Five years of a hunter's life in the far interior of South Africa : with notices of the native tribes, and anecdotes of the chase of the lion, elephant, hippopotamus, giraffe, rhinoceros, &c

Front matter

HUNTER' S LIFE IN SOUTH AFRICA. VOLUME I. An Attack upon Four Patriarchal Lions. A HUNTER'S UFE IN SOUTH AFRICA. By E. GORDON CUMMING. VOL. I. JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET. FIVE YEARS OF A HUNTER'S LIFE IN THE FAR INTERIOR OF SOUTH AFRICA. WITH NOTICES OF THE NATIVE TRIBES, AND ANECDOTES OF THE CHASE OF THE LION, ELEPHANT, HIPPOPOTAMUS, GIRAFFE, RHINOCEROS, &c. By ROUALEYN GORDON CUMMING, Esq., OF ALTYKE. *^ 5123 its) Illustrations. IN TWO VOLUMES.— Vol. I. SECOND EDITION. LONDON: JOHN MURKAY, ALBEMARLE STREET. 1850. PRINTED BY W. CLOWES AND SONS, STAMFORD STREET, TO HIS GRACE THE DUKE OF ARGYLL. My dear Duke, I dedicate my ' Adventures in Africa ' to your Grace for two reasons, — to mark my respect as a kinsman, and because I know the interest you take in the sports of the field and in the habits of wild animals.

My volumes lay claim to no other merit than that of a faithful narration of facts as they occurred : and having been written far away from literary appliances, and often on occasions when the cravings of hunger were a more pressing consideration than the graces of composition, I trust to your indulgence to overlook in the success of my rifle the failure of my pen. I am always, my dear Duke, Your affectionate Kinsman, EOUALEYN GORDON CUMMING. Altyre, June, 1850. a

Introduction

. As the reader who purposes to follow me through the five adventurous years I spent in the untrodden wilds of Southern Africa might like to know something of my previous career, I shall briefly state that the early por tion of my life was spent in the county of Moray, where a love of natural history and of sport early engendered itself, and became stronger and more deeply rooted with my years. Salmon-fishing and roe-stalking were my favourite amusements ; and, during these early wan derings by wood and stream, the strong love of sport and admiration of Nature in her wildest and most attractive forms became .vith me an all-absorbing feeling, and my greatest possible enjoyment was to pass whole days and many a summer night in solitude, where, undisturbed, 1 might contemplate the silent grandeur of the forest and the ever-varying beauty of the scenes around.

Long before I proceeded to Eton I took pride in the goodly array of hunting trophies which hung around my room. In 1839 I sailed for India, to join my regiment, the 4th Madras Light Cavalry. Touching at the Cape of Good Hope, I had an opportunity of hunting several

INTRODUCTION.

. of the smaller antelopes, and obtained a foretaste of the splendid sport I was in after years so abundantly to enjoy. In India I procured a great number of specimens of natural history, and laid the foundation of a collection which has since swelled to gigantic proportions.* Find ing that the climate did not agree with me, I retired from the service and returned home, where, resuming my old hunting habits, I was enabled, through the kindness of a wide circle of friends, to follow my favourite pursuit of deer-stalking so successfully that I speedily found myself in possession of a fine collection of select heads from most of the Scottish deer-forests. Growing weary, however, of hunting in a country where the game was strictly preserved, and where the continual presence of keepers and foresters took away half the charm of the chase, and longing once more for the freedom of nature, and the life of the wild hunter — so far preferable to that of the mere sportsman — I resolved to visit the rolling prairies and rocky mountains of the Far West, where my nature would find congenial sport with the bison, the wapiti, and the elk.

With this view I obtained a com mission in the Royal Veteran Newfoundland Companies. But I speedily discovered that the prospect of getting from the barrack-square would be small, and that I should have little chance of playing the Nimrod whilst * Which may now be seen in my South African Museum at the Chinese Gallery in London.

INTRODUCTION.

. IX attached to this corps. I accordingly effected an ex change into the Cape Riflemen, and in 1843 found myself once more in the country upon whose frontiers dwelt those vast herds of game which had so often fired my imagination, and made me long to revisit it. Immediately upon landing I marched with my division of the army of occupation, under the command of Colonel Somerset, into the country of the Amaponda Caflres, where we lay for some time under canvas, and where our prin cipal amusements were quail-shooting and throwing the assagai. Being disappointed in my expectations, and there being at that time no prospect of fighting, I made up my mind to sell out of the army, and to penetrate into the interior farther than the foot of civilized man had yet trodden — to vast regions which would afford abundant food for the gratification of the passion of my youth, — the collecting of hunting trophies and objects of interest in science and natural history.

