduring that night or the following

morning, and that it would benecessary to be on the look-out;although probably the enemy wouldnot venture to attack them withoutfurther orders, now that they were nolonger in Moselekatsee's dominions.Every preparation was therefore made:the Griquas and Hottentots were allsupplied with ammunition, andmustered with their guns in their hands.The wagons were arranged, the fireslighted, and four men were posted assentinels round the encampment. Whatadded still more to their suspicions was,that, about an hour after dark, theMatabili chief was not to be found.

"My opinion is," said the Major, "that

we ought to steal a march upon them.Our oxen are in excellent condition,and may travel till to-morrow eveningwithout feeling it. Let us yoke and beoff at once, now that it is dark. Themoon will rise about two o'clock in themorning, but before that the wagonswill be twelve or fifteen miles off.Alexander and I, with Bremen, willremain here with our horses and waittill the moon rises, to see if we candiscover any thing: and we can easilyjoin the wagons by daybreak. We willkeep the fires up, to allow them tosuppose that we are still encamped, thatthey may not pursue."

"And also to keep off the lions,"

observed Alexander, "which are notenemies to be despised."

"I think it is a very good plan; but whynot have more men with you We haveplenty of horses, and so have theGriquas."

"Well then, let us talk to the Griquas."

The Griquas approved of the plan;and, having their own horses, six ofthem agreed to remain with Alexanderand the Major, and Swanevelt and twomore of the Hottentots were alsomounted to remain; which made aforce of twelve men, well mounted andwell armed. The remainder of the

caravan yoked the oxen to the wagons,and, under the direction of Swinton,set off in a southerly direction, acrossthe desert, instead of going by thebanks of the Val River, as before.

This had been arranged previously toany expected attack from the Matabili,as it would considerably shorten thedistance on returning, although theyknew that they would find muchdifficulty in procuring water for a fewdays. After the caravan had departed, itwas found that Omrah had helpedhimself to a horse and a gun, and hadremained in the camp; but as he wasalways useful, his so doing was passedover without notice. In half an hour

the wagons were out of sight, and thenoise of their wheels was no longer tobe heard.

They fastened their horses in the centerof the fires, and sat down by them tillthe moon rose, when they directed theireyes to the opposite bank of the river;but for some time nothing wasdiscovered to confirm their suspicions.When the moon was about an hourhigh, they perceived a body of mencoming, down toward the banks, andthe moon shone upon their shields,which were white. As soon as theyarrived at the bank of the river, they allsat down, without making any noise.Shortly afterward, another body with

dark-colored shields, made theirappearance, who came down andjoined the first.

"We were not wrong in our suspicions,at all events," said the Major; "I shouldsay that there are not less than athousand men in these two partieswhich have already appeared. Now,what shall we do Shall we remain here,or shall we be off, and join the wagons"

"I really can hardly decide which wouldbe the best," replied Alexander; "let ushave a consultation with Bremen andthe Griquas."

"If we were to go away now," saidBremen, "the fires would soon be out,and they might suspect something, andcome over to reconnoiter. When theyfound that we were gone, they wouldperhaps follow us, and overtake thewagons; but if we remain here, andkeep the fires up till daybreak, thewagons will have gained so much moredistance."

The Griquas were of the same opinion;and it was decided that they wouldremain there till daybreak, and then setoff.

"But," said Alexander, "shall we leavethis before they can see us, or allow

them to see us "

The Griquas said, that it would bebetter that the enemy should see them,as then they would know that the fireshad been kept up to deceive them, andthat the wagons were probably a longway off.

This having been agreed upon, acareful watch was kept upon the enemyduring the remainder of the night.Although the moon had discovered theapproach of the Matabili to the party,the spot where the camp had beenpitched was in the shade, so that fromthe opposite side of the river only thefires could be distinguished. A little

before dawn, some one was heardapproaching, and they were all preparedto fire, when they discovered that it wasOmrah, who, unknown to them, hadcrawled down to the banks of the riverto reconnoiter the enemy.

Omrah, who was out of breath withrunning, stated that some of theMatabili were crossing the river, andthat six had landed on this side, beforehe came up to give the information. Hepointed to a clump of trees, aboutthree hundred yards off, and said thatthey had gone up in that direction, andwere probably there by that time.

"Then we had better saddle and

mount," said the Major, "and ride awaygently to the wood on this side of thecamp. We shall then be able to watchtheir motions without being seen."

This advice was good, and approved byall. They led out their horses withoutnoise, and as soon as they had done so,they went back, and threw more fuel onthe fires. They then retreated to thewood, which was about the samedistance from the camp, on the otherside, as the clump of trees where theMatabili were secreted.

They had hardly concealed themselves,before the Matabili in the clump,surprised at not seeing the awnings of

the wagons, and suspecting that theyhad been deceived, came out from theirambuscade; first crawling on all-fours,and as they arrived at the camp, andfound only fires burning, rising up oneafter another. After remaining about aminute in consultation, two of theparty were sent back to the river tocommunicate this intelligence to themain body, while the others searchedabout in every direction. Alexander,with the Major and their party,remained where they were, as it wastheir intention to cross through thewood, until they came to the openground, about a quarter of a mile tothe southward, and then showthemselves to the enemy, before they

went to join the wagons.

In a few minutes it was daylight, andthey now perceived that the wholebody of the Matabili were crossing theriver.

"They intend to pursue us, then," saidAlexander.

Omrah now pointed to the side of theriver, in the direction which the wagonshad traveled when they came up by itsbanks, saying, "When go away ride thatway first same track wagon go that wayback same way wagon come."

"The boy is right," said the Major;

"when we start from the wood, we willkeep by the riverside, in the track bywhich the wagons came; and when weare concealed from them by the hills ortrees, we will then start off to thesouthward after the wagons."

"I see," replied Alexander; "they willprobably take the marks of the wagon-wheels coming here, for those of thewagons going away, and will followthem; presuming, as we go that way,that our wagons have gone also. Buthere they come up the banks; it is timefor us to be off."

"Quite time," said the Major; "so nowlet us show ourselves, and then trust to

our heels."

The Matabili force was now withinfour hundred yards of the camp. It wasbroad daylight; and, with their whiteand red shields and short spears in theirhands, they presented a very formidableappearance.

There was no time to be lost, so theparty rode out of the end of the woodnearest the river, and, as soon as theymade their appearance, were received bya yell from the warriors, who dashedforward in the direction where theystood. The Major had directed that noone should fire, as he and Alexanderdid not wish that any blood should be

shed unnecessarily. They thereforewaved their hands, and turning theirhorses' heads galloped off by the banksof the river, keeping in the tracks madeby the wagons when they came up.

As soon as they galloped a quarter of amile, they pulled up, and turned theirhorses' heads to reconnoiter. Theyperceived that the Matabili force waspursuing them at the utmost speed: butas they had no horsemen, that speedwas of course insufficient to overtakethe well-mounted party in advance. Assoon as they were near, our party againgalloped off and left them behind.Thus they continued for four or fivemiles, the Matabili force pursuing them,

or rather following the tracks of thewagons, when they observed a belt oftrees before them about a mile off; thisthe Major considered as a good screento enable them to alter their coursewithout being perceived by the enemy.They therefore galloped forward, andas soon as they were hidden by thetrees, turned off in a direction bywhich they made certain to fall in withthe track which the wagons had madeon their departure during the night.

