rence for
two people's stories to agree. Some said there was no game at all
there, excepting a few bucks; one or two Kaffirs had heard that elands
and buffaloes were often found in the country near the Imvoti river;
others said there was not a single head of anything to be found.
Putting all these accounts down at their proper value, I determined to
inspect the place and judge for myself; for I generally found that the
ignorant or indolent reported that there was nothing in a country in
which a sportsman would find plenty. I started across the Umganie at
peep of day, and made a journey of nearly forty miles, when I came up
with my Kaffirs. They had been joined by my old friend Matuan, who told
me that he was going in the same direction to buy cattle, he having
obtained some money by the sale of Indian corn, which he grew in great
quantities. I had a small tent amongst the packs on my ox, just big
enough to crawl into; it was about seven feet long and three high, and
made a comfortable little kennel. I noticed a Dutchman's house about a
mile off; but as I had everything I wanted, and the night was fine and
moonlight, I preferred camping under the trees where I then was. We
lighted a fire and sat round it. A tin mug full of brandy-and-water
being served out to my black companions, they became very talkative.
Inyovu, who was armed with one of my guns, had managed to shoot a red
bush-buck on the journey, and we were busy lodging the venison in our
hungry maws. The appetite one gets at this out-of-door work is
perfectly wonderful; being in the open air all day and all night, I
suppose, causes a man to become very much, in habit, like some of the
four-footed _carnivora_. In the eating way there is no doubt about it;
the meat disappears in heaps; enough to feed an Irish family, here only
serves as a meal for one. Scarcely is it finished, when an infallible
appetite is again crying out for a supply. I had, unfortunately,
forgotten my plates and dishes; I was also without a fork; neither,
however, were missed by the Kaffirs; so I was forced to imitate their
proceedings. A long strip being cut off the buck, it was laid on the
red-hot embers, and was turned occasionally until cooked; a wisp of
grass was then put in requisition to hold one end of the meat, while the
hot ashes were shaken and knocked off, with a graceful swing of the left
hand the other end was caught in the mouth, and held hard until a
mouthful was separ