And in this I ulti mately succeeded to my heart's desire. With regard to my African adventures the following pages must speak for themselves. Let me here state, however, that I was the first to penetrate into the interior of the Bamangwato country, and that my axe and spade pioneered the way, which others have since followed. I should have pushed still farther but that the great losses I experienced in cattle and horses prevented me from so doing. X

INTRODUCTION.

. During the many years I spent in the wilderness, my waggon was my only home. Even this I often deserted ; and alone, or attended only by savages, proceeded on distant hunting expeditions, leaving my few followers en camped around my baggage. Days and nights, on these occasions, have I passed in my solitary hunting-hole, near some drinking-place, watching the majestic carriage of the lion, the sagacious actions of the elephant, and the curious instincts of the countless varieties of game that have passed within a few yards of me, quite unaware of the proximity of man. Whatever on those occasions I witnessed worthy of attention, I noted in my journal whilst the impression was yet fresh in my memory — from this journal the following work is almost literally tran scribed. Written under such circumstances, the reader will not look for the graces of style.

The hand, wearied all day with grasping the rifle, is not the best suited for wielding the pen. If I have in simple language given pleasure to the sportsman, or added one page to the natural history of Southern Africa, or to our knowledge of its tribes, I shall think myself amply repaid for my many wanderings and watchings in a wild and savage land. Ally re, June, 1850. ) CONTENTS OF YOL I.

Chapter I

Preparations for a Hunting Expedition — Cape Traders — Travelling — Trader at a Farm — Dangers of a Trader's Life — Articles for Barter — Dissuasions from the Enterprise — My Outfit — Hunting Rheebok — Wild Flowers . . . Page 1

Chapter II

Mysteries of Inspanning — Cape Waggon and its Furniture — Departure from Grahamstown — My head Servant leaves me * — Impassable state of the Roads — My Waggon in a Fix — Change of Route — Singular Instinct of the Honey-bird .... 21

Chapter III

Fearful Descent of De Bruin's Poort — District lately deserted by Elephants — Noble Forest-trees — The Great Fish River — Cunning Boers - — Burning effects of the Sun — The Dutch Noe's Green Tea Ointment — Skill of the Hottentots in " Tapping the Admiral " — Beautifully Wooded Country — The Village of Cradock — South African Climate — Countless Herds of Springbok — Mynheer Pocheter — The way to make a Friend on the Thebus Flats — Hendrick Strydom — Hunting for Springbok — Extraordinary Migrations of these Antelopes . CONTENTS OF VOL. 1.

Chapter IV

A Bustard shot — Flight of Locusts — Quagga-shooting in the dark — Curious Mistake — Ostriches — A Sportsman napping — Leave Strydom's Residence in quest of Wildebeests — Wildebeest-shooting — Meeting with a brother Officer — Proceed to Colesberg — Additions to Equipments Page 72

Chapter V

Departure from Colesberg — Jaging Springbok — Vast Herds of Game — Swarms of Flies — Oology — A Nomade Boer's Encampment — Anecdote of the Gemsbok — Cobus rides down a splendid old Bull Gemsbok — A Night in the Desert — Paterson arrives — Bushmen — Their extraordinary Raids across the Desert 91

Chapter VI

Hard Chase of an Oryx — A Brindled Gnoo reduces himself to a " dead lock," and is taken — Paterson slays a Gemsbok and a Bull Wildebeest — He leaves for Colesberg — Ostrich-eggs — Novel method of carrying them — Anecdotes of the Ostrich — Affray with a Porcupine — He proves a rough rider for my horse — Narrow escape from the thrust of a dying Oryx — The grateful Water-root — Troops of Springboks cover the face of the land — Their Migrations — The finest shot at my leisure — Beer Vley 109

Chapter VII

Leave Beer Vley — A Bushboy captured and enlisted as a follower ■ — Famous Sport with Wildebeest and Quaggas from a Hunting-hole — Water fails, and we march to the Great Orange River Beautiful appearance of the River — Stink Vonteyn, a famous sporting quarter — An Ostrich's Nest — Bold Mountain Ranges — The Griqua Tribe, their Manners and Customs — An ancient Mimosa Forest — Residence of a Bushman — Successful Chase of a noble Bull Oryx CONTENTS OF VOL. I. XIII

