when they have no other provifion. This part of the country abounds with poifonous reptiles. The quadrupeds which are found, are Elephants, Rhinocerofes, Camelopardales, Zebras, Elks, Koedoes, Lions, Tigers, Hyenas, and Jackals. Mr. Van Renan returned the nineteenth. He had ihot a Camelopardalis, towards the evening, at a great diftance from the water, to which they immediately dire&ed their courfe, intending to fend a Hottentot next day to ikin the animal. On their return, to their great furprize, a Lion fprung up •about fifty yards from the place where the Camelopardalis la y ; and, on their arrival, they found he had disfigured it fo much, that nothing could be preferved except part of the ikin of the neck, with the horns, and part of the hind quarters. After feeing this, I refolved to crofs the river with fome of the Hottentots, and procure the fkeleton which they left in the fields. But by this time the river began to fwell, and the Hottentots refufed to accompany me, as they would be in danger of being detained for feveral months on the oppoiite fide; this being the rainy feafon to the eaitward of our pre- fent fituation, in which quarter we difcovered many thunder clouds. The climate differs much from that of the fmall Nimiqua Land. During our flay here, the thermometer rofe from ninety-five to one hundred and ten in the fhade. The twenty-third, we fpent the whole day in fhooting at the Hippopotami, one of which we killed. We faw alfo the method made ufe of by the natives to catch thefe animals; which is as follows: they dig large holes in the ground, along the banks of the river, about ten feet diameter, and fome of „ I778- ¡September. them about ten feet deep. In the bottom of thefe pits they '— .— 1 place pieces of wood fharpened at the points, and then cover the cavity with branches of trees and turf. When the Hippopotami come out of the river in the night to graze, they often fall into thefe fnares, and very frequently receive wounds which occailon their immediate death. As the feafon was too far advanced to admit of our proceeding farther to the north, and as there was no other path than that we had already taken, we returned by the fame route. In our way we were vifited by two peafants of the Nimiqua Land, who were fent out on a commiffion to the Bofhmen, in fearch of cattle which they had purloined from the inhabitants of that country. The twenty-fourth, we direded our courfe wefterly. At night we came to a fmall fountain, called Zebras Fountain. There was but little water ; but we were, neverthelefs, under the neceffity of flaying all night, having an extenfive plain to crofs, where there was not a drop of water to be feen for about fifty miles. On the twenty-fifth, at funfet, we left this fmall fountain, and proceeded fouthward, intending to travel through the dry defart. After travelling about eight miles, feveral of our cattle began to drop down under the yoak, which obliged us to flay the remaining part of the night without a drop of water. In the morning we miffed our oxen, and fent a Hottentot out K
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