They had ridden about two miles, stillconcealed in the wood, when they hadthe satisfaction of perceiving theMatabili force still following at a rapidpace the tracks of the wagons on the

riverside. Having watched them forhalf an hour, as they now consideredthat all was safe, they again continuedtheir course, so as to fall in with thewagons.

"I think we are clear of them now," saidthe Major; "they have evidently falleninto the trap proposed by that cleverlittle fellow, Omrah."

"He is a very intelligent boy," observedAlexander, "and, traveling in thiscountry, worth his weight in gold."

"I wish Swinton would make him overto me," said the Major; "but, Alexander,do you observe what a change there is

already in the country "

"I do indeed," replied Alexander; "andall ahead of us it appears to be stillmore sterile and bare."

"Yes, when you leave the rivers, youleave vegetation of all kinds almost.There is no regular rainy season at allhere, Swinton says; we may expectoccasional torrents of rain during threemonths, but they are now veryuncertain; the mountains attract thegreater portion of the rain, andsometimes there will not be a showeron the plains for the whole year."

"How far shall we have to travel before

we fall in with water again " inquiredAlexander.

"Swinton says there may be water in ariver about sixty miles from where westarted last night; if not, we shall haveto proceed about thirty miles further, tothe Gykoup or Vet River. After that weshall have to depend for many daysupon the water we may find in theholes, which, as the season is nowcoming on, may probably be filled bythe rain."

Alexander and his party rode for sevenor eight miles before they fell in withthe tracks of the caravan; they thenpulled up their jaded horses, and

proceeded at a more leisurely pace, sothat it was not till late in the eveningthat they discovered the wagons atsome distance, having passed the drybed of Salt River ahead of them.During the whole day their horses hadhad neither food nor water, and theanimals were much exhausted whenthey came up with the wagons. Theoxen also were fatigued with so long ajourney, having made nearly fifty milessince they started the evening before.

The country was now stony and sterile;a little vegetation was to be found hereand there, but not sufficient to meet thewants of the animals, and water therewas none. During the day but little

game had been seen, few zebras andostriches only; all other varieties haddisappeared. There was of course nowood to light the fires round theencampment: a sufficiency for cookingtheir victuals had been thrown into thewagons, and two sheep were killed tosupply a supper for so numerous aparty. But the absence of game alsodenoted the absence of lions, and theywere not disturbed during the night. Inthe morning the Griquas partedcompany with them, on the plea thattheir oxen and horses were in too poora condition to pass over the desert, andthat they must make a direct course forthe Val River and return by its banks.

Our travelers gave them a good supplyof ammunition, the only thing that theywished for, and the Griquas, yokingtheir oxen to the crazy old wagon, setoff in a westerly direction.

The route of the caravan was nowdirected more to the south-west, andthey passed over an uninterrupted plainstrewed with small land-tortoises, andcovered with a profusion of the gayestflowers. About noon, after a sultryjourney of nine hours, they fortunatelyarrived at a bog, in which they found apool of most fetid water, whichnothing but necessity could havecompelled either them or the exhaustedanimals to drink. Near this pool in the

desert they found several wild animals,and they obtained three gnoos for asupply of provision; the little woodthat they had in the wagon for fuel wasall used up in cooking their supper.

A heavy dew fell during the night, andin the morning, before the sun rose,they were enveloped in a thick fog. Asthe fog dispersed, they perceived herdsof quaggas in all directions, but at agreat distance. They again yoked theoxen and proceeded on their journey;the country was now covered withherbage and flowers of every hue, andlooked like a garden.

"How strange that the ground should

be covered with flowers where there isno rain or water to be found," observedAlexander.

"It is the heavy dews of the nightwhich support them," said Swinton,"and perhaps the occasional rainswhich fall."

A line of trees to the southward toldthem that they were now approachingan unnamed river, and the tired oxenquickened their pace; but on theirarrival they found that the bed of theriver was dry, and not even a drop ofwater was to be found in the pools. Thepoor animals, which had been unyoked,snuffed and smelt at the wet, damp

earth, and licked it with their tongues,but could obtain no relief. The waterwhich they had had in the casks fortheir own drinking was now, all gone;and there were no hopes of obtainingany till they arrived at the Vet River, atleast twenty-five to thirty miles distant.Two of the oxen lay down to rise nomore, the countenances of theHottentots were dejected and sullen,and our travelers felt that their situationwas alarming.

While they were still searching anddigging for water, the sky becameovercast, thunder and lightning wereseen and heard in the distance, and theclouds came rolling in volumes toward

them. Hope was now in every face; theyalready anticipated the copious showerswhich were to succeed; their eyes everfixed upon the coming storm; even thecattle appeared to be conscious thatrelief was at hand. All the day theclouds continued to gather, and thelightning to gleam. Night closed in, butthe rain had not yet fallen; the windrose up, and in less than an hour all theclouds had passed away, the stars shoneout brightly, and they were left in a stateof suffering and disappointment.

CHAPTER XXVII.

As our travelers were sitting together,each occupied with his ownmelancholy thoughts, after thedispersion of the clouds and theanticipated relief, the Major said

"It is useless our remaining here; wemust all perish if we do not proceed,and it would be better for us to yokeand travel by night; the animals willbear the journey better, and the peoplewill not be so inclined to brood overtheir misfortunes when on the march aswhen thus huddled together here, andcommunicating their lamentations todishearten each other. It is now nineo'clock; let us yoke and push on as faras we can."

"I agree with you, Major," saidAlexander; "what do you say, Swinton "

"I am convinced that it will be the bestplan, so let us rouse up the people atonce. There is the roar of a lion atsome distance, and we have no fires toscare them off."

"The creaking of the wagon-wheelswill be better than nothing," replied theMajor.

The Hottentots were roused, and theorders given to yoke: the poor fellowswere all sound asleep; for a Hottentot,when he hungers or thirsts, seeks refuge

from all his miseries in sleep. The oxenwere yoked, and they proceeded; buthardly had they gone a mile, when theroar of three or four lions, close uponthem, caused such alarm to the horsesand the oxen which were not yokedthat they started off in full gallop in anortherly direction.

Alexander, the Major, and Omrah, whowere the best mounted, immediately setoff in pursuit of them, desiringSwinton to proceed with the caravan,and they would drive on the cattle andjoin him. They galloped off as well asthe horses could gallop, and perceivedthe stray horses and oxen still at fullspeed, as if they were chased by the

lions. They followed in the direction,but it was now so dark that they wereguided only by the clatter of theirhoofs and their shoes in the distance;and after a chase of four or five milesthey had lost all vestiges of them, andpulled up their panting steeds.

"We may as well go back again," saidAlexander; "the animals must havemade a circuit."

"I suppose so," said the Major; "but myhorse trembles so, that I had betterdismount for a little while, that he mayrecover himself; indeed, so had you tooand Omrah, for the animals arecompletely worn out."

"The clouds are rising again," saidAlexander; "I trust that we may not bedisappointed a second time."

"Yes, and there is lightning again in thehorizon may the Almighty help us inour distress," exclaimed the Major.

The horses, exhausted from want ofwater, continued to pant so fearfully,that it was nearly half an hour beforethey ventured to mount, that they mightreturn to the caravan. In the meantimethe heavens had become whollyobscured by the clouds, and there wasevery prospect of a heavy shower; atlast a few drops did fall.

"Thank God!" exclaimed Alexander, ashe lifted his face up to the heavens, tofeel the drops as they fell. "Now let usreturn."

