The narrative of an explorer in tropical South AfricaGalton, Francis
History
The narrative of an explorer in tropical South Africa
Galton, Francis
South Africa -- Description and travel
often profess to attain, although I certainly have seen lucky shots made,
and indeed have made them myself. Andersson made a beautiful one at an
ostrich in Damara-land. The bird was standing 280 yards from him, in a
thick but rather low cover, which concealed its body, while its neck
stood high, in bold relief. Andersson stalked up to within that distance,
but as the creature was alarmed, and the ground immediately in front was
exposed, he could not get nearer. He aimed, of course, high up the neck,
intending to hit the body, but the elevation was a little too great, yet
the aim proved so perfect, that he shot him dead through the neck.
Katondoka was sent on to tell Nangoro the news of the approach of the
caravan, and to carry a message from me to him; and now came our hardest
stage of all. It was nineteen hours’ actual travel, and told cruelly on
the oxen; for they were weak, and had been badly off for grass on the
road. We crossed the flat in four hours, keeping close by its easternmost
margin; to the west it widened out, and stretched to the far horizon.
Four hours from the north border of the flat we passed a magnificent
tree. It was the parent of all the Damaras. The caravan stopped awhile,
and the savages danced round and round it in great delight. We slept
without water. In the morning we had some delays with the oxen, but
travelled from early day-break, passing an empty well at eleven, and
another a little later. We pushed through thick thorns the whole time,
and had begun to disbelieve in Ondonga, when quite of a sudden the
bushes ceased: we emerged out of them, and the charming corn country of
the Ovampo lay yellow and broad as a sea before us. Fine dense timber
trees, and innumerable palms of all sizes, were scattered over it;
part was bare for pasturage, part was thickly covered with high corn
stubble; palisadings, each of which enclosed a homestead, were scattered
everywhere over the country. The general appearance was that of most
abundant fertility. It was a land of Goshen to us; and even my phlegmatic
waggon-driver burst out into exclamations of delight. Old Netjo’s house
was the nearest, and he therefore claimed the right of entertaining me
the first, and to it we went. He had two or three wives, and a most
wonderfully large family, to every member of which he presented us. Then
he took Andersson and myself over the establishment, and showed us his
neat granaries and thrashing-floors, and his cocks and hens: the pigs,
he regretted, had been sent out of the way; and lastly, Mrs. Netjo, No.
1, produced a dish of hot dough and a basin of sour milk, on which we
set to work, burning our fingers as we pulled off large bits, which we
dipped into the milk and swallowed. Then we went on to Chik’s house,
who encamped us under a magnificent tree, and took our cattle under his
charge. He told me that we were still a long day’s journey from Nangoro,
and that the whole of our way there would lie through a corn country like
this.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account