AtUnkuwecameintoatractofcountrywhichhadbeenvisitedbyrefreshingshowerslongbefore，andeveryspotwascoveredwithgrassrunuptoseed，andtheflowersoftheforestwereinfullbloom。
InsteadofthedrearyprospectaroundKoobeandNchokotsa，wehadhereadelightfulscene，allthepondsfullofwater，andthebirdstwitteringjoyfullyAsthegamecannowobtainwatereverywhere，theybecomeveryshy，andcannotbefoundintheiraccustomedhaunts。
1STMARCHThethermometerintheshadegenerallystoodat98Degreesfrom1to3P。M。，butitsankaslowas65Degbynight，sothattheheatwasbynomeansexhaustingAtthesurfaceoftheground，inthesun，thethermometermarked125Deg。，andthreeinchesbelowit138Deg。
Thehandcannotbeheldontheground，andeventhehornysolesofthefeetofthenativesmustbeprotectedbysandalsofhide；
yettheantswerebusyworkingonitThewaterinthepondswasashighas100Deg。；butaswaterdoesnotconductheatreadilydownward，deliciouslycoolwatermaybeobtainedbyanyonewalkingintothemiddleandliftingupthewaterfromthebottomtothesurfacewithhishands。
Proceedingtothenorth，fromKama-kama，weenteredintodenseMohononobush，whichrequiredtheconstantapplicationoftheaxebythreeofourpartyfortwodaysThisbushhasfinesilveryleaves，andthebarkhasasweettasteTheelephant，withhisusualdelicacyoftaste，feedsmuchonitOnemergingintotheplainsbeyond，wefoundanumberofBushmen，whoafterwardprovedveryserviceable。
Therainshadbeencopious，butnowgreatnumbersofpoolsweredryingup。
Lotus-plantsaboundedinthem，andalow，sweet-scentedplantcoveredtheirbanksBreezescameoccasionallytousfromthesedrying-uppools，butthepleasantodortheycarriedcausedsneezinginbothmyselfandpeople；andonthe10thofMarchwheninlat19d16’11“S。，long24d24’E。wewerebroughttoastandbyfourofthepartybeingseizedwithfeverIhadseenthisdiseasebefore，butdidnotatoncerecognizeitastheAfricanfever；
Iimagineditwasonlyabiliousattack，arisingfromfullfeedingonflesh，for，thelargegamehavingbeenveryabundant，wealwayshadagoodsupply；
butinsteadofthefirstsufferersrecoveringsoon，everymanofourpartywasinafewdayslaidlow，exceptaBakwainandmyself。
Hemanagedtheoxen，whileIattendedtothewantsofthepatients，andwentoutoccasionallywiththeBushmentogetazebraorbuffalo，soastoinducethemtoremainwithus。
HereforthefirsttimeIhadleisuretofollowtheinstructionsofmykindteacher，MrMaclear，andcalculatedseverallongitudesfromlunardistancesTheheartymannerinwhichthateminentastronomerandfrank，friendlymanhadpromisedtoaidmeincalculatingandverifyingmywork，conducedmorethananythingelsetoinspiremewithperseveranceinmakingastronomicalobservationsthroughoutthejourney。
Thegrassherewassotallthattheoxenbecameuneasy，andonenightthesightofahyaenamadethemrushawayintotheforesttotheeastofus。
Onrisingonthemorningofthe19th，IfoundthatmyBakwainladhadrunawaywiththemThisIhaveoftenseenwithpersonsofthistribe，evenwhenthecattlearestartledbyalionAwaygotheyoungmenincompanywiththem，anddashthroughbushandbrakeformiles，tilltheythinkthepanicisalittlesubsided；theythencommencewhistlingtothecattleinthemannertheydowhenmilkingthecows：
havingcalmedthem，theyremainasaguardtillthemorning。
Themengenerallyreturnwiththeirshinswellpeeledbythethorns。
EachcomradeoftheMopatowouldexpecthisfellowtoactthus，withoutlookingforanyotherrewardthanthebriefpraiseofthechief。
Ourlad，Kibopechoe，hadgoneaftertheoxen，buthadlostthemintherushthroughtheflat，tracklessforestHeremainedontheirtrailallthenextdayandallthenextnightOnSundaymorning，asIwassettingoffinsearchofhim，Ifoundhimnearthewagon。
HehadfoundtheoxenlateintheafternoonofSaturday，andhadbeenobligedtostandbythemallnightItwaswonderfulhowhemanagedwithoutacompass，andinsuchacountry，tofindhiswayhomeatall，bringingaboutfortyoxenwithhim。
TheBechuanaswillkeeponthesick-listaslongastheyfeelanyweakness；