Chapter VIII

We leave Stink Vonteyn and reach the Vaal River — Wait-a-bit Thorns — Chase and kill a Buck Koodoo, and bivouac on the ground — ■ Cobus and Jacob abscond — Roan Antelope — We recross the Vaal River — Griqua Encampment — Stink Vonteyn again — A Flight of Locusts — A Saltpan — Salubrious Climate — Boers attempt to carry off Ruyter — A Cameel-dorn Forest — A Brindled Gnoo bayed by Wild Dogs — Habits of the latter Page 150

Chapter IX

The Riet River — Nomade Boer Encampments — Surly Reception at a Boer's Farm — Lions slain by the Boers — Cowardice of the Boers in Lion-hunting — Rumours of War between the Boers and Griquas — The Mirage of the Plains — Habits of the Blesbok — A knowing old Hog — A Snake under my pillow — A Troop of Wild Dogs come upon me at Night in my Shooting-hole — The roar of Lions — Curious Facts concerning them 172

Chapter X

Boer Encampment — A Night in a Storm — A Fancy Costume — Fearful Encounter with a Lioness — "Colesberg" dreadfully mangled — Cowardice of Hottentots — We march back to Colesberg — Danger of being plundered by the Rebel Boers — Arrival at Colesberg — The Troops march against the Boers — The Battle of Schwart Coppice — Start for the distant Land of Elephants — The Hottentots make free with my Brandy, and mutiny — Leopards — • Kuruman — Mr. Moffat, the good Missionary — Roasted Locusts 202

Chapter XI

Motito — The Bechuana Tribes — The mysterious great inland Lake — Blesbok and Wildebeest abundant — Park-like Country — We arrive at the beautiful Vale of Bakatla — Dr. Livingstone CONTENT.S OF VOL. I. the Missionary — Native Fashions at Church — Determine to push on to Bamangwato — The Natives follow me for Venison — Great Variety of Game — A dangerous Fight with a Herd of Buffaloes, two of which are slain — A Colony of Baboons — A Rhinoceros chases me round a Bush — Habits of the Beast — A noble Eland killed — An impromptu Steak — Slay a Rhinoceros, and lose my way in the Forest Page 229

Chapter XII

My Hottentots object to advance farther into the Interior ■ — A Boar Hunt — We march through a charming Country — The Mountain Pass of Sesetabie — A Lion and Lioness inspect my Cattle, and the Lion pays for peeping — Hungry Hyænas sup upon the Cattle Furniture — The Camelopard — Description of its Habits — Booby, a Bechuana Kraal — Gun Medicine — Disastrous Finale to an Incantation — Native Conspiracy to prevent my farther Progress 256 CHAPTER XHI. The Guides try to mislead me — The Cattle and Horses dying from Thirst — Search for Water — Melancholy Anticipations — Directed to a Pool by the Flight of Birds — Chase and kill a Giraffe — Wandering Bechuanas point out my right Course — Miserable Condition of the Natives — Game Pitfalls — Mimosa Grove smashed by Elephants — A Rhinoceros charges me — Abundance of large Game — Lost in the Forest .... 283

Chapter XIV

The Bamangwato Mountains — The Elephant's Fountain — A Troop of colossal Giraffes — Elephants drinking by Night — Habits of the African Elephant — Elephant Hunt — A Bull shot after a dangerous Encounter — Cutting out the Tusks — Extraordinary Rooks — Mountain Retreat of Sicomy, King of Bamangwato — His Cunning — Barter Muskets for Ivory — His Majesty's curious Gun-practice — Trading for Native Weapons . . CONTENTS OF VOL. I. XV

Chapter XV

Take leave of Sicomy — Digging for Water — The Elephant's Fountain again — A wounded Roan Antelope bays in the Water, and kills my Dogs right and left — Sicomy's Camp again — We march through a beautiful Valley — Curious Instinct of the Rhinoceros-bird — A mighty Bull Elephant shot after a hard Conflict — Mutchuisho's Attentions more charitable than pleasant — Cutting up an Elephant — A strange Scene — Baking the Flesh — Primitive Tobacco-pipes — Biltongue Festoons Page 337

