tgo TRAVEL DOWN THE SWAKOP. [CHAP. x.
the next watering holes at the mouth of the river, for the Gliou Damup had poisoned the water to kill the buffaloes that then were there. We had arrived at the Swakop before we were aware of it; the oxen rushee, as they often do, wildly to the watering-holes, and though we drove them away before any one had drunk enough to hurt them seriously, yet one dog was very n-arly killed. He rolled about in agonies from the poison. The oxen became still weaker, the change of food from dry grass to reeds quite upset them, so that we had to rest the following day.
November 24th.-We could just move on through the sand with hard struggling, and the next day we arrived at a place where old Piet was encamped, and were luxuriously treated with milk. We slept at Annaas on the 27th, at Davieep on the 28th ; there was not a relic to be found of my poor horse and mule that the lions had eaten there. We now travelled principally by night. From Davieep we arrived safely at Oosop, after rather a hazardous jolting which the waggon underwent in going down a steep bank, and we were then only one day's journey from the Bay. Andersson rode directly across the plain to Scheppmansdorf, to make inquiries after news and to rearrange some of the packages. He was to send back word to me immediately on his arrival. There was plenty of grass at Oosop, and I stayed there two days, and then went on to Hycomkap, where Anderssori s messenger reached me, saying that the ship had not arrived.
As we had slept at Oosop on the 29th, we could, if I had chosen, have reached the Bay on the 30th. We left 'Tounobis October 10th, so that the entire journey would have taken us fifty-three days ; but, had the country been in a good state for travelling, I am sure that I could have done it in ten days less, or forty-three clays. I had calculated on thirty-seven days' actual travel, and four of rest, or forty-one days. With a change of oxen at Eikhams or Elephant Fountain, I think Lake 'Ngami ought to be reached in fifty days from Walfisch Bay, and with a change at Otjimbingue and again at Elephant Fountain, a light well-driven waggon might do it in forty days.
At Hycomkap we had some pretty foot-chases after gemsbok calves, and killed a few. The whole number of oxen in the drove were now 133. Jonker hay, still some to pay, when he received the mules.
December 4th.-We left Hycomkap in the afternoon for the Bay, and walked the whole night through and the following morning besides, with only half an hour's inte mission. The cool sea breeze fanned our
