East exactly
a fortnight after the dispatch of the order for it, by which time the
remainder of my preparations were completed. Nothing therefore remained
but to bid my numerous friends goodbye and make a start forthwith.

I suppose it is hardly necessary to state that, when discussing the
forthcoming expedition with my various friends, I carefully abstained
from all mention of the word "gold". The major and I let it be
understood that I was going to try my hand at elephant hunting as a
business, and many were the valuable hints which I received from one and
another as to the spots where I should be most likely to find the
biggest herds. The last embers of the war were still smouldering in the
north-eastern districts of the colony when I was ready to start, but
everybody was of opinion that all was quite quiet in the north;
therefore, instead of striking eastward and working north along the low
land between the Drakensberg range and the sea, as I had at first
intended, I decided to strike right away north at once between the
Tandjes Berg and Great Winter Berg mountains, across the Zour Bergen,
and so over the Orange River and right through the very heart of what is
now known as the Orange River Colony and the Transvaal, but was then a
practically unknown wilderness.

Behold me, then, trekking out from Somerset East about ten o'clock on a
certain glorious mid-October morning, accompanied by a brand-new,
well-loaded wagon drawn by a team of sixteen "salted" oxen--that is to
say, oxen immune to the terrible lung sickness which is the bane of
South Africa--driven by Jan, my former Hottentot driver, who, with Piet,
my former after-rider, had contrived to pick up a living in Somerset
East during the war, and now--also with Piet--was more than willing to
re-enter my service and accompany me to the uttermost parts of the
earth, if so it might please me. The dogs, Thunder and Juno, also
formed part of my train, having found a home with Piet during my absence
at the war. Also, in addition to Prince, there were two other horses,
one being a fine, sturdy iron-grey Basuto cob named Tempest, and the
other a very useful chestnut named Punch, which I had purchased chiefly
for Piet's use when we should arrive in the elephant country. The
remaining member of my retinue was a Bantu boy named 'Ngulubi, about
sixteen years of age, who acted as voorlouper, or leader of the front
span of oxen of the team.

We trekked at a moderately