The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1909-06-04
TALES OF
SOUTH AFRICAN DESERT.

Two Vryburg men, Sidney Smith, a
well known local farmer, and J. N.
Brymer, have had a terrible expert
ence in the Kalahari desert, where
they were three days under a blazing
sun, with neither food nor water, and
hardly came through alive.
They left home together in a Cape
cart drawn by six oxen to visit George
LennoX, of Kingston, farm some dis
tance into the desert. The travellers
were mainly relying for ti-eir water
supply on the tarammas, a species of
wild melon which grows abundantly
en- the sand dunes and conserves it's
water for months, but they found to
heir dismay that these had all been
the nomadic natives of the Kalahari.
The meagre stock OF water they had
brought with them soon gave out, and
after trekking for two days without
4 drink the oxen collapsed. The trav-
elers were still about fifty miles from
their destination.
Abandoning the cart and oxen they
determined to make the rest on the
Journey on foot. Eight miles tramp
through the heavy sand reduced Mr..
Brymer to a state of exhaustion, and
leaving him behind, Mr.. Smith toiled
Of a scorching wind to attempt to
make the nearest wa|er, Mr.. LennoX's S
farm, which was his only hope. In
six hours he had become quite deaf,
)ne eye was almost blind, his tongue
1ad shrivelled up and his palate and
lips were coated with a thick skin
He had left Brymer at $50 at night.
At dawn next morning his Kaffir boy
threw up the sponge, and sad at heart
Mr. Smith had to push on with his
collie dog as his only companion.
An hour or two later he was over
taken by two young Transvaalers,
Messrs. Gerber and LIE RouX, on
horseback. They had left a horse and
mule from thirst, not far from the
point where Mr.. Brymer had been left
.ying On the weld. They had found
Brymer still alive, but having no
water themselves were unable to help,
and had pushed on for the farm. LIE
RouX was in state of collapse from
thirst, having to be held Oh his horse
by Gerber. The two mounted men
went on ahead, promising to send
back help to Smith and the others.
When still a long distance from Mr..
LennoX.s farm Mr.. Smith met some
Damara women (refugees from Ger
man Southwest Africa), carrying
water in gourds on their heads. In
credible as it may seem, these in
human people absolutely refused to
give Mr.. Smith either water or as
sistance. Eventually he managed to
obtain a small cupful by force, but he
was too exhausted to struggle for
more. At this point his fine collie
lay down and aftsrward succumbed
to thirst.
Slightly invigorated by his meagre
refreshment, Mr.. Smith toiled on.
The sun was now high overhead and
the heat intense. He was following
the course of an old river bed and for
tunately was able to obtain some
slight shelter from few trees along
the course. His method was to dash
forward for couple of hundred yards
to the nearest tree and then lie down
to recuperate for the next effort. So
he held to his task until at length
Mr.. LennoX's farm came in sight.
Here kind hands took him in charge
and tended him SO we'll that after a
few hours he was able to talk ration
ally and walk about.
Mr.. Hem, of the Camel Corps of
the Cape Mounted Police, who hap
pened to be at the farm with his
camel, Immediately saddled up and
set out with the most commendable
diligence to search for the poor fell
lows who had been forced to remain
in the desert. Thanks to Mr.. Hem S
promptitude and energy the lives of
Mr.. Brymer and the native were
saved, although they were in the last
stages of exhaustion and presented
most deplorable sight when they were
brought in.-London Telegraph.