They mounted their horses and set off,but the stars were no longer visible toguide them, and they proceeded on at aslow pace, uncertain whether they wereright or wrong. This they cared littleabout; their thoughts were upon thecoming rain, which they so anxiouslyawaited. For more than three hoursthey were tantalized by the lightningflashing and the thunder pealing, everymoment expecting the flood-gate ofthe heavens to be opened; but, as

before, they were doomed todisappointment. Before the morningdawned the clouds had again retreated;and when the sky was clear, they foundby the stars that their horses' headswere turned to the northward andeastward.

They altered their course in silence, forthey were worn out and despondent;they suffered dreadfully from thirst,and it was pitiable to see the tongues ofthe poor horses hanging out of theirmouths. Day dawned, and there wereno signs of the caravan. A thick vaporwas rising from every quarter, and theyhoped that when it cleared up theywould be more fortunate; but no, there

was the same monotonous landscape,the same carpet of flowers withoutperfume. The sun was now three hourshigh, and the heat was intense; theirtongues clove to the roofs of theirmouths, while still they went on overflowery meads; but neither forest norpool, nor any trees which might denotethe bed of the river, caught theirearnest gaze.

"This is dreadful," said Alexander, atlast, speaking with difficulty.

"We are lost, that is certain," said theMajor; "but we must trust in God."

"Yes, we may now say, Lord help us, or

we perish," replied Alexander.

At this moment, little Omrah, who hadbeen behind, rode up to them, andoffered them one of the Hottentots'pipes, which he had lighted saying,"Smoke, not feel so bad." Alexandertook it, and after a few whiffs foundthat it had the effect or producing alittle saliva, and he handed it to theMajor, who did the same, and feltimmediate relief.

They continued to walk their horses ina southerly direction; but the heat wasnow so great, that it became almostinsufferable, and at last the horsesstood still. They dismounted and drove

their horses slowly before them overthe glowing plain; and now the miragedeluded and tantalized them in thestrangest manner. At one timeAlexander pointed with delight (for hecould not speak) to what he imaginedto be the wagons; they pushed on, andfound that it was a solitary quagga,magnified thus by the mirage.Sometimes they thought that they sawlakes of water in the distance, andhastened on to them; and then theyfancied they were close to rivers andislands, covered with luxuriant foliage,but still were doomed todisappointment; as all was the result ofthe highly-rarefied air, and therefraction of the sun's rays on the

sultry plain. What would they havegiven for a bush even to afford themany shelter from the noonday sun, forthe crowns of their heads appeared asif covered with live coal, and theirminds began to wander. The poorhorses moved at the slowest pace, andonly when driven on by Omrah, whoappeared to suffer much less than hismasters. Every now and then hehanded to them the pipe, but at lasteven that had no longer any relief.Speech had been for some hours totallylost. Gradually the sun sunk down tothe horizon, and as his scorching raysbecame less intense they to a certaindegree recovered their wanderingsenses.

At night they sat down by the side ofthe horses, and, worn out with fatigueand exhaustion, fell into a troubledsleep; a sleep which, if it relieved theirworn-out frames, condemned them tothe same tantalizing feelings as hadbeen created by the mirage during theday. They dreamed that they were in thebowers of paradise, hearing heavenlymusic; passing from crystal stream tostream, slaking their thirst at each, andreclining on couches of verdant green.Every thing that was delightfulappeared to them in their dreams; theywere in the abodes of bliss, and thusdid they remain for an hour or two,when they were wakened up by the roar

of a lion, which reminded them thatthey were without food or water in thedesert.

They awoke speechless with thirst, theireyes inflamed, and their whole bodiesburning like a coal, and the awful roarof the lion still reverberated along theground. They started on their legs, andfound Omrah close to them, holdingthe bridles of the horses, which wereattempting to escape. They were stillconfused, when they were fully restoredto their waking senses by a second roarof the lion still nearer to them; and bythe imperfect light of the stars theycould now distinguish the beast atabout one hundred yards' distance.

Omrah put the bridles of their twohorses in their hands, and motionedthem to go on in the direction oppositeto where the lion was. They did sowithout reflection, mechanicallyobeying the directions of the man-child, and not perceiving that Omrahdid not follow them. They hadadvanced about one hundred yardswith the terrified animals, when anotherloud roar was followed up by theshriek of the other horse, announcingthat he had become a victim to thesavage animal. They both started, anddropping the reins of their horses,hastened with their rifles to the help ofOmrah, of whose absence they now forthe first time were aware; but they were

met half-way by the boy, who contrivedto say with difficulty, "Lion want horse,not little Bushman." They waited a fewseconds, but the cries of the pooranimal, and the crushing and crackingof its bones, were too painful to hear;and they hastened on and rejoined theother horses, which appeared paralyzedwith fear, and had remained stationary.

They again led their horses on for anhour, when they arrived at a small pileof rocks; there they again lay down, forthey were quite exhausted and carelessof life. Not even the roar of a lionwould have aroused them now, or if ithad roused them they would havewaited for the animal to come and put

an end to their misery. But another anda softer noise attracted the quick ear ofOmrah, and he pushed Alexander, andput his finger up to induce him tolisten.

Having listened a little longer, Omrahmade signs to Alexander and the Majorto follow him. The noise which Omrahhad heard was the croaking of a frog,which denoted water at hand, and thesniffing of the horses confirmed himin his supposition. Omrah led the waythrough the rocks, descending lowerand lower; and ever and anon listeningto the noise of the animal, till heperceived the stars of heaven abovereflected in a small pool, which he

pointed out to Alexander and theMajor. Down they dropped to earthand drank, and as soon as their thirstwas satisfied they rose, and pushedOmrah forward to make him drinkalso; and as the boy who had savedtheir lives was drinking, they kneeleddown and prayed not loud, for theyhad not yet recovered their speech; butif ever grateful prayers were offered upto the Almighty throne, they were byour two travelers, as they kneeled by theside of this small pool. They rose andhastened to their horses, and led themdown to the water, when the pooranimals filled themselves almost tobursting, walked away, and returned todrink more. They also repeated their

draught several times, and then laydown, and would have fallen asleep bythe side of the pool had not Omrah,who could now speak freely, said, "No,no; lion come here for water; up therock again and sleep there I bringhorses." This good advice wasfollowed, and when they had gainedthe summit of the rising ground theyagain lay down and slept till daylight.

When they awoke, they foundthemselves much refreshed, but theynow felt what they had not doneduring their extreme suffering fromthirst the craving pangs of hunger.Omrah was fast asleep, and the horsespicking among the herbage, about two

hundred yards off.

"We have much to thank God for," saidAlexander to the Major.

"We have indeed, and, next to divineaid, we have to thank that poor boy. Wehave been as children in his hands, andwe are indebted to him and hisresources for our lives this night. Icould not speak yesterday, nor couldyou; but his courage in remaining withthe horse as an offering to the lion Ishall not forget."

"He is a child of the desert," repliedAlexander; "he has been brought upamong lions, and where there is scarcity

of water, and he has most wonderfullyguided us in our path; but we are still inthe desert, and have lost ourcompanions. What must we do Shallwe attempt to regain the caravan, orpush off to the westward, to fall inwith the river again "

"We will talk of this an hour hence,"replied the Major; "let us now go downto the pool, and as soon as I have had adrink I will try if I can not killsomething for a meal. My hunger isnow almost as great as was my thirst."

"And mine too, so I will go with you;but we must be careful how weapproach the water, as we may fall in

with some animal to make a meal of."

"Or with a lion, ready to make a mealof us," replied the Major; "so in eitherinstance we must approach itcautiously."

