Gun AND Camera IN Southern Africa GUN AND CAMERA IN SOUTHERN AFRICA l-,on!:.;.:a( (_ H A N 1 I N (j H A \\ K A N I ) M A .N V - B A N iJ K U .-5 1' A k K O \V 1 (Melierax inusicus) {Accipiter poiyzonoides) From Mosita and the Maritsani River, British^Bechuanaland See fagt 66 GUN AND CAMEKA SOUTHERN AFRICA A YEAR OF WANDERINGS IN BECHUANALAND, THE KALAHARI DESERT, AND THE LAKE RIVER COUNTRY, NGAMILAND NOTES ON COLONISATION, NATIVES. NATURAL HISTORY AND SPORT H. ANDERSON BRYDEN AUTHOR OF "KLOOF AND KARROO IN CAPE COLONY," ETC. ETC. WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS AND A MAP LONDON: EDWARD STANFORD 26 & 27, COCKSPUR STREET, CHARING CROSS, S.W. 1893 TO MY FRIENDS WILLIAM m AC KAY and WILLIAM T»OVE IN REMEMBRANCE OF MANY GOOD DAYS TOGETHER IN THE AFRICAN VELDT / DEDICATE PKEFACE Between 1840 and 1850, when Livingstone began first to turn his thoughts towards exploration, all the vast territories beyond the Vaal River — north, east, and w^est — were termed by the frontier Boers " onze veldt " (our country) ; and so determined were these stul^born folk to close the door of the interior to all save those of their own blood, that they fined an unfortunate explorer, named Macabe, 500 rix- dollars for daring to write to the Cape papers recom- mending a certain route for the discovery of Lake Ngami — then unknown to the white man. Tliese Transvaal Boers even went the length of imprisoning Mr. Macabe until the fine was paid. Between 1840 and 1880 Britain, interested and occupied in other possessions, knew little of and cared less for South Africa. Even down to the year 1884 it seemed more than likely that the Transvaal Dutch were to be, as they had always threatened, masters of the interior. Happily at the eleventh hour a revulsion of feeling came ; the British pul)lic suddenly awoke to the imminence of its prospective loss ; Sir Charles AVarren's expedition was sent out, and the " hinter-land " was saved. viii PREFACE Recent events, and especially the Transvaal gold discoveries, the enterprise of the British South Africa Company, and a more enlightened colonial policy at home, have combined to assure finally the future of a great British South Africa. The Afrikander Dutch, thanks mainly to the wonderful developments of the Witwatersrand gold industry, have become alive to the fact that a fusion of ideas and even of nationality is possible with the once-detested Britisher ; and for the future two vigorous and hardy races, who never ought to have had bad blood Ijetween them, seem likely to join hands in the making of an immense and prosperous country. Nowhere is this more evident than in the new colony of British Bechuanaland, where at this moment Dutch Boers from the Trans- vaal and Orange Free State are constantly to be found taking up farms under a British government. The march of events in the countries between the Vaal and Zambesi has within these last three years been immense. The solitudes, where to-day the wild Bushman burns oft' the winter grass to induce the fresh vegetation and attract the game, resound to- morrow wdth the echoing waggon-whips and the cheery voices of the digger and the colonist. In every corner of those lands, which the frontier Boer of a generation since delighted to call " onze veldt,'' is now heard the Anglo-Saxon tongue. In this book I have endeavoured to give a plain account of life and conditions in some of the new and promising regions thus opened uj) to the European, to wit, Bechuanaland, the Kalahari, and PREFACE ix Ngamiland. I am hopeful that information useful to the colonist and the settler may be found within these pages. In the course of the various chapters tliere is a good deal of matter which may be of interest to the naturalist and the sportsman. I have devoted a chapter to the game-birds of Bechu- analand, and another to the present distribution of the large game of the countries of which I treat. This last is a melancholy subject enough for the lover of wild animal life. Even in the last ten years the fauna of the interior have been terribly reduced, their range is constantly becoming more circumscribed, and the day is not far distant when laroe game south of the Zambesi will be l)ut a memory. Finally, in the chapter on " Waggon Life and Camp Recjuisites," I have devoted space to those useful minutiae of travel which are not always to be found readily in the pages of South African literature. I cannot pretend that my pictures represent a high order of photographic art. But I will ask the reader to remember that the originals were taken and developed (where development w^as possible) usually under very trying conditions. Often the water available was so filthy as to render success- ful development an impossibility. In the waggon journey to the Lake River I was unable from various reasons to develop at all, and could merely take " shots," and pack away my })lates for a more con- venient season. Such as tlic illustrations are I offer X PREFACE them as fuitliful delineations of places, objects, and people hitherto not often accessible to the camera. The views taken on the Lake (or Botletli) River, Ngamiland, are of interest as depicting — I l)elieve for the first time with the camera — some of the scenes of Livingstone's first great discovery. For the benefit of travellers, I have sliown plainly in the accompanying map the few and scanty waters of the Xorth Kalahari region (well called " Thirst- land" by the Boers), separating the Lake Country from Bechuanaland proper. Several of these waters do not appear in published maps, and are apparently little known. For the westerly course of the ^lolojjo River (hitherto imperfectly known) I have followed a recent map of my friend Mr. Edward AVilkinson, who has made two interesting expeditions in that part of the Kalahari. Some portion of this book has appeared in the pages of the Field, Longmans Magazine, and Cham- bers s Journal, and I have to thank the Editors of those publications for their kindness in allowing me to reprint here. I am indebted to ]Mr. Kemp of Mafeking for the originals of my pictures at pages 38 and 184, and to the " Gaseitsive's Concession Syndicate" for the one at page 226. H. A. BRYDEN. March 1893. , CONTENTS CHAP. I. FIRST DAYS IX BECHUANALAND . II. FOUR MONTHS IX BAROLOXG HUTS III. NATURAL HISTORY NOTES . IV. A DAY WITH THE SHOT GUNS . V. BRITISH BECHUANALAND AND ITS FUTURE VI. THE KALAHARI AND ITS SERFS . VIL A TREK TO MOROKWENG, SOUTH KALAHARI VIII. A TRIP TO MARICO, NORTH-WEST TRANSVAAL IX. OUR STEEPLECHASES .... X. A WAGGON JOURNEY THROUGH THE PROTECTORATE XI. KHAMA AND HIS COUNTRY .... XII. ACROSS THE KALAHARI DESERT TO THE BOTLETLI RIVER, NGAMILAND ..... XIII. GIRAFFE HUNTING ...... XIV, THE GIRAFFE AT HOME ..... XV. MOONLIGHT TREKKING ; MY HUNTEli's YARN XVI. SPORT AND NATURAI- HISTORY ON THE BOTLETLI XVII. NOTES ON THE PURSUIT OF GAME XVIII. THE WATERWAY AND WATERFOWL OF THE BOTLETLI XIX. OUR RETURN THROUGH THE TIIIRSTLANI) ; ELAND HUNTING ..... PAGE I 24 57 98 112 136 147 174 199 213 250 277 304 322 33(^ .S49 374 394 412 xii CONTENTS CHAP. PAGE XX. DOWN COUNTRY ....... 433 XXI. FISHING IN BECHUANALAND . . . . -457 XXII. THE GAME-BIRDS OF BECHUANALAND .... 