Chapter XVI

Elephant-spooring with the Natives — The Mystic Dice — Hunt in a Wait-a-bit Thorn Cover — Romantic Gorge in the Mountains — Sabie — Ancient Elephant Path — Ludicrous Native Signal — A noble Bull Elephant slain — Isaac, my Interpreter, dismissed — A Lioness bagged at one Shot — Drimkenness and Disorder in Camp — My manner of taking the Field after the larger Game — Sicomy's Followers desert me LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. VOLUME I. Attack on Four Patriarchal Lions (p. 346, Vol. 2) Frontispiece The Line of March Vignette Title The Black Rhinoceros giving Chase . . To face page 297 Camelopard Hunting at Massouet ... „ 305 Colesberg declines being Mounted . . „ 317 Riding out the best Bull Elephant . . „ 353 Map of Route „ 388 VOLUME n. Waltz with a Hippopotamus (pill. Vol. 2) . . Frontispiece A Scene on the Mariqua . • . . .

Vignette Title Headlong Charge of a furious Elephant . . To face page 4 Stopping a Poacher „ 112 Nocturnal Adventure with Six Lions . . „ 117 Drawing a Snake „ 129 The Fate of poor Hendrick .... „ 218 Elephant Shooting by Moonlight ... „ 237 Extraordinary Herd of Blesboks ... „ 300 Hunting the White Rhinoceros .... „ 349 Furious Charge of a Buffalo .... „ FIVE YEARS' HUNTING ADVENTURES IN SOUTH AFRICA.

Chapter I

Preparations for a Hunting Expedition — Cape Traders Travelling — Trader at a Farm — Dangers of a Trader's Life — Articles for Barter — Dissuasions from the Enterprise — My Outfit — Hunting Rheebok — Wild Flowers. Having resolved to make a hunting expedition into the interior of Southern Africa, my first object was to seek out some experienced person, able to give me the necessary information as to what purchases I should require to make in the way of waggons and oxen, and as to my outfit in general, and I accordingly pitched upon an individual of the name of Murphy, a trader in the interior, who, I had reason to believe, was better acquainted than any other person in Grahamstown with the frontiers of the colony, and the adjoining territories of the Griqua and Bechuana tribes, situated beyond the Great Orange River.

With this person I had already n VOL. I. had the pleasure of becoming acquainted during the short time I was quartered in Grahamstown in the month of July, having been introduced to him by another trader, a man from my own land of Moray, famous among the Dutch Boers about and beyond the frontiers. This man's name was Andrew Thompson, of Forres, one of three brothers, all of whom followed the same adventurous line of life, and were as steady, hard-working, and determined young men as might be met with throughout the colony. As, in the course of the following pages, I may have occasion to allude to these traders, and others of a similar avocation, it will perhaps be as well to give the reader a sketch of the manner in which their occupation is conducted. Each trader is supposed to be the pro prietor of one or two ox-waggons.

These they " load up," from the large stores of the merchants in Grahamstown and Port Elizabeth, with every species of merchandise which the far-dwelling isolated Dutch Boers are likely to require. So supplied, they set out on their long journey, which usually occupies from six to eight months ; at the end of which they return to the colony, enriched with immense droves of sleek oxen and fat wethers, selected from the numerous herds and flocks of the pastoral dwellers in the interior. The waggons of a trader generally contain every requisite for a farmer's establishment; groceries, hard ware, bales of cloth and canvas, haberdashery, saddlery, crockery— in short, everything, from an awl for the Boer Chap. I. CAPE TRADERS. 3 to mend his " feldtschoens" or country shoes, to a roll of cherry-coloured or sky-blue riband to tie up the bonny brown locks of his fair daughters, whose beauty, like that of Skye terriers, I fear, in many cases, consists in their ugliness.

They, however, sadly lack the " degagee" appearance of the Skye terrier, as their general air and gait might be more aptly likened to a yard of pump-water. As the trader advances up the country and effects exchanges, he leaves the cattle or sheep which he has bartered, in charge of their former master, picking them up on his return southward. When all his goods are disposed of, he generally winds up his barter by exchanging the waggon or waggons which bore them for cash or oxen, or both, and then, purchasing a horse, he returns in light marching order to the colony. The price which a trader gives for a waggon is usually from 40/. to 60/., and in war times often a thousand rix dollars, or 75/. The number of oxen which he usually obtains for it at the close of his journey is from forty to fifty, and these he is supposed to select himself.