As they walked to the pool, theydiscovered the head of an antelope justabove a rock. The Major fired, and theanimal fell. The report of the rifle wasanswered by a roar; three lionsbounded away from the rock, and wentat a quick canter over the plain.

"Both our suppositions have provedcorrect," observed Alexander, as theywalked up to where the antelope lay

dead; "but how are we to cook theanimal "

"Any dry stuff will serve for a fire, ifwe can only get enough, and a very littlecooking will serve us just now. Herecomes Omrah. Let us carry the gameup to where we slept last night, as soonas we have had a drink."

They went to the pool, and weresurprised to behold the filthy puddlewhich had appeared to them so likenectar the night before. They were notsufficiently thirsty to overcome theirdisgust, and they turned away from it.

Omrah now began collecting dried

grass, and herbs, and lichen from therocks, and had soon a sufficiency tomake a small fire; they struck a light,and cutting off steaks from theantelope, were in a short time very busyat the repast. When their hunger wasappeased, they found that their thirstwas renewed, and they went down tothe pool, and shutting their eyes drankplentifully. Omrah cooked as much ofthe meat as the small fire would permit,that they might not want for the nexttwenty-four hours; and the horsesbeing again led to the water to drink,they mounted, and proceeded to thesouthward, followed by Omrah onfoot. Another day was passed insearching for the caravan without

success. No water was to be found. Theheat was dreadful; and at night theythrew themselves down on the ground,careless of life; and had it not beensinful they would have prayed fordeath. The next morning they arose in astate of dreadful suffering; they couldnot speak, but they made signs, andresolved once more to attempt to jointhe caravan.

They proceeded during the whole ofthe forenoon in the direction by whichthey hoped to discover the tracks ofthe wagons. The heat wasoverpowering, and they felt all theagony of the day before. At last thehorses could proceed no further; they

both lay down, and our travelers hadlittle hopes of their ever rising again.The scorching of the sun's rays was sodreadful, that they thrust their headsinto some empty ant-hills to keep offthe heat, and there they lay in as forlornand hopeless a state as the horses.Speak they could not; their parchedtongues rattled like boards against theroofs of their mouths; their lips wereswollen and bloated, and their eyesinflamed and starting from the sockets.As Alexander afterward said toSwinton, he then recollected thethoughts which had risen in his mindon his departure from the Englishshore, and the surmise whether hemight not leave his bones bleaching in

the desert; and Alexander now believedthat such was to be the case, and heprayed mentally and prepared for death.The Major was fully possessed of thesame idea; but as they lay at some yards'distance, with their heads buried in theant-hills, they could not communicatewith each other even by signs. At lastthey fell into a state of stupor and lostall recollection. But an AlmightyProvidence watched over them, andduring their state of insensibility theclouds again rose and covered thefirmament, and this time they did notrise in mockery; for, before the day wasclosed, torrents descended from themand deluged the whole plain.

Omrah, who had held up better thanhis masters, crawled out of the ant-hillinto which he had crept; and as soon asthe rain descended, he contrived to pullthe heads of the Major and Alexander,who still remained senseless, from outof the ant-hills, and to turn theirblackened and swollen faces to the sky.As their clothes became saturated withthe rain and the water poured into theirmouths, they gradually revived, and atlast were completely restored. The windnow rose and blew fresh, and beforemorning they were shivering with cold,and when they attempted to get upfound their limbs were cramped.

Soon after daylight the rain ceased, and

they were glad to bask in the thencheering rays of the sun, which hadnearly destroyed them on the daybefore. The horses had recovered theirlegs and were feeding close to them;and the flesh of the antelope, whichhad been untasted, was now greedilydevoured. Most devoutly did theyreturn thanks for their preservation,and the hopes which were now heldout to them of ultimately regaining thecolony; for they had abandoned allhopes of reaching the caravan, as theyconsidered the risk of crossing thedesert too great. They made up theirminds to push for the Val River as fastas they could, and proceed back by itsbanks.

They had two horses, and Omrah couldride behind one of them, when he wastired; they had guns and ammunition,and although they were fully aware ofthe dangers to which they would beexposed, they thought lightly of themafter what they had suffered. They nowmounted their horses, and proceeded ata slow pace toward the westward, forthe poor animals were still very weak.At sunset they had traveled about tenmiles, and looked out for a spot to passthe night. Wood to light fires they hadnone, but they hoped, if their horseswere not taken away by the lions, toreach a branch of the river by thefollowing evening. There was now no

want of water, as they repeatedly passedby small pools, which, for a day or twoat least, would not be evaporated by theheat of the sun. But they knew that bythat time, if no more rain fell, theywould have again to undergo theformer terrible privations, and thereforeresolved upon continuing their coursetoward the river as their safest plan,now that they had lost the caravan.

As they were seated on a rising groundwhich they had chosen for their night'srest, and occasionally firing off theirrifles to drive away the lions whichwere heard prowling about; all of asudden Omrah cried out, and pointedto the northward; our travelers turned

and perceived a rocket ascending thefirmament, and at last breaking out intoa group of brilliant stars.

"It is the caravan," exclaimed the Major;"Swinton has remembered that I putsome rockets into my wagon."

"We must have passed it," saidAlexander, springing on his feet. "Godbe praised for all his mercies."

"Amen," replied the Major devoutly.

Omrah ran after the horses, which werefeeding close to them, for theirinstinctive fear of the lions made themkeep as close as possible to their

masters. They were soon mounted, withOmrah behind the Major, and set off atall the speed that they could obtainfrom the animals. After an intervalanother rocket was seen, and by its lightthey discovered that they were not amile from the wagons. The horsesappeared to be sensible of this, andwent off at a quicker pace; and in a fewminutes they had rushed in among thecattle, and Alexander and the Majorwere received into the arms ofSwinton, and surrounded by theHottentots, who were loud in theircongratulations at their return.

As soon as Alexander and the Majorhad made known their perils and

sufferings to Swinton, the latterinformed them that about three hoursafter they had left the caravan in pursuitof the cattle, the animals had returned,that of course, he had fully expectedthem to follow.

Finding that they did not arrive, he haddecided upon remaining where he was,at all events, for another day; but thatthe cattle were by that time soexhausted, that it was with difficultythey were moved, and he could notproceed with them more than ten miles,when they lay down in their yokes.Thirteen had died, and the others musthave shared their fate, if it had notbeen for the providential rain, which

had restored them.

Swinton stated that he had been in agreat state of alarm for them, and thathe had almost satisfied himself thatthey had perished, although he hadused every means that he could thinkof. When he fired the rockets off, hehad scarcely a hope of thus bringingthem back to the caravan.

"However," observed Swinton, "itshows that we should never despair,and never leave a chance untried, evenin the most desperate circumstances.You are back again, and I thank theAlmighty for it with all my heart and allmy soul and all my strength, most

fervently and most sincerely. I havebeen very, very miserable, I can assureyou, my dear fellows. The idea ofreturning to the Cape without you wasdreadful. Indeed, I never would haveleft the country until I had found you,or had some clew to your deaths."

"Our preservation has indeed beenmiraculous," replied the Major; "I neverthought to have raised my head out ofthe ant-hill again."

"Nor I," replied Alexander; "and nextto the Almighty, we certainly owe ourlives to little Omrah. There is nothingthat I would not do for that boy, if youwill only give him over to my care."

"Or mine, Swinton," replied the Major.

"Depend upon it," replied Swinton, "Iwill do all for him that ought to bedone; I owe him a debt of gratitude forpreserving my friends, and will notforget to repay it."