465 XXIII. PRESENT DISTRIBUTION OF THE LARGE GAME OF BECHU- ANALAND, NGAMILAND, AND THE KALAHARI 484 XXIV. WAGGON LIFE AND CAMP REQUISITES ' . . -514 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS HAWKS FROM BRITISH BECHUANALAND A POOL ON THE MARITSANI MOLOPO RIVER, NEAR MAFEKING OUR NEAREST NEIGHBOURS GREEN TREE-SNAKE . COQUI FRANCOLIN . CHILDREN OF THE DESERT IN THE THIRSTLAND OUR TREK AT MOROKWENG "APPEL," my FIRST SHOOTING-PONY THE " WONDER-GAT," NEAR MAFEKING DOVE IN HIS KARTEL BECHUAXA DRESS, ANCIENT AND MODERN KHAMA, CHIEF OP BAMANGWATO GOOD-BYE TO MACKAY MASARWA BUSHMEN MARUTI PITS, NORTH KALAHARI W. MACKAY .... AFTER THE GIRAFFE HUNT HEAD OF GIRAFFE COW . " PICCANIN," OUR WAGGON-BOY . BAKURUTSB PEOPLE, NGAMILAND HOME LIFE AT MASINYa's KRAAL . Frontispiece face page 22 38 48 80 ,, 100 136 142 166 176 184 218 ,, 226 257 284 „ 292 „ 296 302 320 325 342 352 » 362 XIV LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS BOTLETI.I KIVEH, NGAMILANlJ HEAD OK BKINDLED GNU HEAD OF BURCHELl's ZEBRA HEAD OF LECliWK AVATERBUCK . OUR OUTSPAN AT MASINYa's KHAAL PELICAN OF THE WILDERNESS . BERG DAMARA AND BUSH BOYS AFTER THE TREK THROUGH THE THIRSTLAND TELLOW-THROATED SANDGROUSE HEADS OF GAME SHOT ON THE BOTLETLI . HEAD OF WHITE RHINOCEROS . MY WAGGON, BOTLETLI RIVER PLAINS MAP SHOWING author's ROUTES To tare page 372 377 .. 381 387 394 400 414 43^ 477 486 493 516 Kiiil I if Jiooli GUN AND CAMERA IN SOUTHERN AFRICA CHAPTER I. FIRST DAYS I.\ BECHUANALAND Arrival in Kimberley — Purchase of horses — Start up country — Drive through Griqualand "West and South Bechuanaland — Arrival at Vryburg — Vryburg hospitality — The Stellalanders — Description of Vryburg — Past history — The orange-shouldered bunting and its habits — Tame crowned crane — Its evil ways — Cost of living — " Scotty Smith," a border character — His exploits — "Big Mick" — Leave Vryburg — Journey to Setlagoli — The Setlagoli district — Arrival at junction of Maritsani and Setlagoli rivers. At the beginning of 1890, business matters connected with a large tract of land in British Bechuanaland required that I should make some sojourn in that latest of England's Crown colonies. From one cause or another, the sojourn lengthened out into a stay of fifteen months, during which time many parts of the interior of Southern Africa — most of them remote, all of them interesting — were visited and explored. After a delightful passage in the Xorliam Castle, Cape Town and Kimberley were reached in due course. It was some years since I had been in South Africa, and, although in time gone l)y I had seen much of Cape Colony, the territories north of the Orange River were as yet new and unknown to me. My companion. 2 GUN AND CAMERA IX SOUTHERN AFRICA Mr. W. Mackay, who had come out to have a look at the country, had determined to spend some months with me ; and we were both agreed, my business being completed, to push northward, to the end that we might there indulge our mutual yearnings for sport and exploration. Kimberley, at the end of January, was extremely hot and not extremely attractive ; the shade tem- perature running wp as high as 97°, with a sun heat (blackened bulb in vacuo) of 1617° — hot enough for a salamander — and so, having seen the well-known sights of the place, and having despatched our heavy luggage by waggon, and no post cart running to Bechuanaland for some days, Mackay and I cast about for some other method of making the journey. We were not long in finding a townsman — Mr. Reinegger — who possessed {inter alia) a strong Cape €art and four capital greys, and was willing to drive us over the 140 hot miles between Kimberley and Vryburg for the sum of £ 1 9 — feeding his own horses. This was a good offer, and we at once closed with it. Next morning on the market we bought a stout pair of South African horses (ponies would l)e nearer the mark), greys, at ^30 the pair, and a smart little chest- nut at ^13 ; and in the afternoon, all being ready, we spanned in Reinegger's four greys and our own pair, fastened up the chestnut alongside one of the middle pair — where he trotted gaily enough — and set off along the Barkly Road. We had expected pre- liminary difticulties with tlie mixed team of six, but rather to our surprise, after a few plunges, the greys all settled well together, and for the remainder of the journey we had no sort of trouble with them. I need not dwell on our interesting drive across the FIRST DAYS IX BECHUAXALAND 3 tlat plains of Griqualaiid AVest, and tlirougli tlie plea- sant grassy veldt and over the gentle undulations of Southern Bechuanaland. My first impressions of the Cape had heen gained among the arid and peculiar vegetation of the Great Karroo, where Angora goats, sheep, and ostriches were the mainstays of the farm- ing population, or amid the wild mountain interiors of the Eastern Province. Here in Griqualand West and Bechuanaland vast expanses of long grass every- where met the eye — chequered occasionally by Vaal bush or acacia thorn — hei'ds of cattle were to be seen grazing contentedly, and it was at once evident that we were passing into a great cattle country. It was a pleasant thing to learn, as w^e did at Thorn Grove — Mr. MuUer's homestead^on our road, that game in Griqualand, thanks to preservation and a close season, is looking up again. Koodoo, liarte- beest, springbok, vaal and rooi rhebok, duyker, and steinbok are all to be found on farms in this 23art of CajDC Colony. We left Kimberley in the afternoon of the 2 9tli January. Moving steadily along, we passed Taungs — a large native town of the Batlapings under Manko- roane — on the 31st, and on the following day, shortly before noon, from a high undulation of the veldt, we beheld A ryburg, the capital of British Bechuana- land, lying not far below us. Vryljurg is not an imposing place ; indeed, even now that the railway has reached it, it is a mere glorified village, and I am bound to confess that our first impression of it was a disappointing one. At the distance of three or four miles from where we stood, the tiny collection of white or corrugated iron houses, dotted upon a wave of the vast plain, looked for all the world like 4 GUX AXD CAMERA IX 80UTHERX AFRICA a good-sized agricultural show at home. The railway from Kimberley (which, begun in 1890, proceeded at a phenomenal rate, and reached Yryhurg in the autumn of that year) had not at this time made much impression upon the quiet and uneventful life of this primitive up-country town. The post cart, passing through once a week to the north, or the advent of an occasional traveller, were all that happened to break the drowsy monotony of the place. At the end of 1890 all this had changed. Creeping gradually like a snake over the smooth plains, the railroad had arrived ; the early excitement of it had passed away ; the natives, at first all amaze- ment, now viewed the passage of trains with amused indifference ; and, worst of all for Vryburg, a vile collection of thieves, drunkards, gaml)lers, broken men and desperadoes — most of them the scum of the Transvaal — had drifted here from depressed minino; communities such as Johannesburo;, Klerks- dorp, and Barberton, in hopes of a temporary boom, and the erst sleepy village had become, temporarily, a hell upon the veldt. January and December of 1890 at Vryburg were indeed in sharp and un- pleasant contrast. Shortly after noon we drove into the little town and outspanned at the Vryljurg Hotel, a corrugated iron building, not differing greatly in its scant luxury and accommodation from other South African hostelries. As I remember it, and as most travellers will remember it in those days, the most conspicuous object of the broad, sandy main street was the white helmet (encircled by a blood-red puggaree, and glaring painfully in the strong sunlight) of a well- known advocate. The advocate, like his helmet, " a FIRST DAYS IX BECHUANALAXD 5 burning and a sliining light