San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-01-10
ACROSS THE KARROO.
PsRILS OF A DRIVE OVER THE
SOUTH AFRICAN DESERT.

The distance across the desert to the point
we wished to reach was a hundred miles
which we decided to accomplish in thret
days. 1t was necessary to be careful of oul
four horses, knowing there was no water or
the journey for them. We hoped to do forty
miles the first day and thirty miles each day
of the two following. We entered the Kar
roo Poort Karroo gate) at sunrise, and sci
out on our hazardous journey
As we entered the desert it spread before
us on every side like boundless brown sea,
silent, solitary and vast AS the sun rose
into the sky the warmth became intense, and
when by midday we halted we could see the
heat rising from the scorched plains in wavy
columns like golden flames. There is nc
greater allevator of thirst than cold tea, and
no safer stimulant in torrid land While
the horses were being embarrassed and fed
Meadows and | prepared our midday meal.
In three hours we broke up camp and went
on again till the day was nearly done-a day
that had passed fairly WELL
There was neither tree nor mountain in
sight; nothing to break the level monotony
that stretched as far as eye could see. We
encamped for the night in the midst of the
swelling loneliness, and then. perhaps for the
first time, began really to feel its power.
The next morning we were early under way.
We had had not too much to satisfy the
needs of four men, and we determined to put
ourselves on short allowance After the mid
day 'outspan" our late afternoon Journey
was enlivened by a singular display of thiev-
ing boldneSs. We were slowly "trekking"
along, the two drivers of our four-in-hand
team seated on the front seat, Meadows and
| on the seat behind, half asleep, the curtain
at the end of the wagon rolled up few
inches to permit draught to pass through,
when all at once we heard scuffling kind of
spring and scratching at the tail board and,
looking round, we caught the glimpse of the
nose of a jackal as it disappeared from sight.
The reason was obvious Lashed against the
back of the wagon outside was a sack Of
dried salt fish, the odor of which had at
tracted the sharp scented thieves, and which
the brutes were endeavorlng to steal, and
finally succeeded in doing so by biting off the
ashings. Moritz would not stop the horses,
but whipped them up afresh, saying, LET
them have it," George and l, however, used
our reyolvers, leaving many of EN- dead in
The road behind; but, having secured the
ish, they seemed satisfied, as we could see
hem in the distance fighting and tearing at
zach other over the booty,
Night came, and all was quiet when we
,utspanned at the close of the second day,
,ur bed again the hot sands and our covering
he dim vault above, studded with stars that
ooked like points of FURNISHED silver stretch
ng far away
Our third and last days journey was
most trying one, during which we fully real
zed what desert travelling may become. We
lad exhausted our last drop of water the
hight before and we awoke with thirst
hat seemed then unbearable; but before the
lay was over we learned that our morning
hirst was but a trifing affair. Everything
vas intensified on that day; the sun seemed
iercer, the heat greater, the desert drier and
he sky more defiant In fact, we seemed to
De journeying deeper and deeper into fur
lace whose fires forbade further approach,
md when we halted for the MONDAY rest
10Th man and beast were utterly exhausted.
No one who has not crossed a desert can
possibly imagine the fearful condition to
which the want of water reduces him; the
God is swallowed with difficulty and the sys-
EN- is faint with fever, while the knowledge
If its absence does but heighten the craving
# the body for its cool refreshment. After
'ur rest we set out again and the time slipped
~ in silence. Later, looking up, saw some
hing, and turned and said to Meadows:
Thank Cod there is water ahead See,
here Is a lake few miles off.
"a lakes" exclaimed Moritz Don't you
Know what that ISL
what is it, if not a lake,! demanded
Meadows
"A mirage-and nothing else" said the
elder Moritz.
"a mirageI" cried. why, can see the
water; there are the reflections of the trees
md deer drinking"
You'll see what'll become of your lake,
Mynheer, and your trees and your deer as we
90" he replied, with a short laugh mol
you'll see no water till we're out of tie Kar-
90 and at Verbeck's farm"
Far away overhead in the brazen sky was
/ single vulture, that made one dizzy to look
It. An hour later the stumbling horses sud-
lenly pricked up their ears, and the leaders
leighed
There is water" said Moritz in an under
one of surprise. You may deceive man,
1ut you can't deceive horse"
True enough, in a short time we came up
o nearly dried pool of filthy water little
more than mud, as thick as porridge and as
brown as chocolate, towards which the horses
'ushed with new energy. 1t was a cruel act.
out we pulled up suddenly and Adolph and
lis brother leapt to the ground and held
hem back, while Meadows and ran for
ward and scooped up the liquid and strained
It through handkerchief until we had col
ected large kettleful. Then we outspanned
and let the horses go and stood and watched
them as they eagerly licked up the muddy
One may ask how it was this little pool
should be in the road tracks of the desert,
where, as far as we knew, no rain had fallen.