"Well then, you must allow us to helphim as well," replied the Major. "Howfar are we now from the Modder River"

"About forty miles, I should think, andwe had better push on as fast as we,can; for although the river will containwater, the pools in the desert between

us and the river will soon be dried up.The cattle, however, are still very weak,and, as I have stated, we have lost allour relays. But you must long to have agood night's rest, so go to your wagons,and we will watch and keep off thewild beasts. We have been obliged tofire our guns all night long since yourabsence, and have burned one of thespare poles of the wagons to cook ourvictuals."

Every thing is comparative. When ourtravelers first took up their night'slodgings in the wagons they foundtheir resting-places hard, after sleepingin comfortable beds at Cape Town; butnow, after having passed their nights in

the wild desert, their mattresses in thewagons were a luxury that was fullyappreciated. Returning thanks toHeaven for their preservation,Alexander and the Major slept soundlytill morning, notwithstanding that thelatter was often half roused by theimportunities of Begum, who appeareddelighted at the return of her master.

At daylight the oxen were yoked, andthey proceeded on their journey. Therewas no want of game; indeed they wereso plentiful, that they shot them fromthe caravan as they passed. At nightthey had made twenty-five miles, andbefore they had unyoked, a deluge ofrain again fell, and they passed a very

uncomfortable night, as it was verycold, and they could light no fires, fromwant of fuel. Any thing, however, wasbetter than the want of water; and earlyin the morning they again yoked theiroxen, and, after a hard day's toil, wererejoiced to perceive at a distance thetrees which lined the banks of theModder River. The sight was hailedwith joy by the Hottentots, whoshouted aloud; for they consideredtheir dangers and difficulties to be over,now that they were approaching to theboundaries of the colony.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

As the cattle required some repose, afterthe sufferings they had gone through,our travelers resolved to remain a fewdays on the banks of the ModderRiver. The pasturage was fine and thegame abundant. Gnoos and springbokswere to be seen in every direction, andquaggas, bonteboks, and several othervarieties of antelopes, were inprofusion over the now undulatingcountry. Neither were our travelerssorry to have some repose forthemselves, although every mile thatthey drew nearer to the Cape madethem more anxious to return.

As usual, the caravan was halted on a

rising ground, at some distance fromthe river, to avoid the wild beasts,which during the day were concealed,and during the night prowled on itsbanks, to spring upon the animalswhich came down for water. As therewas now plenty of wood, the fires wereagain lighted at night, and the oxendriven in and tied up. During the day,the animals reveled on the luxuriouspasture, and in a week had becomequite sleek and in good condition.

Every day our travelers went out tohunt for a supply of provisions, andnever returned without more than wassufficient. Swinton was anxious topossess one or two more specimens of

the oryx, or gemsbok. This antelope, wehave before observed, from having verystraight horns, which at a distanceappear as one, has given rise to thefabulous animal the unicorn, which isnow one of the supporters of the royalarms. It is a very formidable animal;being the one that our travelers foundwith its horns pierced through the lionwhich had attacked it. The horses beingnow fresh and in good heart,Alexander and the Major went inpursuit of this animal very often, butwithout success, as the chase wascontinually interrupted by the herds ofostriches and other game which fell intheir way.

One morning, having discovered withthe telescope that three of thesegemsbok were some miles distant on arising ground, they set off,accompanied by a portion of theHottentots on foot, who were desiredto go round, so as to drive the animalstoward the camp. Bremen and BigAdam were of the party, and they hadmade a circuit of three or four miles, soas to get on the other side of the game,which now darted down from the highground, and, descending on the plain,stopped for a while looking at theirpursuers, while the horsemen advancedtoward them in the opposite direction.A shot from Alexander at last broughtone of these splendid animals to the

ground, while the others fled off to adistance, so as to give no hopes ofagain coming up with them; and theparty on foot, as well as the horsemen,now proceeded to the spot where thegemsbok lay dead.

As Swinton wanted the animal for aspecimen, it was placed on the back ofthe horse which Omrah rode as usual,and one of the Hottentots went offwith it to the camp, which was notmore than three miles distant. Theywere debating whether they shouldmake an attempt to get near to theother gemsbok, which were still in sightat a distance, or try for some othergame, when they perceived three lions

not far from them on a rising ground;and suddenly the horses, from whichthey had dismounted to give them timeto recover their wind, broke loose fromthe Hottentots who held the bridles,and galloped away toward the camp.The cause of the panic was nowevident, for a very large male lion haddetached himself from the other two,and was advancing slowly toward theparty.

As soon as they perceived the approachof the lion, which they had not at first,they all seized their guns; but beingwholly unprepared for such a suddenattack, there was a great deal ofconfusion; the Major crying out, "Let

no one fire till I tell him," onlyproduced more alarm among theHottentots, all of whom, exceptBremen, appeared to be at their wits'ends. When within fifty yards, the lionmade one or two bounds, and in amoment was among them all, beforethey could bring their guns to theirshoulders; the retreat was general inevery direction, and not a shot wasfired.

All, however, did not escape; Big Adamhad started back, and coming with allhis force against Omrah, who wasstanding behind him, had fallen overthe boy, and they were both flat ontheir backs, when the lion made his

spring. The lion was standing up,looking proudly at his flying enemies,when Big Adam, who was close to him,attempted to rise and gain his feet; butperceiving this, the animal, with a blowof its fore-paw, laid him prostrateagain, set its foot upon his breast, andin this attitude again looked proudlyround him, as if confident of hissuperiority.

Omrah, who had sense enough to liestill, had yet his eyes sufficiently openedto see what was going on; and as thelion appeared to be looking at thescattered party, in a direction away fromhim, Omrah made one or two turnsover, so as to get further off, hoping

that he might escape unperceived. Thelion, however, heard the rustling, andturning round growled at him, andOmrah remained still again. As BigAdam's feet were turned towardOmrah, the lion now took up hisposition, deliberately lying down at fulllength upon Big Adam's body, with hishind-quarters upon the Hottentot'sface, so that he not only secured hisprisoner, but watched Omrah, who layabout three yards from him.

In the mean time the anxiety of theother party may be imagined; theyconsidered that Big Adam and Omrahmust be sacrificed. It was proposed tofire with good aim, so as, if possible, to

bring the animal's attention andindignation upon themselves; butSwinton cried out not to fire on anyaccount. "The animal is not hungry oreven angry," said Swinton. "If let alone,he will probably walk away withoutdoing them injury. At all events, ourfiring will be the signal for theirdestruction."

The advice of Swinton was consideredgood, especially as it was backed by thatof Bremen, who also said that the lionwas not hungry, and that, by the way inwhich he, moved his tail, he wasevidently more inclined to play thanany thing else.

But in the mean time the pressure ofthe lion, whose weight was enormous,was not only more than Big Adamcould bear, but the hind-quarters ofthe animal being over his faceprevented him from breathing; and atlast he was compelled to struggle to gethis head clear. The consequence of hisstruggling was a severe bite on the leg,inflicted on poor Adam; not, however,in a furious manner; for the lion merelycaught at him as a cat would at amouse, to prevent its escape, or becauseit was not quite dead. However, BigAdam had so far disengaged his headthat he could now breathe; and as theparty kept crying out to him to lie still,he continued so to do, although nearly

suffocated with the enormous weightof the animal.