to all that place," was ever the first to welcome the toil-worn traveller — from His Excellency the High Commissioner down- wards — and extend to him the hearty hospitality of the then sparse population. In those early days the same dazzling headpiece was the prime focus and rallying point of gossip and narrative. Its owner could be relied upon to decide authoritatively whether Vrouw A. had been brought to bed of her twelfth or thirteenth child, how it was that B. had fellen into C.'s well overnight on his way home, how much Jew X. had won from German Z. on Sunday morning at solo whist, when the Afrikander Bond was to open the campaign in the district, or upon whose farm the latest gold discovery had been made. The scandals, harangues, quips, cranks, and odd sayings of the white-helmeted advocate were in truth, in those days, very meat and drink to the Vryburgers. Business matters detained me in Aayburg for some few days, during which time Mackay and I made the acquaintance of most of the inhabitants and received much hospitality. One of the funniest functions we assisted at during our stay was an extempore concert at the Yryburg Hotel, in which a famous Bechuana- land song, " The Stellaland Brigade," was a principal item. The song deals with events just prior to Warren's expedition, and is written from the loyal Stellalander's point of view. Stellaland, I should remind the reader, was tlie title of the Republic, or soi-disant Repu})lic, erected by the filibusters prior to the advent of the British Government. Here is the chorus, wliicli will sufHciently indicate its style : — " Then shout, boys, shout, and don't you be afraid, To-ni"ht we'll all !»■ iiiai(liiii<: in the Stellaland brigade; 6 r;UX AXD CA:MERA in SOUTHERX AFRICA So bundle iij) your haversacks and go it while yoii can, To hell with the Lime Juice Parliament, ' we'll fight for Mankoroane."- Tlie Hong- has a catchinof swiiio; and a rousino- chorus, and is still suno- with sjreat eclat at festive ' CO meetings in Bechuanaland. It has now of course lost its old political significance, and the lame metre and rather questional)le taste of some of the verses are pardoned for the sake of a hearty, roystering air. At the impromptu concert I write of, not the least interestino- fact to me was that some of the original Stellalanders — now loyal subjects of the Queen — sat in our midst and joined heartily in the func- tion. C)ne of them, a Transvaal Dutcliman, now an official of the town, was first despatched by the filibusters, then gathered on the Transvaal ])order, to spy out the land and fix upon a site for the new Stellaland township. This was in 1882, and Mr. Barend Fourie — who will, I know, forgive my men- tionino' his name — at once drove across the veldt and selected the present site of the town, mainh' on account of its ample water supply, and called it in Dutch Yrijburg, which has since become famous and anglicised as Vryburg. Well ! we had a merry evening ; the white-helmeted advocate was in great form, and made us shriek with laughter by rendering various English music-hall songs in a unique way of his own (he was an Afri- kander, but had made the grand tour) ; Mackay, who is a master of the instrument, had his banjo, and I assisted in a lesser degree. South Africa in general and Stellaland in par- 1 An opprobrious term for the Cape House of Assembly. 2 The Chief of this part of the country, from whom the Stellalanders got their land titles. FIRST DAY8 IN BECHUAXALAND 7 ticular are countries where conviviality is carried to a rather inordinate degree, and I can testify that at Vryburg some of the performances with the whisky bottle rather opened the eyes of my comrade and myself. At a later period of the year, when the railway came up, I have been informed by experts that the drinking capacities of Vryburg surpassed even those of Kimberley and Johannesburg in their wildest days. C^ertain it is that drunkenness became horribly and unpleasantly rife. In spite of fines and imprisonments, the very salutary laws, prohibiting the sale of liquor to natives, were daily and hourly evaded, and natives were constantly to Ije found as drunk as their white brethren. While upon this topic, I am bound to say, however, that in Beehuana- land as a whole the native liquor laws are admirably kept and enforced, to the immense comfort and welfare of the Bechuana population. The splendid climate of this territory and the healthy open-air life tend greatly to mitigate the ill effects of over- indulgence in stimulants, and alcohol is undoubtedly taken with impunity in quantities that would quickly destroy the same man in the pent-up existence of an English city. None the less, at Vryburg, as in all other parts of South Africa, drink is a chief curse among a certain number of tlie inhabitants, and a very ill example is set before ignorant natives, who are yet expected to acknowledge the much vaunted superiority of the white man. There is not much to see in Vryl)urg; one l)road main street runs through the town — or village ; around tliis, in parallels and at right angles, are a few other streets, sparsely set with houses. Below the main street, a few hundred yards away, lies the 8 GUN AND CAMERA IN SOUTHERN AFRICA spruit or watercourse — a respectable brook — wliicli issues from a strong fountain of excellent clear water in a small stony kopje. At the top of a gentle rise above the main street are situated the Government offices — very humble erections — and the Adminis- trator's residence, an equally unpretentious villa, (juite unworthy of the high and responsiljle office held by Sir Sidney Shippard. Tlie Border Police camp is upon the same low hill ; while on a small kopje at another end of the town is the prison, a well-built edifice of native stone — quite the most imposing in Yryburg or, indeed, all Bechuanaland. Many of the houses, such as the Administrator's, are of brick, rough cast ; the majority of brick, cased and roofed with corrugated iron ; a very few of stone, which is procurable in any quantity, and of excellent quality, from a quarry about a mile away. The population in 1891 was, I think, all told, just under 1200, AVhen I state that during 1890, almost whenever I walked up the gentle hill (quite a central part of the place) in the direction of the Adminis- trator's house or the Government offices, I encoun- tered a covey of partridges ; that in the main pool of the water spruit wild duck were occasionally to be shot ; that we hunted small buck with foxhounds, and shot partridges and hares within a half-mile of the Post Office and C*ourt House ; and that snakes w^ere not inconstant visitors in any quarter of the town, it will be gathered that this metropolis of Bechuana- land is yet in its infancy, and its census a thing of easy accomplishment. Away to the south-east, towards the Transvaal border, the long- bold rano-e of the Marokani Hills heaves in a deep blue line from the vast expanse of FIRST DAYS IN BECHUAJs^ALAND 9 plain. Upon every other hand save to the north- west, where a single hill — Massouw's Kop — can be distinguished, broad rolling grassy plains stretch far as the eye can reach. The new railway station lies to the eastward of the town, about three-quarters of a mile from the C'ourt House, which, with the Post Office, stands in about the centre of the main street. At present Vryburg is bare, shadeless, and unlovely. There are a few blue gum-trees planted here and there, all of which are thriving, as they always thrive in South Africa, vigorously. And, thanks to the care and