soIatlastbegantobeanxiousthattheyshouldmakealittleexertiontogetforwardonourwayOneofthem，however，happeningtomoveahundredyardsfromthewagon，felldown，and，beingunobserved，remainedthewholenightinthepouringraintotallyinsensible；
anotherwassubjectedtofrequentswooning；but，makingbedsinthewagonsfortheseourworstcases，withthehelpoftheBakwainandtheBushmen，wemovedslowlyonWehadtonursethesicklikechildren；
and，likechildrenrecoveringfromillness，thebettertheybecamethemoreimpudenttheygrewThiswasseenintheperemptoryorderstheywouldgivewiththeirnowpipingvoicesNothingthatwedidpleasedthem；andthelaughterwithwhichIreceivedtheirebullitions，thoughitwasonlytherealexpressionofgladnessattheirrecovery，andamusementattheridiculousparttheyacted，onlyincreasedtheirchagrin。
Thewantofpowerinthemanwhoguidedthetwofrontoxen，or，ashewascalled，the“leader“，causedustobeentangledwithtrees，bothstandingandfallen，andthelaborofcuttingthemdownwasevenmoreseverethanordinary；but，notwithstandinganimmenseamountoftoil，myhealthcontinuedgood。
Wewishedtoavoidthetsetseofourformerpath，sokeptacourseonthemagneticmeridianfromLurilopepeThenecessityofmakinganewpathmuchincreasedourtoilWewere，however，rewardedinlat18Degreeswithasightwehadnotenjoyedtheyearbefore，namely，largepatchesofgrape-bearingvinesTheretheystoodbeforemyeyes；
butthesightwassoentirelyunexpectedthatIstoodsometimegazingattheclustersofgrapeswithwhichtheywereloaded，withnomorethoughtofpluckingthanifIhadbeenbeholdingtheminadream。
TheBushmenknowandeatthem；buttheyarenotwellflavoredonaccountofthegreatastringencyoftheseeds，whichareinshapeandsizelikesplitpeasTheelephantsarefondofthefruit，plant，androotalike。
Iherefoundaninsectwhichpreysonants；itisaboutaninchandaquarterlong，asthickasacrow-quill，andcoveredwithblackhairItputsitsheadintoalittleholeintheground，andquiversitstailrapidly；theantscomeneartoseeit，anditsnapsupeachashecomeswithintherangeoftheforcepsonitstail。
Asitsheadisbeneaththeground，itbecomesaquestionhowitcanguideitstailtotheantsItisprobablyanewspeciesofant-lion`Myrmeleonformicaleo’，greatnumbersofwhich，bothinthelarvaeandcompletestate，aremetwith。
Thegroundundereverytreeisdottedoverwiththeiringeniouspitfalls，andtheperfectinsect，theformofwhichmostpersonsarefamiliarwithinthedragon-fly，maybeseenusingitstailinthesameactivemannerasthisinsectdidTwomaybeoftenseenjoinedintheirflight，theoneholdingonbythetail-forcepstotheneckoftheother。
Onfirstobservingthisimperfectinsect，Iimaginedtheforcepswereonitshead；butwhentheinsectmoved，theirtruepositionwasseen。
Theforest，throughwhichwewereslowlytoiling，dailybecamemoredense，andwewerekeptalmostconstantlyatworkwiththeaxe；
therewasmuchmoreleafinessinthetreesherethanfarthersouth。
Theleavesarechieflyofthepinnateandbi-pinnateforms，andareexceedinglybeautifulwhenseenagainstthesky；
agreatvarietyofthepapilionaceousfamilygrowinthispartofthecountry。
Fleminghaduntilthistimealwaysassistedtodrivehisownwagon，butabouttheendofMarchheknockedup，aswellashispeople。
AsIcouldnotdrivetwowagons，Isharedwithhimtheremainingwater，halfacaskful，andwenton，withtheintentionofcomingbackforhimassoonasweshouldreachthenextpoolHeavyrainnowcommenced；
Iwasemployedthewholedayincuttingdowntrees，andeverystrokeoftheaxebroughtdownathickshoweronmyback，whichinthehardworkwasveryrefreshing，asthewaterfounditswaydownintomyshoesIntheeveningwemetsomeBushmen，whovolunteeredtoshowusapool；andhavingunyoked，Iwalkedsomemilesinsearchofit。
Asitbecamedarktheyshowedtheirpolitenessaqualitywhichisbynomeansconfinedentirelytothecivilizedbywalkinginfront，breakingthebrancheswhichhungacrossthepath，andpointingoutthefallentreesOnreturningtothewagon，wefoundthatbeingleftalonehadbroughtoutsomeofFleming’senergy，forhehadmanagedtocomeup。
