heir journey. Big Adam
walked rather stiff; and looked very sulky. Omrah had perched himself
on a tilt of the baggage-waggon with Begum, and was quite out of the
Hottentot's reach; for Bremen had told the others what had happened, and
there had been a general laugh against Big Adam, who vowed vengeance
against little Omrah. The country was now very beautiful and fertile,
and the Caffre hamlets were to be seen in all directions. Except visits
from the Caffres, who behaved with great decorum when they perceived
that the caravan was escorted by the king's warriors, and who supplied
them nearly every day with a bullock for the use of the people, no
adventure occurred for four days, when they crossed the Bashee or St.
John's River, to which the territories of Hinza extended; but although
the tribes beyond did not acknowledge his authority, they respected the
large force of the caravan, and were much pleased at receiving small
presents of tobacco and snuff.

Milk, in baskets, was constantly brought in by the women; for the
Caffres weave baskets of so close a texture, that they hold any liquid,
and are the only utensil used for that purpose. At the Bashee River,
after they had passed the ford, they remained one day to hunt the
hippopotami, and were successful; only Major Henderson, who was not
content to hunt during the day, but went out at night, had a narrow
escape. He was in one of the paths, and had wounded a female, and was
standing, watching the rising to the surface of the wounded animal, for
it was bright moonlight, when the male, which happened to be feeding on
the bank above, hearing the cry of the female, rushed right down the
path upon the Major. Fortunately for him, the huge carcass of the
animal gave it such an ungovernable degree of velocity, as to prevent it
turning to the right hand or left. It passed within a yard of the
Major, sweeping the bushes and underwood, so as to throw him down as it
passed. The Major got up again, it may be truly said, more frightened
than hurt; but at all events he had had enough of hippopotamus-hunting
for that night, for he recovered his gun, and walked back to the waggon,
thanking Heaven for his providential escape.

The next morning, Swanevelt and Bremen went down the banks of the river,
and discovered the body of the hippopotamus, which they dragged on
shore, and, returning to the waggons, sent the Caffres to cut it; but
before the Caffres belonging to the caravan cou