forethought of the resident magistrate, a piece of land by the watercourse has been set apart as a small public park or garden of the future. Here are planted a number of trees, shrubs, and flowers, a small lake has been dammed in, and all promises well. But hitherto private enterprise has done little tow\ards breaking the bare monotony of this city of the plain. Some day, wdien trees, Avhich are cheap enough, have been planted, a proper water-supply has been en- sured, and watercourses laid along the streets, some relief may be looked for, some mitigation of the present hopeless glare during the long dry months of African winter. Marico, not very far across the border, in the Transvaal (although a town planted and reared by unprogresswe Boers), may be cited as an example of what a South African upcountry town should be, whether aestlietically or economically considered. Perhaps some day, when the people of Vryburg, and Mafeking also, can find time to turn their attention that way, these places may be found planted, beautified, and eml)Owered in gardens. At present, as in most South African towns, the European lo GUX AND C A:\rER A IX SDUTHERX AFRICA inliabitants are in far too great a huny to make their pile and get away from the country. This reo-retable hahit has oone far to retard all real progress in South Africa, and the bulk of voting and therefore of political strength remains, projjerly enough, with the Dutch, who stick to the soil and look upon this fair land as their home and abiding- place. Already the Dutch farmers are creeping into Bechuanaland, filling up the farms and preparing their future homes. Unless the British make up their minds to settle down and people this promising territory, the Boers will presently have here, as they have in the C^ape Colony, the balance of power in their own hands. I have neither space nor inclination in this ])Ook to refer to the recent history of Southern Bechuana- land, during those anxious and unsettled times when the freebooters were overrunning the country ; wdien it seemed that England had relinquished all interest in the territories Vjeyond the Vaal, and was prepared to see the trade route to the interior finally blocked by President Krliger. Where, it may be asked, if the cold fit had been persevered in and the advice of certain politicians had been followed, would have been our present fair possessions in Bechuanaland, our illimitable pro- spective cattle lands in the Kalahari, our enormous interests in Khama's country, Mashonaland, Zam- besia, Ngamiland, and the rest of them ? Echo may well, with a blush, answer where ? Three men saved Bechuanaland for the British ; the Kev. John Mackenzie, who came home and first stirred up public opinion in the critical months of 1884; the late Mr. W. E. Forster, who first FIRST DAYS IX BECHUANALAND ii recognised the vital importance of Mackenzie's views and at once set about l)ringing his great influence to l)ear upon Government and the House of Commons ; and Sir Charles Warren, who most ably conducted the expedition to Bechuanaland, routed out the hornet's nest of freebooters and filibusters, settled the country, and brought it without a blow, and in a few short months, within the Queen's peace. I assert unhesitatingly that, but for these three men, the Transvaal Government and not the British would at the present moment be masters of the interior of Southern Africa. Since Warren's expedi- tion English influence has resumed its old position — all but ruined by the Boer war — and is becoming widened and deepened as the native races note our restored prestige, and the remote frontier Boers see what the English really can do towards governing and opening up a country. 1 am not an anti-Boer. I admire these sturdy farmers of the wilderness as much as any man ; but I hold that British govern- ment and British progress are l)etter things for South Africa as a whole than a Boer orovernment and Boer ideas. ^ I strolled one morning, among other ram1)les of discovery, down to a reedy pool near the head of the watercourse, just above the town. Here were many interesting birds to be seen, foremost among them being the remarkable orange-shouldered bunting or Kaffrarian grosbeak (Vidua Phanicop- tera of Swainson). Tliis curious bird is found • "Austral Africa ; Losing it, oi' Ruling it," by .folin Mackenzie, is well worth the leader's attention. It deals largely with the history of Bechuanaland between 1880-85, ^^'-^ presents many curious pictures of life, i>olicy, and events in those davs. 12 GUX AND CAMERA IX SOUTHERX AFRICA abundantly in the Eastern Province of Cape Colony and in KafFraria, but I have never seen mention of it in books dealing with the interior. Andersson's "Birds of Damaraland " makes no reference to it. I found it abundantly in many parts of British Bechuanaland, usually near water and mealie gardens, or water and long grass or reeds, wdiere cover was to be found. The male bird in breeding plumage is of a deep glossy black, having large patches or shoulder-knots of the most l^rilliant red. He sports soft, broad, and enormously long tail-feathers, which hinder him to such an extent that he is utterly powerless to fly against the wind. It is most amus- ing to see these birds get up and wriggle against a fair breeze. They look in their struggles for all the world like huge feathered tadpoles, and finally, giving it up as a bad job, go down to cover again. In length they average from 20 to 22 inches, of which the tail occupies from 16 to 17 inches. Even in the absence of wind they are very helpless, and cannot Hy far. They are easily shot, and form an interest- ing and extremely handsome trophy for the collector. The hen birds and young males are yellowish brown in colour, having black and brown-edged wings, while the shoulder patch is of a brilliant orange in place of crimson. These buntings are usually seen in some numbers when found. I saw them in 1890 as far north as Mafeking ; probably they extend l^eyond, although I did not observe them further. One of the most amusing creatures in the town was a semi-domesticated crowned crane, nominally supposed to belong to Mr. Tillard, the resident magistrate, but in reality enjoying a more complete independence than any burgher of Vryburg. This FIKST DAYS IX BECHUAXALAND 13 bird, with its bluish grey plumage, white and red wings, glossy black head — -crowned with a curious erection of long, stiff, wiry bristles, alternately yellow and white, and tipped with black — and with the bare spaces around the eyes and beneath the chin painted a brilliant vermilion, is anion o- the most strikino- and graceful of the feathered denizens of South Africa. It is known to the colonists as the Kaffir crane, to naturalists as Balearica Regulorum or (Jrus Balearica. They are not unfrequently caught and tamed ; and as a rule they display the most perfect composure — nay, even effrontery — before all persons and under all circumstances. This particular crane wandered about A'ryburg wherever it listed, fearing neither man, dog, nor devil. It knew many kitchen doors and most dinner- hours, and had no compunctions about turning up uninvited. It did its best to spoil all the cricket matches and absolutely refused to be driven from the field, where it followed loose hits, impeded the fielders, bothered the bowlers, and g-enerallv caused vexation and evil lano-uaoe. I have remonstrated with this crane, and attempted to drive him away on such occasions, only to be charged, threatened, and hindered at the next opportunity. Still with all his faults the magistrate's crane, with his perfect deportment and brilliant colouring, was a great ornament to the place, and could have been ill spared by any one. Just at sunset the crane, wherever he was, sauntered up into the air, and made his way to the watercourse for the night, where no doubt, standing contemplatively on one leg, he plotted to himself fresh devilments for the coming morrow. 