The value of the waggon is partly dependent on the character of the tent. Tents are of two kinds ; the one being coarsely yet strongly constructed of green boughs fitting into iron staples along the sides of the waggon, and lashed together with strips of green hide so as to form a succession of arches overhead. These are kept in their position by means of long straight wands laid all along the outside of the arches, b the whole framework being very strongly secured by the aforementioned strips of green hide. On the top of this are placed coarse Kaffir mats made of reeds, which act as a Scotchman (to use a seafaring phrase), to keep the waggon-sail, which is of stout canvas, from chafing. The other variety of tent is of a less homely build, and is termed by the colonists a cap-tent waggon. It requires the hand of a skilful waggon-builder, and is much more elaborately finished, the wood which supports and composes the tent being all neatly sawed and planed, and fastened together with iron rivets.

This description of waggon is preferred by the aris tocracy among the Boers, as presenting a more distingue appearance, when they drive their fraus and children on a round of visits, which they are constantly doing ; or when flocking to the " Nachmal," or communion, which happens three or four times in the year. The former, or common wand tent, however, possesses a great advantage over the cap-tent, inasmuch as, in the first place, it is cheaper by 10/., and secondly, if broken in a capsize, which in Cape travelling is an affair of common occurrence it is easily repaired on the spot; whereas the cap-tent waggon, if once upset, is irretrievably ruined. When a trader arrives on a Boer's farm, he halts and walks up to the door to inquire where he is to " outspan," or unyoke the oxen, and also in what direction the oxen are to be driven to graze.

At the door he is met by the Chap. I. A TRADER AT A FARM. 5 baas, or master, generally pipe in mouth, who, cordially greeting him with one hand, raises his hat from his head with the other. The Boers lay great stress on this piece of etiquette, which has to be gone through with a whole string of juvenile Boers following in the rear, each encased in a very roomy pair of inexpressibles, and crowned with an immense broad-rimmed tile, nearly half the size of its wearer. Permission to outspan being obtained, and a few complimentary speeches interchanged, the trader inquires of the Boer if he has any fat oxen to handle or barter, to which the Boer either at once replies in the negative, or more commonly says, " I do not know. What have you got on your waggon ?" The trader answers, " I have got a little of everything, and all of the very best quality, and you shall have any thing you require as low as a trader can possibly sell it.

I shall presently unload a little for your inspection." The Boer politely says, " No, no, mynheer, you must not off load ; it would grieve me that mynheer should exert himself so much :" to which the trader replies, " It is no trouble ; we are accustomed to do it, and it is our business." The trader then instructs his knecht, or head servant, to make a parade of the goods, and he then accompanies the Boer into the house, where dinner will shortly make its appearance, to which the Boer invariably, in the most hospitable manner, makes every white stranger welcome. Here, if the trader is wide awake to his own interest, he Chap. I. 6 ADVENTURES IN SOUTH AFRICA. will pay marked attention to the Noe or frau, as no bargain or transaction of any nature can be ratified with a Dutchman without her full concurrence and approval.

The Dutch are particularly cleanly in their establish ments and cooking, and moreover possess a very fair notion of the culinary art, their tables in general being graced with several very excellent and substantial dishes. AVhen dinner is over, all hands resort to the waggon and overhaul the merchandise, where it is ten to one but the Noe will find about fifty different articles which she will prevail upon her husband to believe indispensable in the private economy of his establishment. Thus when " handling" once begins, it often goes on briskly, and from a Boer who at the outset declared himself independent of the trader's supplies, as many as two or three, or even half a dozen, fat oxen may be obtained. As the trader knows well from past experience that the Boer will be sure to endeavour to abate his prices, he makes a point of asking a little more than he intends to take, so as to be able to give in to the Boer's importunities, who, with a sly wink at his wife, congratulates himself on his shrewdness, and flatters himself that he has run a hard bargain.

When the trader has collected all his cattle, he drives them by steady marches, of from twenty to thirty miles in the twenty-four hours, which are performed chiefly durino* the night, to Grahamstown or Beaufort, where he Chap. I. DANGERS OF A TRADER'S LIFE. 7 disposes of them to butchers. At tlie former place they are purchased for the use of the town, and by the Government contractors for the supply of the troops. At Beaufort, which is on the high road to Cape Town, they are purchased for the supply of the Cape Town market. The payments for the cattle are seldom, if ever, made in hard cash, the poor trader having to content him self with approved bills, drawn at six and nine months, which in too many cases are never honoured, the defaulter being found either bankrupt, or to have bolted for England or California.

