C H A P. xiil. Journey from Quammedacka to Agter Bruntjes- Hoogte. ^ 1775• December. ON the 21ft at nine in the morning we left the pool at Quammedacka, which we had by this time drank dry, and arrived at noon at Little Vifcb-rivier, where we again pitched our tents. We here found a herd of fpring-boks, a couple o f which we ihot. At five o’clock this morning the thermometer was at 52 degrees, at twelve at 82, and at h alf paft three at 95 degrees. The evening was very much overcaft. In this trait o f country there was a great drought on both fides o f the river, but ftill greater farther on towards the north, where the foil was more gravelly, and produced a greater quantity o f fucculent plants. In the fpaces betweerT thefe, befides ihrubs and buihes, there, was ibmetimes to be found a little dry grafs ; every where elfe, the ground was as dry and bare as a high road with a clayey bottom. Between ten and eleven o’clock at night, we heard the roaring o f a lion; and though it only roared twice, the animals we had with us were very reftlefs the whole night throughout. On On the 2 2d early in the morning, we crofted Little Vifch- B rivier, it being fuppofed, that where we then were, it would not be fo well worth our while to look after the bippota- mus, or fea-cow, an animal that is bigger than the rhinoceros, and lives both in the water and on dry ground, (vid. Plate IV. of this volume.) This, in fadt, having feen the rhinoceros, was what I now chiefly laid out for. Between nine and ten o’clock, being on our march, we faw two large lions. They were about three hundred paces from us, in a little vale. The inftant they perceived us, they betook themfelves to flight. Being very defirous to have a nearer view of thefe animals, we rode in purfuit o f them, all the while fhouting and calling out after them. Upon this they mended their pace till they got down to the fide of the river, which we had juft crofted, and there hid themfelves in the thickets. Urged by their curiofity, two o f our Hottentots likewife followed behind us, one armed with a couple of haffagais, and the other with a gun. - We ourfelves were without any arms whatever, but I imagine we ran no riik in this chafe, as we could eafily have turned back and fetched our arms, in cafe the lions had thought proper to purfue us. In running they had a kind of fideling pace, like that of a dog, accompanied now and then with a flight bound. Their necks were all the while fomewhat raifed, and they feemed to look aikance at us over their ihoulders. One of them had a mane, and con- fequently was a male; but both of them were nearly o f an equal fize, and feemed to be confiderably higher and longer than our faddle-horfes, which were o f the fize of common galloways. Neither our horfes, nor feveral .gazels which were
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