14 (;UN AND CAMERA IN SOUTHERN AFRICA Each Jay, rain or shine — and it is mostly shine in Vryburg — Gi'us Balearica turned up again, fresh as paint, his radiating crest in perfect order, not a featlier awry, his vermilion cheeks as brilliant and shining as if newly rouged, and his bold, wicked eye roving hither and thither in search of fresh conquests. Some few months later, when I was in Vryburg again Avith my camera, I announced my intention of photographing this crane. He was in the vicinity as I spoke, stalking daintily about with his usual air of easy " you be damnedness," and I believe he heard me. At all events next morning, when laden with my camera I sought him about the village, I could find him nowhere, high or low. After a heated search I gave him up, and put my implements away. Of course, towards evening, I found him by the tennis courts. He o^ave me a cunnino- look, as much as to say — or my fancy deceived me — "Yes, my friend, you've put your camera away, and here I am again." The crane, I hear, still survives, and when his end comes, it will be a distinct loss to the com- munity. His latest exploit was to effect an entry by means of a chimney into the Standard Bank premises. It was out of banking hours, the place was locked up, and yet sounds were heard within. Presently the manager came along with a ^905se at his back, tlie door was cautiously opened, and the Kaffir crane was discovered making himself at home. The Bechuana and other natives up country rather prize the curious crest or crown of this crane, and use it in their hats or hair as an ornament. The bird has a wide distriljution ; I found it as far north as the Botletli Eiver, and I believe its range extends beyond the Zambesi. FIRST DAYS IX BECHUAN ALAND 15 There is a fair local trade in Vryburg, and there are several good stores and shops. But although the volume of business has been somewhat extended since the arrival of the railway, Vryburg can never hope to compete with the trade of Mafeking, which town must, in the future, command a very large business as a chief depot and emporium of interior trade. When the railway proceeds from Vryburg to Mafeking, Vryburg will occupy the position of a c[uiet country town, while Mafeking will tap and supply a great mass of trade to the north, and will flourish accordingly. Even in 1890 the Mafeking banking business of the Standard Bank w^as consider- ably ahead of the Vryburg branch. Then, again, Mafeking lies adjacent to the richest agricultural districts of the Transvaal — Marico and Kustenburo; — which Vryburg does not. Hitherto life in Vryburg has Ijeen rough and rather shiftless. There are few good houses, and ladies have to put up with a number of small discomforts and worries, which would drive an English house- wife crazy. Native servants are scarce, dear, and as bad as can be. European servants are almost out of the (juestion ; they can do better for themselves in other ways. Consequently delicately nurtured ladies have in Vryburg and Mafeking to turn their hands to a variety of domestic work, and help them- selves, if they wish their house and table to be at all presentable. On the whole, living in Bechuanaland is dear, nearly half as dear again, all round, as in England. The cost of groceries and all other stores, and of liquors, beer and mineral waters, is largely added to by the long transport, roughly 800 miles, from the 1 6 GUX AXD CAMERA IX 80UTHERX AFRICA seaboard. Meat is fairly cheap, beef, which is good and plentiful in Bechuanaland towns, especially so. Vegetables, which might Ije largely grown in the neighljourhood, are scarce. Fruit is now supplied by rail from the Cape. Here are a few prices of commodities in the month of August 1 89 1. The colonial " bag," I may premise, contains 205 lbs. English — Vryburg Market. Market quotations for Colonial produce for week ending ist Aujjust : — L s. d. £ s. a. Barley, gi-een, per bundle . . 5 to 6 Beans, Kaffir, per bag 8 , 1 9 Bran, per l)ag . . . . . 10 , ) II 6 Chaff, per bale .... I 2 , , I 3 Forage, per Ijundle . 7 , ) I „ 5) 100 lbs. (Colonial) . 15 6 , 1 16 Kaffir corn, per bag . 10 , , II Meal (Boer), unsifted I 15 , , I 16 6 „ „ sifted . 2 I , 2 2 6 Mealies, yellow, per bag . 12 6 , ) 14 Mealie meal, white, per bag 17 , , „ „ yellow, per bag . 16 , 1 17 Oats, per bag .... 15 9 , » 16 6 Onions, per bag . I , , I 5 Potatoes, per bag . I 2 6 , , I 7 6 Tobacco, cut (Transvaal) . 6 , , 7 Butter, per lb. .... I , > 2 6 Eggs, per doz I , , I 2 Fowls, each .... I 6 , , 2 "Wood, per load .... I , 10 Reviarlcs. — Good supplies of chaff and Kaffir corn. ^Mealies are rather scarce and in demand. Forage is equal to demand. Wood is plentiful and sells readily. Eggs plentiful. Butter of good quality is scarce. Poultry in great demand. As a set-off against dear living, horseflesh is cheap ; and a good deal of pleasure can be got out of the FIRST DAYS IX BECHUAXALAND 17 morning and evening scamper across the veldt. There are not many ways of wasting money on pleasures, with the sole exception of alcohol, if that form of gratification may be so included. Bechuanaland a few years before must have greatly resembled the border marches of Scotland and England in the good old times so magnificently sung by Scott in the " Lay of the Last Minstrel." Cattle and horse-lifting were the recreations of all gentlemen (mostly broken gentlemen) of spirit, and Boers and Europeans alike became extraordinarily expert. " Scotty Smith " is the nickname of a man perhaps better hated and feared a few years since by the Western Transvaal Boers than any Briton in Africa. His adventures and escapades would fill a volume. He has long since settled down, and owns property in the town, has dropped his 11 om cle guerre, and is now known by his true name. No man knows the Kalahari Desert (to wdiicli he retreated w^hen times were hot and Boers troublesome) as he does. As a " veldt " man he is unsurpassed. His career has been a diversified one. He fought in the Franco-German war on the side of the French ; afterwards in the Carlist war for the Carlists. Then lie came to South Africa, wdiere he has wandered, hunted, explored, fought, raided, and finally settled down. Latterly he has been much engaged in opening up the Kalahari country, and in aiding syndicates to obtain concessions from various chiefs in that waterless but interesting terra incognita. Some of his escapes have been marvellous. Here is one of them. During the troubles — in '83, I think — he was surprised and captured by the marauding 1 8 GUX AXD CAMERA IX SOUTHERX AFRICA Boers and taken to their headquarters at Rooi Grond, near Mafeking. He was condemned out of hand to be shot on the following day, and fastened up with ropes inside a hut at some distance from the camp fire. During the night "Scotty" slipped his bonds, crept to the place where the Boer horses were stabled, saddled and bridled two of the best of them, and got clean away right under the noses of the Dutchmen. A day or two after he met a Boer, who was personally unacquainted with him, who informed him that he was looking for " Scotty Smith." "Well!" said Scotty in Dutch, "I'm looking for 'Scotty