Asthewaterinthisponddriedup，weweresoonobligedtomoveagain。
OneoftheBushmentookouthisdice，and，afterthrowingthem，saidthatGodtoldhimtogohomeHethrewagaininordertoshowmethecommand，buttheoppositeresultfollowed；soheremainedandwasuseful，forwelosttheoxenagainbyaliondrivingthemofftoaverygreatdistanceThelionsherearenotoftenheard。
TheyseemtohaveawholesomedreadoftheBushmen，who，whentheyobserveevidenceofalion’shavingmadeafullmeal，followuphisspoorsoquietlythathisslumbersarenotdisturbedOnedischargesapoisonedarrowfromadistanceofonlyafewfeet，whilehiscompanionsimultaneouslythrowshisskincloakonthebeast’sheadThesuddensurprisemakesthelionlosehispresenceofmind，andheboundsawayinthegreatestconfusionandterrorOurfriendshereshowedmethepoisonwhichtheyuseontheseoccasionsItistheentrailsofacaterpillarcalledN’gwa，halfaninchlongTheysqueezeoutthese，andplacethemallaroundthebottomofthebarb，andallowthepoisontodryinthesunTheyareverycarefulincleaningtheirnailsafterworkingwithit，asasmallportionintroducedintoascratchactslikemorbidmatterindissectionwoundsTheagonyissogreatthatthepersoncutshimself，callsforhismother’sbreastasifhewerereturnedinideatohischildhoodagain，orfliesfromhumanhabitationsaragingmaniacTheeffectsonthelionareequallyterribleHeisheardmoaningindistress，andbecomesfurious，bitingthetreesandgroundinrage。
AstheBushmenhavethereputationofcuringthewoundsofthispoison，IaskedhowthiswaseffectedTheysaidthattheyadministerthecaterpillaritselfincombinationwithfat；theyalsorubfatintothewound，sayingthat“theN’gwawantsfat，and，whenitdoesnotfinditinthebody，killstheman：wegiveitwhatitwants，anditiscontent：“
areasonwhichwillcommenditselftotheenlightenedamongourselves。
ThepoisonmoregenerallyemployedisthemilkyjuiceofthetreeEuphorbia`Earborescens’ThisisparticularlyobnoxioustotheequineraceWhenaquantityismixedwiththewaterofapondawholeherdofzebraswillfalldeadfromtheeffectsofthepoisonbeforetheyhavemovedawaytwomilesItdoesnot，however，killoxenormenOnthemitactsasadrasticpurgativeonly。
Thissubstanceisusedalloverthecountry，thoughinsomeplacesthevenomofserpentsandacertainbulb，`Amaryllistoxicaria’，areadded，inordertoincreasethevirulence。
FatherPedro，aJesuit，wholivedatZumbo，madeabalsam，containinganumberofplantsandCASTOROIL，asaremedyforpoisonedarrow-woundsItisprobablethathederivedhisknowledgefromthenativesasIdid，andthatthereputedefficacyofthebalsamisowingtoitsfattyconstituent。
Incasesofthebitesofserpentsasmallkeyoughttobepresseddownfirmlyonthewound，theorificeofthekeybeingappliedtothepuncture，untilacupping-glasscanbegotfromoneofthenatives。
Awatch-keypressedfirmlyonthepointstungbyascorpionextractsthepoison，andamixtureoffatoroilandipecacuanharelievesthepain。
TheBushmenofthesedistrictsaregenerallyfine，well-mademen，andarenearlyindependentofeveryoneWeobservedthemtobefondofarootsomewhatlikeakidneypotato，andthekernelofanut，whichFlemingthoughtwasakindofbetel；thetreeisafine，large-spreadingone，andtheleavespalmateFromthequantitiesofberriesandtheabundanceofgameintheseparts，theBushmencanscarcelyeverbebadlyoffforfoodAsIcould，withoutmuchdifficulty，keepthemwellsuppliedwithmeat，andwishedthemtoremain，Iproposedthattheyshouldbringtheirwivestogetashare，buttheyremarkedthatthewomencouldalwaystakecareofthemselves。
Noneofthemenofourpartyhaddied，buttwoseemedunlikelytorecover；
andKibopechoe，mywillingMokwain，atlastbecametroubledwithboils，andthengotallthesymptomsoffeverAshelaydown，theothersbegantomoveabout，andcomplainedofweaknessonly。
Believingthatfrequentchangeofplacewasconducivetotheirrecovery，wemovedalongasmuchaswecould，andcametothehillN’gwalat18d27’20“S。，long24d13’36“E。ThisbeingtheonlyhillwehadseensinceleavingBamangwato，wefeltinclinedtotakeoffourhatstoit。