The life of a trader is hard and harrass ing, and he is often liable to very heavy losses by deaths from severe drought, distempers, and other causes ; also from the chances of war, oxen straying and being found no more, overstocked markets, and non-payments as above, besides the danger to which he is exposed from the attacks of wild beasts. During the time that he is engaged in driving his oxen, his rest is necessarily broken and disturbed, and, being compelled to watch his cattle every hour of the night, in all weathers, he is obliged always to have his clothes on, and to sleep when he can, after the manner of sea-captains in bad weather, who hang their nose on to a ratlin, and so take a nap. As an instance of the injury from chances of war I may here allude to the severe losses sustained by my friend Mr. Peter Thompson, who, during the war which ravaged the colony in the years 1846 and 1847, was ADVENTURES IN SOUTH AFRICA.

Chap. I. returning to Grahamstown with a large herd of some hundred fine oxen, the well-earned proceeds of a labori ous and toilsome expedition, when he was attacked in De Bruin's Poort, a rugged and densely-wooded ravine, within one march of Grahamstown, by a band of the marauding Amaponda Kaffirs, armed with guns and assagais, who swept off the whole of his drove, he himself barely escaping with his life. In years when the prices of cattle are low, these traders occasionally vary their line of march, and, forsaking the Boers for a season, they load up a suitable cargo, and direct their course for the Bechuana tribes, from whom they obtain ivory, karosses (skin cloaks), and ostrich feathers, along with various curiosities, for which they obtain a ready sale in the Grahamstown market, where good ivory averages from 4s. to As. 6d. per pound.

Karosses vary in price from 1/. to 3/. each, according to their size, kind, and quality. Ostrich feathers used to fetch from 5/. to 6/. per pound, but, partly owing to the feathers being less worn by the votaries of fashion in London, and partly to the late disturbances throughout Europe, the prices have greatly fallen.1 The articles required for trading with the Bechuana tribes consist of beads of all sizes and colours, brass and copper wire, knives and hatchets, clothing 1 From seventy-five to ninety good sized ostrich-feathers weigh a pound. Chap. I. ARTICLES OF COMMERCE. 9 for both sexes, ammunition, guns, young cows, and she-goats. The two latter the trader obtains in barter from the Boers, Griqua and Koranna tribes, more immediately adjacent to the colony. Some writers have erroneously stated that snuff and tobacco are a crood circulating medium among the tribes in Southern Africa, but in the course of my experience I can scarcely remember having ever obtained the smallest article in barter for either, not even a drink of milk.

The natives have certainly no objection to receive these articles when given gratuitously, but are far too wide awake to place any great value upon them. During my career in Southern Africa I have had much experience in trading with the Bechuana tribes, and, as I shall have occasion to refer to my trading exploits in the course of my narrative, I have entered into the above particulars, that the reader may, at the outset, form an idea of the manner in which these things are conducted. On making inquiries, I had the pleasure to find that, contrary to my expectation, both Andrew Thompson and Murphy were still in Grahamstown, where I had left them about three months before, when I marched thence into Caffraria with my regiment : and the latter, whom I found to be a confirmed tippler, was able, in his few lucid moments, to give me much valuable information relative to the preparations which I required to make in the way of purchasing oxen and waggons, engaging servants, b3 Chap. I. 10 ADVENTURES IN SOUTH AFRICA. &c. &c. ; also various wrinkles as to the conducting of my establishment, the hours of marching, and the line of country which I had chalked out for my first expedition.

Poor Murphy ! he was as kind-hearted a creature as ever breathed. From the 1st till the 22nd of October I was actively employed in making the necessary purchases and arrange ments for my coming expedition, and in forwarding my affairs, in which Murphy, during bis sober intervals, most willingly assisted me. As the reader will observe, my establishment at my first outset was on a much more limited scale than upon subsequent expeditions. This was partly owing to the uncertainty which I felt as to the success of my sporting undertakings, and the length of time which I might feel inclined to devote to this line of life. I was much in the dark as to what sport I might expect to realize, and what difficulties I should have to encounter, in the trip I was about to make ; the truth being that I could not find a single individual, either among the natives or the military, who could in the smallest degree enlighten me on the subject.