Smith' too; we'll go together." They rode together for some hours, and then " Scotty " found an opportunity, slipped his man, and betook himself to a safer locality. I douljt whether the more staid Mr. L of the present day would, even after these years, dare to venture his person on Transvaal soil. I had many conversations with Mr. L , or "Scotty," as he is still called by his familiars. Here is a veldt wrinkle he once gave me. " Do you know the reason so many men cannot find their way, and lose themselves in the veldt ? AVell ! the fact is this ; they look always in front of and never behind them. The man who occasionally casts his eye over the country behind him sees it in a different aspect altogether, and can therefore often recognise landmarks when he returns that way." I have tested this wrinkle, and it is worth re- memljering. But Mr, L himself has the true native eye or instinct for a country, and would find it hard to lose himself even in the worst stretches of the Kalahari. " Big Mick," another genial freebooter of Stellalancl FIRST DAYS IX BECHUAX ALAND 19 days, to whom I shall refer in the next chapter, I also met at this time. " Big Mick," a magnificent giant of Irish descent, distinguished himself greatly in the defence of Mankoroane's capital — Taungs — where he acted as a sort of captain-general against the Transvaal Boers. At the time I met him he was engaged in the more peaceful occupation of house-building, in which also he was a shining light. After a stay made very pleasant to us l)y the hospitality of many of the inhabitants, Mackay and I set out on the 6th February for Setlagoli, a district fifty miles further north, half-way between Mafeking and Yryburg. There had been heavy summer rains for some days, during which Vryljurg had l^ecome a quagmire, and the inhabitants waded forlornly al)out, as is their custom, in " field " boots, top Ijoots, mackintoshes, and any other gear calculated to withstand the swamps, holes, and " sluits," that everywhere abounded. We waited till 3.30 p.m., and then set forth in a Cape cart under a lowering, stormy sky. Two hours and a half of heavy travelling brought us to Fincham's, a ftirm and accommodation house fifteen miles out, where we outspanned for half-an-hour. Our next stage was Monjana Mabeli (literally, " the two sisters," a name given to two rounded hills lying close together, which here stand out from the flat plain), nine miles further on. It now l)ecame suddenly dark, the rain poured in torrents, a terrific tempest of thunder and light- ning fell upon us, and the four horses would scarcely trek. We toiled on, occasionally losing the road, till nearly at Monjana Mabeli, where the country re- sembled a lake, through which we ploughed dismally. 2 GUX AND CAMERA IX 8UUTHERX AFRICA At length, after being within an ace of an upset, we liit upon a farm-house, where the horses were put up and we were offered such shelter as could Ije given us for the night. Mr Keeley, a well-known cattle-dealer, has the farm here, a very excellent one for stock ; but the house occupied by his foreman was small and poorly thatched, and the rain was pouring merrily throuoh the roof. Some other travellers comino- in shortly, we opened a tin of " bully-beef," had some whisky, and then the four of us camped on a mattress and some sacks upon the floor, warding off the rain with our rugs and mackintoshes. We slept soundly till dawn, l)y which time the storm had passed away, the sun was out, the air was crisp and clear, and the veldt looked everywhere freshened and rejuvenated. The next Avater and outspan. Jackal's Pan, where also are the postcart stables, is fifteen miles on. The road between lies across a dead flat, unbroken l^y tree or bush, and is inexpressibly wearisome. The telegraph posts, which follow the road between Vryburg and Setlagoli, rather add to than detract from the monotony. This fifty mile stretch to Setlagoli, dull, fiat, and uninteresting as it is, espe- cially if you follow the post road and do not call at Fincham's, is to my mind one of the most trying in British Bechuanaland. I have ridden it several times alone, and I have noticed at such times, that the utter lack of relief over this deadly bit of veldt seemed to impress itself even upon one's horse. You canter along, wearily counting the telegraph- posts — seventeen to the mile — and wishing to heaven you could somehow cheat the never-ending series, that stand against the sky line, gaunt and unlovely FIRST DAYS IX BECHUAXALAXD 21 to the eye, in one interminaljle vista. Althougli a lion was killed at Monjana ]\Iabeli only eight years before — a sure i^roof that game was then fairly abundant — little of wild life is now left upon these plains. A few springbok, the inevitable steinbok and duyker, and of course the usual partridges, koor- haans, and an occasional paauw, are all that here survive to remind the traveller of the once teemino- wilderness. There is an alternative route, more to the east- ward, via Maribogo, where the stages are shorter, a farmstead or two are to be found, and spruits and rivercourses are less troublesome during the rains. However, on this occasion we followed the post road, and in two hours and a half reached Jackal's Pan, a bare, ugly spot, relieved' by a decent pool of water. The Bechuanaland Exploration Company, who have the mail contract and run the post carts, sunk a well here later in the year, and ha^'e now a good and permanent supply of water during the dry season. Another fifteen miles over more diversified and improving country, l)rought us, after crossing the dry sandy bed of the Betlagoli River, to Setlagoli itself. There had been little rain up here, and the river was not flowing. Tlie Setlagoli is, however, a sand river, water Hows 1)eneath tlie sand ; and even in time of drought pools of water are to be found here and there over its course. At Setlagoli, where Lam])'s Hotel and Store stand, there is a good and permanent supply in the river-l^ed, and man}- thousand head of cattle can be watered throuohout the year. Here is a stony rise or kopje, upon the highest point of which is perclied a strong little fort, l)uilt 2 2 GUX AND CAMERA IN SOUTHERN AFRICA by Sir Charles Warren, and still garrisoned by a few files of Bechuanaland Border Police. From Setlagoli there is a beautiful view of the surrounding country, amid which the picturesque hills of Woodhouse Kraal and Koodoo's Rand, eight or nine miles dis- tant, and the bold blue range of Kunana farther away, close upon the Transvaal border, are prominent landmarks. Setlagoli is a j)leasant district ; extensive forests of camel-thorn trees {Giraffe Acacia) are spread over the country, the views are soft, j)leasant, and picturesque, and relieved by hills here and there ; and at Lamb's Store and Hotel, a large block of well-built, well-found brick buildings — forming one of the best establishments in all Bechuanaland — excellent accommodation for man and beast is provided by the Messrs. Lamb, tw^o energetic and enterprising brothers. Englishmen, who have here established a successful business. Having rested a day at this place, Mackay aud I rode over on a fine Sunday morning to the property upon which we proposed to settle ourselves for some months. We had brought our nags up with us, and traversing eighteen miles of a charming bit of country, across pleasant hills and through groves of acacias, now in the full dark green of their spreading leafage, reached some huts on the Maritsani River, where Mr. Raynar St. Stephens, a mining engineer, was con- ducting some