A FEAST OF ORANGES GHOST-STORIES.

331

Oranges, which are very abundant in these parts, were beginning to ripen. One day some of our Damaras expressed a wish to taste the enticing fruit, and, being supplied with a shilling, they started off. In a short time they brought back no less than two hundred oranges. They had scarcely finished a dozen or two, however, before the effect became irresistible. The acidity of the fruit at this time of the year was so great that it acted with the force of gun-cotton; and, after having a "good blow-out," they were so disordered as to be unable to taste food for several successive days. Indeed, they were effectually cured of their orange mania.

At the bivouac fire I was often entertained with ghost-stories. John, our wagon-driver, who seemed fully to believe in apparitions, was the chief narrator.

"Ghosts," said he, "abound in and about the neighborhood of the Cape. At times they appear in the shape of dogs; at others, in that of human beings. Once, late at night, I was coming from Simon's Bay, when the oxen all of a sudden stopped short, and would have darted right into the bush had I not been quick to turn them. Just then, nothing could be seen; but presently a large white dog, with a chain round the neck, appeared. He passed us slowly without injuring us in any way, and shaped his course over a cross-road, when we continued our journey. At another time I met the "spook" (ghost) in the form of a very tall black man, accompanied by a large dog of the same color.

"Frequently, when returning late at night to my master's place, while yet at a distance, I have seen the whole yard and dwelling-house splendidly illuminated, but on coming to the spot all was gone.

"As a protection to the garden, my master had erected a hut, where men slept at night. After a while, however, the place became so haunted that the watchmen fled, and slept any where they could in the bush. The 'spooks' were seen continually to promenade up and down the walks arm-inarm, taking an occasional peep into the house.

332

CATTLE SOLD BY AUCTION-A TREAT.

"In dark nights a ghost would sometimes appear at the head of the team, and, laying hold of the thong attached to the leading ox, would conduct the cattle out of their proper course, I being totally unconscious of the proceedings at the time.

"Again, I would hear wagons and carriages coming along the road at a brisk pace, and, while making way for them to pass, I found, to my astonishment, that the vehicles were already far ahead of us."

On the 18th of October, and when within a day's ride of Cape-Town, we disposed of our cattle by public auction.

Owing to the great distance we had brought them, and the scarcity of pasturage during the latter part of the journey, our cattle had become very lean, and, although they were in themselves an exceedingly fine lot, their want of condition neither suited the butcher nor the grazier. In their emaciated state, indeed, it would require fully a year before they would become acclimatized and refattened, in which interval, and before getting accustomed to their new pasturage, many would probably die. They scarcely averaged £2 per head. The cows sold almost the best; not on account of the milk they yielded, for that was little or nothing, but simply because, strange to say, they were exempted from a peculiar disease (strangury) which kills the oxen in these parts. The Boers are in consequence obliged to make use of cows for agricultural purposes.

It is customary on these occasions to give a banquet to the purchasers, who chiefly consist of Dutch farmers; and if the cattle are known to be fit for slaughter, the butchers of the metropolis also come in for a share. A large quan

tity of wine is supposed to be necessary to facilitate the sale. Fortunately, this kind of liquor is very cheap; and though a person may have to entertain from fifty to one hundred people for two days together, the expense of such festivities rarely exceeds seven or eight pounds sterling.

EXCURSIONS-DACRE'S PULPIT.

333

Our hands being now free, the first object to which we turned our attention was to secure a vessel to carry us back to Walfisch Bay. There happened just then to be none at the Cape but we were promised one within a certain period. In the mean time, we occupied ourselves in making the needful purchases, &c.

I also made excursions into the neighborhood. Among other interesting places, I visited, in company with Mr. Bain (the distinguished South African geologist), the famous pass, called after my kind host, Bain's Kloof, through which the road leads across the Drakenstein mountains from the village of Wellington to the district of Worcestershire. The vignette below is a view of a certain part of the pass designated

Dacre's pulpit, and has been selected from the portfolio of an accomplished friend in Cape-Town.

We had nearly finished our arrangements when the news arrived at the Cape of the extraordinary successes met with

334

AUSTRALIAN DIGGINGS-HANS AND JOHN ALLEN.

at the Australian gold-diggings, and the same mania, though not quite to the same extent, which had turned the people's heads all over the world, took possession of the inhabitants of this colony. Every available vessel was bought up or chartered for the "diggings." I began seriously to apprehend that this would deprive us of the craft we had engaged. Indeed, the owner did actually sell her, but, fortunately, placed another at our disposal, the alteration, however, causing us very great delay.

Though the loss, at this period, of the assistance of Hans would have been grievous and irreparable, I thought it my duty to explain to him the respective advantages of remaining with me and going to Australia. By adhering to the trading, he would be pretty sure to secure a fair income annually, while by adopting the other plan he might have the chance of realizing a fortune in the course of a year or two. I urged that if he felt at all inclined to try his luck at the "diggings," he should not hesitate; for, in that case, I would take charge of his goods and dispose of them as if they were my own. Hans evidently appreciated my well-meant intentions, but generously refused to do any thing that was not in strict accordance with my own wishes. However, I could not take advantage of such an offer in his position, but told him to think the matter well over by himself, and to be entirely guided by his own inclination.

After much hesitation, Hans finally came to the determination to migrate to Australia, and John Allen having also expressed a wish to accompany him, I drew up an agreement between them of such a nature that they might dissolve partnership if they wished, without detriment to either. With regard to myself and Hans, we agreed to share each other's fortunes, though far apart, bad or good.

Matters having been thus far settled, I immediately arranged about the passage of the two adventurers; provided them with a supply of every article necessary for such an ex

ALL ALONE-REFLECTIONS-PROCURE INSTRUMENTS. 335

pedition, and nearly one hundred pounds sterling in ready money. This change in our original plans proved of great inconvenience to me, inasmuch as we had already sunk every available shilling of our small capital in the intended expedition to Walfisch Bay. However, it was all successfully arranged, and in the early part of January, 1853, they took their departure.

Thus once more I was alone. I could not help reflecting on the difficulties of my position. Two of the best men that, perhaps, ever set foot on African soil, with whom I had shared hardships and privations of no trifling character, had left me to seek their fortunes in remote climes. On me alone, then, devolved the task of watching over and improving the united interest of myself and Hans. Another duty, not less urgent, claimed my attention, namely, that of solving the grand geographical problem-the discovery of a route from the west coast to the Lake Ngami.

On mentioning my trying position to some Cape friends, they coolly advised me to dispose of my goods and return to Europe. I turned in disgust from the proposal, which only served to urge me to renewed exertions. My spirits rose in proportion to the difficulties.

Immediately on the departure of Hans and John Allen, I hastened to attend to my own affairs. I was tolerably well supplied with every thing but servants and instruments for taking astronomical observations. After much search and many bargains, I succeeded in getting together a very fair set of the latter, consisting of a large, good-working sextant, a box-sextant for taking angular bearings, two artificial horizons (one of colored plate-glass mounted in brass, with leveling screws, and another for mercury), an excellent azimuth compass, one or two good pocket-compasses, three boilingpoint thermometers for ascertaining heights of places above the level of the sea, two telescopes, one for common fieldwork, and the other large enough for occultations, a chro