the attempt, saying that the season was a very dry
one, that many of the pools were empty, and that there would be the
greatest difficulty in obtaining water. Macgregor disregarded the
advice. By taking the direct route south he would save some hundreds of
miles. He said that other caravans had at different times taken this
route in safety, and at the same time of the year. He insisted that the
season had not been a particularly dry one, and that he was not going to
be frightened by old women's tales. The natives were always croaking
about something, but he did not mean to lose a month of his time for
nothing.

"Accordingly we started. The really bad part of our journey was about
150 miles across a sandy country, with low scrub. The bullocks, when
driven to it, would eat the leaves of this scrub, so that we did not
anticipate any difficulty in the way of forage. In the wet season many
streams run across the country and find their way into the Limpopo. In
summer they dry up, and water is only obtained in pools along their
courses. There were twelve waggons in the caravan--ten belonging to
Macgregor, and my two. I had with me a servant, a native, who had been
for years in the employment of my father, a very faithful and
trustworthy fellow.

"At the end of the first day's march of fifteen miles we found water at
the spot to which our native guide led us. The second day the pool was
found to be dry. We got there early, having started before daybreak,
for the heat was tremendous. On finding the pool empty I rode ten miles
down the course of the stream, and Macgregor as far up it, but found no
water, and on getting back to the camp the oxen were inspanned, and we
made another march; here we found water, and halted next day.

"So we went on, until we were half-way across the desert. Several of
the marches had been double ones, the track was heavy from the deep
sand, some of the oxen had died, and all were much reduced in strength.
Although Macgregor was not a man to allow that he had been wrong, I saw
that he was anxious, and before advancing he sent on a horseman and the
native guide two days' journey to see how the water held out. On their
return they reported that twenty miles in front there was a pool of good
water, and that thirty miles farther there was a small supply, which
was, however, rapidly drying up. Macgregor determined to push on. The
first day's march was got through, although five or six m