careful treatment,
one of my men died the following day, while the number of those who
were seriously ill rose to fifteen. The symptoms of this fatal illness
are: headache and a numb feeling in all the limbs, accompanied by an
unusually high temperature very often rising to 104 and 106 degrees
during the first 24 hours, with the blood running from the patient's
nose and ears, which is an ominous sign. At other times the first
symptom is what is commonly called "cold shivers."

We proceeded slowly until we came to the Nagout River, where the
monotony and dreariness of a trek through the "boschveldt" were
somewhat relieved by the spectacle of a wide stream of good water,
with a luxurious vegetation along the banks. It was a most pleasant
and refreshing sight to behold. For some distance along the banks some
grass was found, to which the half-starved animals were soon devoting
their attention. It was the sort of sweet grass the hunters call
"buffalo-grass," and which is considered splendid food for cattle. We
pitched our camp on a hill about one mile from the river, and as our
draught-beasts were in want of a thorough rest we remained there for a
few days. We had been obliged to drive along some hundreds of oxen,
mules, and horses, as they had been unfit to be harnessed for days,
and had several times been obliged to leave those behind that were
emaciated and exhausted.

From the Nagout River we had to go right up to the Olifant's River, a
distance of about 20 miles, which took us three days. The track led
all along through the immense bush-plain which extends from the high
Mauch Mountains in the west to the Lebombo Mountains in the east; and
yet one could only see a few paces ahead during all these days, and
the only thing we could discern was the summit of some mountain on the
westerly or easterly horizon, and even the tops of the Mauch and
Lebombo Mountains one could only see by standing on the top of a
loaded waggon, and with the aid of a field-glass. This thickly-wooded
region included nearly one-third of the Transvaal, and is uninhabited,
the white men fearing the unhealthy climate, while only some miserable
little kaffir tribes were found about there, the bulk being the
undisputed territory of the wild animals.

The Olifant's River, which we had to cross, is over 100 feet wide. The
old track leading down to it, was so thickly covered with trees and
undergrowth that we had to cut a path through it. The banks of th