ter being within a distance of seven or
eight miles; but one may see hundreds of elands ('Boselaphus oreas'),
gemsbuck, the tolo or koodoo ('Strepsiceros capensis'), also springbucks
('Gazella euchore') and ostriches, without being warranted thereby in
inferring the presence of water within thirty or forty miles. Indeed,
the sleek, fat condition of the eland in such circumstances would not
remove the apprehension of perishing by thirst from the mind of even a
native. I believe, however, that these animals can subsist only where
there is some moisture in the vegetation on which they feed; for in one
year of unusual drought we saw herds of elands and flocks of ostriches
crowding to the Zouga from the Desert, and very many of the latter were
killed in pitfalls on the banks. As long as there is any sap in the
pasturage they seldom need water. But should a traveler see the "spoor"
of a rhinoceros, or buffalo, or zebra, he would at once follow it up,
well assured that before he had gone many miles he would certainly reach
water.

In the evening of our second day at Serotli, a hyaena, appearing
suddenly among the grass, succeeded in raising a panic among our cattle.
This false mode of attack is the plan which this cowardly animal always
adopts. His courage resembles closely that of a turkey-cock. He will
bite, if an animal is running away; but if the animal stand still, so
does he. Seventeen of our draught oxen ran away, and in their flight
went right into the hands of Sekomi, whom, from his being unfriendly to
our success, we had no particular wish to see. Cattle-stealing, such as
in the circumstances might have occurred in Caffraria, is here unknown;
so Sekomi sent back our oxen, and a message strongly dissuading us
against attempting the Desert. "Where are you going? You will be killed
by the sun and thirst, and then all the white men will blame me for not
saving you." This was backed by a private message from his mother. "Why
do you pass me? I always made the people collect to hear the word that
you have got. What guilt have I, that you pass without looking at me?"
We replied by assuring the messengers that the white men would attribute
our deaths to our own stupidity and "hard-headedness" (tlogo, e thata),
"as we did not intend to allow our companions and guides to return till
they had put us into our graves." We sent a handsome present to Sekomi,
and a promise that, if he allowed the Bakalahari to keep the wells open
for