tentative mineral exj)lorations. The day was Ijeautiful, the air clear, soft and warm, the veldt and trees in the perfection of their summer prime, and the Maritsani River, where we crossed, w^as, for a wonder, flowing briskly along, the result of a heavy thunderstorm. We spent half a day with FIRST DAYS IX BECHU AX ALAND 23 Mr. St. Stephens, and then, towards sundown, can- tered along the Maritsani to its junction with the Setlagoli, ten miles further, where, in some good-sized Bechuana huts, we proposed for a time to make our home and abiding-place. CHAPTER 11. FOUR MONTHS IN BAROLONG HUTS Setlagoli and Maritsani Rivers — Our huts and their interiors — Thatclies and snakes — White ants and their Queen — Aspect of the " Junction " — Historical interest — Bad water — Native servants : their uselessness — Making beds — "April," a Matabele, and the picture of Moselikatse — Native love of clothing — Our day's proceedings— Journey to Mafe- king — Interview with Chief Monsioa — A Sechuana letter — Chartered Company's camp — Recruits — Mr. F. C. Selous — Bechuanaland beef- Dear mealies — Weevils — Return to Junction — Our dress — Pleasant evenings — "Big Mick"' again — "Old Thomas" — Our neighbours — Wildfowl shooting — Goose dinner — Moroka's Kraal — Poultry — Ravages of hawks — The ride to Setlagoli — Beautiful country — Yaal bush and eland's boeuje — The Bechuanas and their characteristics — A good talking to — Our cameras — Developing difficulties — Cold nights — Our new chimney. Although we had seen water running in the Maritsani, ten or twelve miles nearer the Transvaal border, the flow had ceased before reaching the " Junction," as we called the place where our huts stood, at the point where that river unites itself with the Setlagoli. Here and there were standing pools, some of them quite respectable sheets of water for South Africa ; but the early rains of 1 890 were light and capricious, and at the Junction during the whole of this season neither the Maritsani nor Setlagoli ran throughout their courses. The years 1889 and 1890 were, however, years of partial drought, following a real wet summer season in 1888. At the end of 1890 and beginning of 1891 again, when the rains returned, they were prodigious, and both the rivers FOUR MONTHS IX BAROLOXG HUT8 25 ran .strongly for weeks togetliei', so strongly, indeed, that n]y successor at the Junction, Mr. P. Gethin, had occasionally to swim the torrent just below the huts in order to receive his mails from Setlagoli, which awaited him on the further bank. The residences prepared for our reception were two in number ; first, a good-sized hut containing two iron bedsteads, a ta1)le, a chair or two, a filter, and a quan- tity of whisky and l.)eer cases ; second, a still larger hut, unfinished as to the walls, the poles of which required to be filled up with mud. In addition we had a small hut which served as a store house, saddle room, and game larder, and beyond that again a long thatched shed without walls, which had been intended as a rather aml)itious cottage, but which had never been completed, and did duty only as a sort of rude stable for our horses. Mackay and I at once took up our quarters in the complete hut, which was surrounded by a circular " kotla," or screen of high poles and bushes, afibrd- ing a welcome privacy. Close alongside this hut we erected a little tent which we had bought at Kimljer- ley, and which Mackay forthwith furnished with a tiny folding bedstead and proclaimed his bedroom. Above the tent fioated a small Union-Jack, a signal to all and sundry that upon this soil, once torn ])y faction and harried by filil)usters, the 2Xix Britannica now reigned. The interior of this our private hut was, upon our arrival, dark and unkempt. It had liut one small s(|uare aperture, which served as a window, and no door; and, barring the few articles of furniture I have mentioned, and forlorn whisky cases, there was nothing to indicate even rudimentary comforts. Gradually, however, with the aid of a handy man and 26 GUX AND CAMERA IX SOUTHERN AFRICA carpenter, Thomas by name, who afterwards appeared on the scene, we improved the aspect of affairs, putting in doors to the huts, opening out more aper- tures — they were not windows, for we had no glass — and making decent hinged and padlocked boxes of the whisky and beer cases becjueathed to us. By the time our kits and gunnery had reached us from Kimberley we had shaken down into fairly ship-shape fashion, and what with books, writing materials, guns, spurs, a banjo, coaching horn, cartridge belts, a looking-glass, camera and other odds and ends neatly bestowed in their proper places, a little table in front of the centre pole of the hut, covered with a gaudy blanket, on which usually reposed a bottle of lime-juice, some tumblers, a case of "Dog's Head" cigarettes and the rest of our smoking tackle, and a thorough cleansing of the whole estaljlishment, we were not unjustly proud of the appearance of our Bechuana mansion. Later on in the year, when the frosts of winter came, and the indescribably keen winds of early mornino; blew, we were glad to add rouoh wooden shutters to our glassless windows ; and even then, with shutters and door alike closed, there was an abundance of air to be found within the huts. The Bechuana hut is by no means a despicable house. It is circular, constructed so as to offer the least resistance to the fierce winds that at times sweep the plains, and has plenty of space and air. A good- sized hut will measure i8 or 20 feet in diameter, with a height at the centre of the roof of 14 or 15 feet. The roof, composed of strong acacia branches partly supported by and radiating from a stout upright central post — usually a straight acacia bole FOUK MONTHS IN BAROLONG HUTS 27 — is well and thickly thatched with grass, strongly and carefully fastened with strips of a certain tough bark first steeped in water. The ends of the roof poles rest upon and are fastened to the wall posts. The walls and floor are composed of anthill clay and cow-dung, which sets perfectly hard and clean, and will last for years. The timbering of these huts is usually done by the men kind, the thatching and mudding by the women. The total cost of such a hut— which is used extensively by Europeans up country — is from ^i, los. to £2. These residences are exceedingly cool in summer and warm in winter, and, if properly thatched, are fairly waterproof even against the torrential downpours that arrive in the hot season. Just outside the hut, and within the kotla, stood a small iron washstand wherein our ablutions were performed, always in tlie open air. On either side of the doorway hung a large, evaporating canvas water-bag, having a tap to it. These simple and excellent inventions ensure on the hottest day a cool supply of water, which, with a touch of lime- juice cordial, formed our principal thirst-quencher between meals. Above each of the bedsteads, which stood on either side of the hut, was slung a blanket. This protected the sleeper from the constant dropping of white ants — which had unfortunately before our arrival been suffered to effect lodorment, and which we could never quite exterminate — as well as from a possible snake now and again. The only o])jection that can be urged against these cool thatched roofs is tliat snakes, lizards, and white ants, if they are not care- fully watched, all have a strong affection for them. 28 GUN AXD CAMERA IX SOUTHERX AFRICA Sometimes, but not often, a snake will fall from the roof; it happened once among a party of sleepers