Omrah, who had remained still duringall this time, perceiving that the lionwas licking the blood which flowedfrom the wound in Big Adam's leg,thought that he might as well tryanother roll over, and being on hisback, he turned over on his face awayfrom the lion. Thereupon the lion rosefrom off Big Adam, walked up toOmrah, and, to the horror of ourtravelers, took up the boy by hiswaistcloth, and, carrying him like asmall bundle in his mouth, went backto Big Adam, and laying Omrah closedown to the Hottentot's head, again

took up his position on his body; now,however, with his paws upon theHottentot's breast, so that he mightkeep Omrah in view before him. LittleOmrah had sense enough not to moveduring the time that the lion carriedhim, or after he was laid down.

The change in the position of the lionoccasioned our travelers and the partyto walk round, so as to be able to watchthe countenance of the animal, as everything depended upon the temper hemight be in. The Major and Alexanderbecame very impatient, and were foradvancing to the attack, but Swintonpersuaded them not to do so until thelast moment.

The lion now put its fore-paw uponthe Hottentot's mouth, and againstopped his breath; this occasionedanother struggle on the part of BigAdam, which was followed by theanimal seizing him by the arm andbiting him severely; but in so doing thelion removed its paw, and the mancould breathe again. The taste of bloodappeared pleasant to the lion, for itcontinued biting the arm, descendingfrom the shoulder to the hand, and asthe blood flowed from the wounds onits paws, the lion licked it off. Againand again it licked its paw clean, andthen, with its glaring eyes fixed intentlyupon the Hottentot's face, it smelt him

first on one side and then on the other,and appeared only to be waiting for areturn of appetite to commence adeliberate meal upon the poor fellow'sbody.

In the mean time our travelers werestanding about seventy yards distant,waiting for the signal to attack, whenBremen observed to Swinton

"He won't wait much longer, sir; theblood has given him an appetite. Wemust now drive him away, or they willboth be killed."

"I think so too," replied Swinton; "letus first try if we can disturb him

without making him angry; that will bethe best way. We must go back out ofspringing distance, and then all shouttogether, and keep hallooing at him."

This advice was followed; they retreateda hundred yards, and then all shoutedat once, and after that the Hottentotshallooed and bawled to the lion. Thishad the effect intended: the lion rosefrom the bodies and advanced towardthe party, who stood still hallooing athim, but not attempting to irritate himby presenting their guns. The lionlooked steadfastly at them for sometime, and then turned away. Afterretreating a few steps, it turned back toface them; the whole party continued

on the same spot, neither advancing soas to irritate him, nor retreating so as tolet the animal suppose that they wereafraid of him. When the lion hadcontinued for a few minutes this courseof retreating and advancing, he turnedright round, and went away at a handcanter, and our travelers immediatelyhastened to the spot where Big Adamand Omrah were still lying.

Omrah, who was not at all hurt,instantly jumped on his legs, and, if hehad been afraid, appeared to have quiterecovered his courage, as he cut allmanner of capers, and laughedimmoderately; but Big Adam wasgreatly exhausted and could not move,

as much from the immense pressure ofthe lion's enormous body, as from theblood that he had lost by the woundswhich he had received. Onexamination, the bite in his leg wasfound to be much the most serious, asthe bone was injured; the wounds onhis arm were all flesh-wounds, andalthough very painful, were notdangerous. He was at present unable tospeak, and was carried by his comradesto the camp. Our travelers followed theHottentots, as they all had enough ofhunting for that day. As soon as theyarrived, Big Adam's wounds weredressed by Swinton, and the poorfellow was accommodated with a bed,made up for him in the baggage-

wagon. They remained two days moreon the banks of the Modder River, andthen they forded it and continued theirjourney.

On the second day they perceived somesmall human figures on the summit ofa hill at some distance, which theHottentots declared to be Bushmen, ofwhich people there were numeroushordes in this part of the country. Anattempt was made to open acommunication with them, but in vain,as when any of the party advanced onhorseback toward them, the Bushmenmade a precipitate retreat. As they werenow in the neighborhood of theseplunderers, every care was taken of the

cattle, which were tied up before darkto prevent their being stolen.

On the following day they veryunexpectedly fell in with a party ofnine of the Bushmen, who were verybusy devouring a quagga, which theyhad killed. They replied to questionsput to them with much fear andtrembling, and, having been presentedwith some tobacco, they made aprecipitate retreat. On that night thefires of the Bushmen were to be seenon several of the surrounding hills.They continued their course on thefollowing day, when they fell in withabout twenty women of the race wehave just mentioned, who approached

the caravan without fear, requestingtobacco and food; the former was givento them in small quantities, and a shotfrom the Major's rifle soon procuredthem the latter. They were now withoutwater again, and had no chance ofprocuring any, except from the pools,until they arrived at the Nu Gariep, orBlack River, which they had crossedwhen they came out from the CaffreLand.

Having traveled till dark, they haltedunder a hill, and were soon afterwardjoined by a party of Bushwomen, whocontinued with them in spite of alltheir attempts to get rid of them. Theywere very small in person, well made,

and the young were rather pretty intheir features, but their ornaments wereenough to disgust any one but aHottentot; for they were smeared withgrease and red ocher, and were adornedwith the entrails of animals asnecklaces. The Hottentots, however,appeared to think this very delightful,and were pleased with their company,and as the women showed them a poolof water, where the oxen could drink, itwas not considered advisable to drivethem away. But Swinton observed, thatit would be necessary to keep a verysharp lookout, as the women wereinvariably sent by the Bushmen as spies,that they might watch the opportunityfor stealing cattle.

They now resumed their former plan;starting at a very early hour, andtraveling till afternoon, when the cattlewere allowed several hours to feed, andwere then tied up for the night to thewagons. Indeed the lions were now notso numerous as they had been, and theyhad more to fear from the Bushmenand the hyenas, which were veryplentiful.

The next day fully proved the truth ofthis, for the oxen, having been unyokedas usual to feed, about two o'clock inthe afternoon, had been led to a hollowof luxuriant pasture by the cattle-keepers, where they could not be seen

from the caravan, although they werenot half a mile off. Toward dusk, whenit was time to drive them in and tiethem up to the wagons, it was foundthat the cattle-keepers, who had been incompany with the Bushwomen, hadneglected their charge, and they werenot to be found.

The keepers came running in, statingthat a lion had scared the cattle, andthat the animals had galloped off to agreat distance. But Omrah, who hadgone to where the cattle had beenfeeding, returned to the camp and toldSwinton that it was not lions butBushmen who had stolen them; and,bringing the horses ready saddled to the

Major and Alexander, said, that if theydid not follow them immediately, thecattle would be all killed. It was alsoobserved that the Bushwomen had alldisappeared.

Swinton, who was well aware of thecustoms of the Bushmen, immediatelyproposed that they should mount asmany as they could, and go in chase, asthere was not an hour to be lost. Inhalf an hour a party, consisting of ourthree travelers, Bremen, Omrah, andthree of the most trusty of theHottentots, who were all that theycould mount, set off in the directionwhich they knew must have been taken,so as to conceal the cattle from the

sight of those in the caravan; and itbeing a fine moonlight night, the keeneyes of Omrah tracked them for morethan five miles, where they were at fault,as the traces of their hoofs were nolonger to be seen.

"What shall we do now " said theMajor.

"We must trust to Omrah," repliedSwinton, "he knows the habits of hispeople well, and they will not deceivehim."

Omrah, who had been very busykneeling on the ground, and striking alight every now and then with a flint

and steel, to ascertain the track moredistinctly, now came up and made themcomprehend that the Bushmen hadturned back upon the very track theyhad gone upon, and that they mustreturn and find where they divergedfrom it again.

