Part 35 (2/2)
”Yes, when you leave the rivers, you leave vegetation of all kinds alular rainy season at all here, Swinton says; wethree months, but they are now very uncertain; the reater portion of the rain, and sometimes there will not be a shower on the plains for the whole year”
”How far shall we have to travel before we fall in ater again?”
inquired Alexander
”Swinton says there may be water in a river about sixty ht; if not, we shall have to proceed about thirty miles further, to the Gykoup or Vet River After that we shall have to depend for many days upon the water weon, may probably be filled by the rain”
Alexander and his party rode for seven or eight miles before they fell in with the tracks of the caravan; they then pulled up their jaded horses, and proceeded at a more leisurely pace, so that it was not till late in the evening that they discovered the wagons at so passed the dry bed of Salt River ahead of the the whole day their horses had had neither food nor water, and the anions The oxen also were fatigued with so long a journey, havingbefore
The country was now stony and sterile; a little vegetation was to be found here and there, but not sufficient to meet the wants of the aniame had been seen,--few zebras and ostriches only; all other varieties had disappeared There was of course no wood to light the fires round the enca their victuals had been thrown into the wagons, and two sheep were killed to supply a supper for so nuame also denoted the absence of lions, and they were not disturbed during the night In thethe Griquas parted company with them, on the plea that their oxen and horses were in too poor a condition to pass over the desert, and that they must make a direct course for the Val River and return by its banks
Our travelers gave the that they wished for, and the Griquas, yoking their oxen to the crazy old wagon, set off in a westerly direction
The route of the caravan was now directed more to the south-west, and they passed over an uninterrupted plain streith sayest flowers
About noon, after a sultry journey of nine hours, they fortunately arrived at a bog, in which they found a pool ofbut necessity could have compelled either them or the exhausted animals to drink Near this pool in the desert they found several wild aninoos for a supply of provision; the little wood that they had in the wagon for fuel was all used up in cooking their supper
A heavy dew fell during the night, and in the , before the sun rose, they were enveloped in a thick fog As the fog dispersed, they perceived herds of quaggas in all directions, but at a great distance
They again yoked the oxen and proceeded on their journey; the country was now covered with herbage and flowers of every hue, and looked like a garden
”How strange that the ground should be covered with flohere there is no rain or water to be found,” observed Alexander
”It is the heavy dews of the night which support them,” said Swinton, ”and perhaps the occasional rains which fall”
A line of trees to the southward told the an unnamed river, and the tired oxen quickened their pace; but on their arrival they found that the bed of the river was dry, and not even a drop of water was to be found in the pools The poor animals, which had been unyoked, snuffed and sues, but could obtain no relief The water which they had had in the casks for their own drinking was now, all gone; and there were no hopes of obtaining any till they arrived at the Vet River, at least twenty-five to thirty miles distant Two of the oxen lay down to rise no more, the countenances of the Hottentots were dejected and sullen, and our travelers felt that their situation was alar for water, the sky beca were seen and heard in the distance, and the clouds ca in volumes toward them Hope was now in every face; they already anticipated the copious shohich were to succeed; their eyes ever fixed upon the co storm; even the cattle appeared to be conscious that relief was at hand All the day the clouds continued to gather, and the lightning to gleaht closed in, but the rain had not yet fallen; the wind rose up, and in less than an hour all the clouds had passed away, the stars shone out brightly, and they were left in a state of suffering and disappoint together, each occupied with his own hts, after the dispersion of the clouds and the anticipated relief, the Major said--
”It is useless our re here; we must all perish if we do not proceed, and it would be better for us to yoke and travel by night; the animals will bear the journey better, and the people will not be so inclined to brood over their ether here, and co their lamentations to dishearten each other It is now nine o'clock; let us yoke and push on as far as we can”
”I agree with you, Major,” said Alexander; ”what do you say, Swinton?”
”I am convinced that it will be the best plan, so let us rouse up the people at once There is the roar of a lion at some distance, and we have no fires to scare theon-wheels will be better than nothing,” replied the Major
The Hottentots were roused, and the orders given to yoke: the poor felloere all sound asleep; for a Hottentot, when he hungers or thirsts, seeks refuge from all his miseries in sleep The oxen were yoked, and they proceeded; but hardly had they gone a mile, when the roar of three or four lions, close upon them, caused such alarm to the horses and the oxen which were not yoked that they started off in full gallop in a northerly direction
Alexander, the Major, and Omrah, ere the bestSwinton to proceed with the caravan, and they would drive on the cattle and join hiallop, and perceived the stray horses and oxen still at full speed, as if they were chased by the lions They followed in the direction, but it was now so dark that they were guided only by the clatter of their hoofs and their shoes in the distance; and after a chase of four or five es of theo back again,” said Alexander; ”the animals must have made a circuit”