rhaps forty
yards' distance, and then quietly canter off. "Oh! if I had my gun," I
moodily exclaimed. At last, I was rarely seen without it. "Going out
shooting?" was often asked me from this circumstance. "No; only for a
walk, or a bathe," I would answer. "Why have you your weapon, then?"
was generally considered a cutting remark. Many a small pair of pointed
horns, and many skins, would have answered the "why." I generally came
across something without looking for it.

The greatest annoyance that I met with from not having a gun was when
riding one day, with an officer of the commissariat, on the beach
between the Umganie and Natal Bay. I remarked some curious footprints
on the sand, and dismounted to see what they were. I could not identify
them, although I was well acquainted with most South-African trails. My
friend called my attention to their impressions all along the sand, and
far on ahead. As we looked in advance, we saw a large black object
moving nearly half a mile before us. We started off immediately in
chase, and soon neared it. I then saw that it was covered with long
fur, had short legs in front, and a kind of finny organ behind. It
appeared about ten feet long. Immediately it heard us galloping, it
made for the water. We were going so fast that we could not pull up,
and went past between the animal and the sea; so that before we could
return it had gained the water, and, taking a look at us, dived and
disappeared. Had I had my gun with me, I could have stalked to a spot
within thirty yards of it, by means of the sand-hills near the beach,
and a couple of bullets would no doubt have made us better acquainted.
I described this animal to several people, but none had seen a creature
like it. The Kaffirs had seen the spoor before, but had no name by
which to designate it.

[I have since seen descriptions and paintings of a sea-lion that
frequents some islands to the north-west of the Cape, and am inclined to
think that this creature was a traveller of that species.]

The country across the Umganie river was thickly-wooded, but inland it
was either open, or of that park-like description so common in many
parts of Africa. About eight miles across this river an English settler
lived, who had frequently asked me to put up at his house in case I went
for a day's shooting in his neighbourhood. I usually preferred availing
myself of some Kaffir's kraal; as the wild uncivilised native I found