that there will be bones for
them to pick this night."

"More than bones," replied Alexander; "for what can we do with so many
carcasses? There is provision for a month, if it would keep. What a
prodigious variety of animals there appears to be in this country."

"Yes, they are congregated here, because the country, from want of rain,
may be considered as barren. But within eight or nine degrees of
latitude from the Cape, we find the largest and most minute of creation.
We have the ostrich and the little creeper among the birds. Among the
beasts we have the elephant, weighing four thousand pounds, and the
black specked mouse, weighing a quarter of an ounce. We have the
giraffe, seventeen feet high, and the little viverra, a sort of weasel,
of three inches. I believe there are thirty varieties of antelopes
known and described; eighteen of them are found in this country, and
there are the largest and the smallest of the species; for we have the
eland, and we have the pigmy antelope, which is not above six inches
high. We see here also the intermediate links of many genera, such as
the eland and the gnoo; and as we find the elephant, the rhinoceros, and
Wilmot's friend, the hippopotamus, we certainly have the bulkiest
animals in existence."

Bremen now came up to say that they had discovered a rhinoceros close to
the river-side, concealed in the bushes underneath a clump of acacia.
The Major and Alexander having declared their intention of immediately
going in pursuit, Swinton advised them to be cautious, as the charge of
a rhinoceros was a very awkward affair, if they did not get out of the
way. They rode down to the clump of trees and bushes where the animal
was said to be hid, and, by the advice of Bremen, sent for the dogs to
worry the animal out. Bremen, who was on foot, was desired by the Major
to take the horse which Omrah rode, that he might be more expeditious,
and our travellers remained with a clear space of about two hundred
yards between them and the bushes where the animal was concealed. The
Hottentots had also followed them, and were ordered on no account to
fire till they had taken their positions, and the dogs were sent in to
drive the animal out.

When Bremen was but a short distance from them with the dogs, Swinton
advised that they should dismount and take possession of a small clump
of trees which grew very close together, as they would be concealed from
the animal. They called Omrah to