This created considerable delay, as theyhad to walk the horses back for morethan a mile, when they again found thefooting of the cattle diverging from thetrack to the southward and eastward, inthe direction of some hills.

They now made all the haste that theycould, and proceeded so rapidly on thetrack, that in about an hour they

perceived the whole herd of oxendriven up the side of a hill by a partyof Bushmen. They put spurs to theirhorses and galloped as fast as theycould in pursuit, and soon came upwith them; when a discharge of riflesleft three Bushmen on the ground andput all the rest to flight. The cattle,which were much frightened, were withsome difficulty turned and driven backtoward the encampment. In the meantime the disappointed Bushmen hadturned upon those near, and wereletting fly their arrows from the busheswhere they were concealed andcontinued thus to assail them until theparty arrived at the open plain. One ofthe Hottentots was wounded by an

arrow in the neck; but that was the onlyaccident which occurred to any of theparty, and this was not known to ourtravelers until after their arrival at theencampment, when it was almostdaybreak; and then, tired with thefatigues of the night, all were glad toobtain a few hours' rest.

When they rose the next morning,Swanevelt informed them that nine ofthe oxen were so wounded with thepoisoned arrows of the Bushmen, thatthey could not live; and also, that Pietsthe Hottentot had been badly woundedin the neck with one of the arrows.Swinton immediately ordered the manto be brought to him, as he was well

aware of the fatal effects of a woundfrom a Bushman's arrow.

It appeared that Piets had pulled thearrow out of his neck, but that somepieces of the barb had remained in thewound, and that these his companionshad been extracting with their knives,and the wound was very muchinflamed in consequence. Swintonimmediately cut out as much of theaffected part as he could, appliedammonia to the wound, and gave himlaudanum to mitigate the pain, whichwas very acute; but the poor fellow laygroaning during the whole of the day.

They now examined the wounded oxen,

which were already so swollen with thepoison that there were no hopes ofsaving them, and they were immediatelyput out of their pain. Several otherswere found slightly hurt, but not so asto lose all hopes of their recovery; butthis unfortunate circumstanceprevented them from continuing theirjourney for two days; as the whole ofthe oxen had been much harassed andcut by the Bushmen, although notwounded by poisoned arrows. Duringthis delay, the poor Hottentot becamehourly worse; his head and throat weremuch swollen, and he said that he feltthe poison working within him.

After many hours of suffering, during

which swellings appeared in variousparts of his body, the poor fellowbreathed his last; and the next day beingSunday, they remained as usual, and thebody of the unfortunate man wasconsigned to a grave. This event threw acloud over the whole caravan, andwhenever any of the Bushwomen madetheir appearance at a distance, andmade signs that they wished to comeinto the camp, an angry bullet was sentinstantly over their heads, which madethem take to their heels.

On the Monday morning they againstarted with their reduced trains, fornow they had barely sufficient cattle todrag the wagons. Fortunately they were

but a few miles from the Nu Gariep,and they arrived at its banks beforeevening. The next day they crossed itwith difficulty, putting all the oxen totwo of the wagons and then returningfor the others.

They were now once more in thecolony, and their dangers anddifficulties were now to be consideredover. It was not, however, till a weekafterward that they succeeded incrossing the Sweenberg and arriving atGraff Reynet. At this beautiful spotthey remained for a few days, to makearrangements and to procure horses,that they might proceed to Cape Townas fast as possible, leaving Bremen in

charge of the wagons, which he was tobring down to them as soon as hecould. We shall pass over the remainderof their journey on horseback, as therewas nothing remarkable to be related.Suffice it to say, that on the 11th ofJanuary, 1830, they arrived safe andsound at Cape Town, and were warmlycongratulated by Mr. Fairburn and theirmany friends, after all the dangers anddifficulties which they hadencountered.

CHAPTER XXIX.

Alexander Wilmot again took

possession of the apartments in Mr.Fairburn's house, and was not sorryonce more to find himself surroundedby all the comforts and luxuries ofcivilization. He could scarcely believewhere he was when he woke up thefirst morning, and found that he hadslept the whole night without beingdisturbed by the roar of a lion or thecries of the hyena and jackal: and afterthe habit to which he had been so longaccustomed, of eating his meals in theopen air with his plate on his knees, hecould hardly reconcile himself for afew days to a well laid-out table. Theevenings were passed in narrating theiradventures to Mr. Fairburn, who wastruly glad of the result of the mission

to Port Natal, as it would be sosatisfactory to old Sir Charles.

Alexander was now most anxious toreturn to England, and resolved to takehis passage in the first ship which sailedafter the arrival of the wagon with hiseffects. In the mean time his morningswere chiefly passed with Swinton andthe Major, the latter of whom intendedto go to England by the same vessel asAlexander. In three weeks after theirreturn to the Cape, the four wagonsarrived, and excited much curiosity, asthey were filled with every variety ofthe animal kingdom which wasindigenous to the country. Swinton'streasures were soon unloaded and

conveyed to his house, and ournaturalist was as happy as anenthusiastic person could be in theoccupation that they gave him.Alexander only selected a few things,among which were the skins of the lionand lioness. As for the Major, he hadhad all his pleasure in the destructionof the animals.

Bremen reported that all the Hottentotshad behaved very well, and that BigAdam had nearly recovered, and wasable to limp about a little, although itwould be a long while before he wouldregain the perfect use of his leg.Alexander now sent for them all, andpaid them their wages, with an extra

sum as a gratuity for their goodconduct. To Bremen and Swanevelt,who had invariably conductedthemselves faithfully, and who hadbeen the leading and most trustworthymen, he gave to each a wagon and spanof ten oxen as a present by which theymight in future obtain their livelihood,and the poor fellows consideredthemselves as rich as the king ofEngland. The other wagons and cattleof every description were left withSwinton to be disposed of.

The Major pressed Swinton very hardto part with little Omrah, but Swintonwould not consent. The Majortherefore presented Omrah with one of

his best rifles, and accouterments tocorrespond, as a mark of hisattachment; and Alexander desired thatall the money which was realized by thesale of the remaining wagons and otherarticles, as well as the cattle and horses,should be put by for Omrah's benefit.As a keepsake, Alexander gave the ladhis telescope, with which he knew thatwould be highly pleased.

We may here as well observe, that, a fewmonths after Alexander and the Majorleft the Cape, Omrah, who had beenplaced at a school by Swinton, wasadmitted into the church, and baptizedby the name of Alexander HendersonOmrah; Alexander and the Major being

his sponsors by proxies. He turned outa very clever scholar, and remains withSwinton at this moment. He has morethan once accompanied him into theinterior, and has done much inreclaiming his countrymen, thebushmen, from their savage way of life,and has been of great service to themissionaries as interpreter of the Wordto his heathen brethren.

About a fortnight after the return ofthe wagons to Cape Town, a free tradercast anchor in Table Bay to take inwater, and Alexander and the Majorsecured a passage in her to England.Alexander parted with great regret fromMr. Fairburn and Swinton, with whom

he promised to correspond, and theysailed with a fair wind for St. Helena,where they remained for a few days,and took that opportunity of visitingthe tomb of Napoleon, the formeremperor of the French. A seven weeks'passage brought them into theChannel-and they once more beheldthe white cliffs of England.

Alexander's impatience to see his uncle,from whom he had found a letterwaiting for him on his return to theCape, stating that he was in tolerablehealth, induced him to leave the ship ina pilot-boat, and land at Falmouth.Taking leave for a time of the Major,who preferred going on to Portsmouth,

Alexander traveled with all possiblespeed, and on the second day arrived athis uncle's.

"Is my uncle quite well!" saidAlexander, as he leaped out of thechaise, to the old butler who was at thedoor.

"No sir, not quite well: he has been inbed for this last week, but there isnothing serious the matter, I believe."

Alexander hastened up stairs and wasonce more in the arms of Sir CharlesWilmot, who embraced him warmly,and then, exhausted with the emotion,sank back on his pillow.

"Leave me for a little while, my dearboy, till I recover myself a little," saidSir Charles. "I have no complaint, but Iam very weak and feeble. I will send foryou very soon."

Alexander, who was himself muchaffected, was not sorry to withdraw fora while, and sent the housekeeper, whoattended his aged relative, into theroom. In about an hour a messagearrived requesting that he would returnto his uncle.

"And now, my dear, kind boy, tell meevery thing. I am indeed overjoyed tosee you back again; I have not had one

line from you since you left the Cape,and I really think that the worry andanxiety that I have felt have been thecause of my taking to my bed. Nowyou are back I shall be quite well again.Now tell me all, and I will not interruptyou."

Alexander sat down on the bed, andentered into a full detail of the resultsof his expedition to Port Natal; readingover all the memoranda which they hadcollected, and satisfactorily proving thatthe descendants of the Europeans thenexisting could not by any possibility befrom those who had been lost in theGrosvenor East Indiaman.

Sir Charles Wilmot listened in silence toall Alexander had to say, and then,joining his hands above the bed-clothes, exclaimed, "Gracious Lord, Ithank Thee that this weight has beenremoved from my mind." He then forsome minutes prayed in silence, andwhen he had finished, he requestedAlexander to leave him till the evening.

The physician having called shortlyafter Alexander left his uncle,Alexander requested his opinion as toSir Charles's state of health. The formerreplied "He has but one complaint, mydear sir, which all the remedies in theworld are not very likely to remove: it isthe natural decay of nature, arising

from old age, I do not consider that heis in any immediate danger ofdissolution. I think it very likely that hemay never rise from his bed again; but,at the same time, he may remainbedridden for months. He sinks verygradually, for he has had naturally avery strong constitution, I believe theanxiety of his mind, arising from yourabsence, and the blame he laid onhimself for having allowed you toundertake your expedition, have wornhim more than any thing else; but nowthat you have returned, I have nodoubt, after the first excitement is over,that he will rally. Still man is born todie, Mr. Wilmot, and your uncle hasalready lived beyond the three-score

years and ten allotted to the average ageof man. Depend upon it, every thingshall be done which can protract a lifeso dear to you."

Alexander thanked the physician, andthe latter then went up stairs to SirCharles. On his return, he informedAlexander that Sir Charles's pulse wasstronger, but something must beallowed for the excitement which hehad undergone.

When Alexander saw his uncle in theevening, the latter again thanked himfor having undertaken the expedition,and having brought back suchsatisfactory accounts.

"I am much your debtor, my dear boy,"said he; "and if it is any satisfaction toyou (which I am sure it must be fromyour kind heart) to know that you havesmoothed the death-bed of one wholoves you, you have your reward. I feelquite strong now; and if it will not betoo much trouble, I should like you togive me a narrative of the wholeexpedition; not all at once, but a littlenow and then. You shall begin now,and mind you enter into every littledetail, every thing will interest me."

Alexander commenced his narrative, ashis uncle requested, stating to him howthey were fitted out; the names of all

the people; describing Swinton and theMajor, and giving a much closernarrative of what passed than we havedone in these pages. After an hour orso, during which Alexander had not gotso far in his narrative as to have quittedthe Cape for Algoa Bay, he left off, thathe might not weary his uncle, andwished him good-night.

For many weeks did the narrative, andthe conversation produced by it, serveto amuse and interest the oldgentleman, who still remained in hisbed. But long before it was finished,Major Henderson had arrived at thehall, and had been introduced to SirCharles, who was much pleased with

him, and requested him to remain aslong as he found it agreeable. TheMajor, at Alexander's request, had thelion and lioness set up in Leadbeater'sbest style, and the case had now arrivedat the hall, and was brought up into SirCharles's room, that he might havesome idea of the animals with whichthey had had to contend; and there itremained, for the old gentleman wouldnot allow it to be taken away.

"I must send out a present to that littleOmrah," said Sir Charles, one morning,as he was conversing with the Major;"what shall it be "

"Well, sir, I hardly know; but I think the

best present for him would be a watch."

"Then, Major, order one of the bestgold watches that can be made, whenyou go to town, and send it out to him;and, Major, I am sorry to give you thattrouble, but I am an old bedriddenman, and that must be my excuse, takethe keys from the dressing-table, andopen the small drawer of that cabinet,and you will find two morocco cases init, which I will thank you to bring tome."

The Major did so, and Sir Charles,raising himself on his pillow, openedthe cases, which contained each amassive ring, in which was set a

diamond of great value.

"These two rings were presented me byEastern princes, Major, at the time thatI was resident in their country. There islittle difference in their value, but youwould find it difficult to match thestones, even in England. I will shut thecases up again, and now that I haveshut them up in my hands, take one outfor me. Thank you, Major; that one is apresent from me to our friend Swinton,and you must send it out to him withthe watch for the Bush-boy. The other,Major, I hope you will not refuse toaccept as a testimony of my gratitudeto you, for having accompanied mydear boy on his expedition."

Sir Charles put the other case into theMajor's hands.

"I certainly will not refuse any thing asa remembrance from you, Sir Charles,"replied the Major; "I accept yoursplendid present with many thanks, andso will Swinton, I am certain; but hewill be more pleased with the kindattention than he will be with its greatvalue; and I trust you will believe mewhen I add that such is also my ownfeeling."

"I only hope you may have both asmuch pleasure in receiving as I have ingiving them," replied Sir Charles; "so

put them in your pocket and say nomore about them. There is Alexandercoming up, I know his tread; I hopeyou do not mean to desert him nowthat the shooting season is coming on;he will be very lonely, poor fellow,without you."

"I have good news, my dear uncle," saidAlexander, as he entered; "Swinton iscoming home; I have a letter from him,and he will be here, he trusts, afortnight after his letter."

"I shall be most happy to shake handswith him," said Sir Charles. "Pray writefor him to come down immediately hearrives."

Three weeks after this announcementSwinton made his appearance, and wehardly need say was most warmlywelcomed. Omrah he would not bringwith him, as he wished him to continuehis education; but the Major declaredthat he had left the boy because he wasafraid of his being taken from him.Our travelers were thus all reunited,and they agreed among themselves thatit was quite as comfortable at the hall asit was at the Bechuana country; andthat if the sporting was not quite soexciting, at all events it was not quite sodangerous.

Swinton and the Major remained with

Alexander till the opening of the nextyear, and then they both left at the sametime, and sailed in the same ship; theMajor to rejoin his regiment in India,Swinton to his favorite locality inAfrica, to obtain some more specimensin natural history.

As the physician had declared, SirCharles never rose from his bed again;but he sunk so gradually that it wasalmost imperceptible, and it was notuntil the summer of that year that heslept with his fathers, dying withoutpain, and in perfect possession of hissenses.

Alexander now came into possession

of the estates and title, and certainly heentered upon them without anyreproach as to his conduct toward hisuncle, who died blessing him. And nowmy tale is ended, and I wish my youngreaders farewell.

THE END