in one of St. Stephens' huts at the other camp, and there was a pretty scraml)le in the dark, as may be imao'ined. We ourselves killed a lono- o-reen tree- snake in the thatch of the horse-shed, and it is not pleasant to reflect that one of these creatures may drop down upon one during the night. The blanket above the bed at all events removed this source of terror. If I had to live in these huts again, I would line with cheap calico the interior of the thatch ; snakes could then only approach from the floor. The largest hut, which lay thirty paces beyond the " Kotla hut," as we called our headquarters, served as a dining saloon. Here also slept at night " Old Thomas/' the carpenter who afterwards joined us, and Elliott, an English lad left to us by our prede- cessors, who helped generally about the place. In this hut, which l)efore the advent of the cold season we had re-thatched, and walled and floored with mud, we stored our cases and portmanteaus, as w^ell as lock-up boxes containing a good supply of provisions for daily use. These were arranged round but not touching the walls. Every article reposed on glass bottles, as the only known protection against the depredations of white ants. These insects, interesting as they are to the scientist and observer of nature, are a perfect pest all over Bechuanaland, and indeed throughout Africa. They will eat large holes in a thick tweed coat in one night, and anything softer than metal left to their tender mercies for a night or two is irre- mediably ruined. There was no reason why we should have found them in the roofs of our huts FOUR MONTHS IX BAEOLONG HUTS 29 if reasonable care had been exercised from the beginning. The white ant as he climljs upward builds liis curious tunnel of hard, self-made mortar (composed of the red soil of the country and a viscous secretion of his own) over every inch of his journey, and altliough he is an industrious insect, and his engineering occupies no great time, if the huts are inspected every few days these tunnels can be swept aw^ay, and the depredator kept at all events to the flooring. Once in the thatch, as we found to our cost, it is a diliicult task to dislodge him. While upon the subject of w^hite ants, I may add that they are as troublesome in towns, such as Vryburg and Mafeking, as upon the open veldt. Most liousewives have at least once during the year to institute a crusade against the marauders, dig up the flooring, and attempt to find the queen. If the queen-ant can be successfully located and dug up, the nui- sance is ended ; the rest of the ants, bereft of their sovereign, at once quit the building, and for a season trouble no more. The puzzle is "to find the Queen." Her majesty is a most loathly body — a mere glorified white maggot of about three inches long, hideously fat and lifeless, and her horribly swollen aspect intensified by her tiny liml)s and head, which are merely those of an ordinary ant and out of all pro- portion to her body. Her mission in life is solely to bring forth the prolific swarms that devastate the neiglibourhood. In the forests to the north and west the mischief done by these insects is enormous. As the traveller or hunter rides through the country he will notice, in a day's journey, numbers of dead trees killed by the white ants. The tree is attacked, the tunnels are run up along the bole, the wood is 30 GUX AND CAMERA IX 80UTHERX AFRICA pierced and riddled, and the work of destruction is soon completed. Many a tougli giraffe-acacia tree, which has reared itself painfully and laboriously during hundreds of years (for the camel-thorn is a hard-timbered, slow-growing tree), has cast its shade over many a thousand head of noble game, and offered its dark green leafage to the long tongues of many a hundred graceful giraffes, has ended thus miseral)ly. It is always saddening to see such instances of the untimely death of these tough and slow-oTowino; trees. White ants, especially in the winged stage, are a favourite prey of many of the smaller hawks — hobbies and kestrels in jjarticular. I was witness, during the rains of 1890, of a most curious spectacle. An immense swarm of white ants filled the air ; preying upon these insects, literally in hundreds, were small hawks sweeping and darting hither and thither in all directions, and feeding voraciously upon the fat, succulent insects as they flew. It is a matter of wonder whence and how the hawks appear so suddenly and in such numbers. But although the white ant is sought after as food by innumerable birds and animals of Africa, little im- pression appears to be made upon his myriad swarms. He lives and thrives, ' and in his turn strikes and devours all that comes in his path, and, excepting only metal and glass, all is grist that comes within his terrible milling powers. After the first rains fall these insects may sometimes be observed swarm- ing in the air in countless myriads. The flying period is not very prolonged ; when they alight again the white ants usually take off their wings, which they do ])y twisting up the tail over the back FOUR MONTHS IN BAROLOXG HUTS 31 and deftly unfastening tlieir living apparatus ; tliey leave their now useless gear upon the ground and proceed vigorously to work upon fresh excavations. The unwinging operation is exceedingly curious and interesting. When we first arrived at the Junction the country, diversified as it is by spreading woodlands and gently risino; o-round, looked verv beautiful. The rains had at once banished from the soil the garb of parched yellow, with which everything is clothed during the dry mouths. The veldt was green and lovely, the trees were at their best, gay bulljous flowers of many kinds starred amid the grasses. This verdant beauty unhappily lasts but a little while, and in a couple of months the grass has faded beneath the ardent sun, and the dry yellow glare settles upon the veldt asjain. Our huts stood, as I say, upon a gentle slope a hundred yards from the Maritsani, two hundred from its junction with the Setlagoli. Looking south, the land rose softly again upon the further bank of the Maritsani, and was clothed for some miles with a dense forest of camel-thorn (Giraffe Acacia). To the right, across the Setlagoli, was a good deal of forest and bush again, while l)ehind us the terrain sloped gradually upwards to a dry timbered plateau which ran unbroken to the Molopo River, thirty or forty miles away. On our riglit fiank the sandy bed of the Setlagoli, heavily Ijushed along its course, meandered in a deepish valley with here and there a scant pool of water, until it met the Molopo fifty or sixty miles to the north-west. To the left of us the Maritsani mioht be followed between its attendant slopes westward almost to the Transvaal 32 GUN AXl) CAMERA IX SOUTHERN AFRICA border, where, forty miles away, at a spot called the Eye of Maritsani, it took its source. Scattered round ahout our huts were a fair number of camel- thorns, which afforded welcome relief to the eye, and among which we might always be certain of finding game — birds, and small antelopes, steinboks, and duykers. Our "Junction" was not altogether lacking in historical interest. At the end of the first quarter of the century this very spot was the scene of a fierce encounter Ijetween the Matabele Zulus (who, under the redoubted chief Moselikatse, had recently occupied the present Marico district in the Trans- vaal) and a body of mounted Griquas. The Griquas were defeated with heavy slaughter, and an English traveller, Mr, Bain, who was in the vicinity, only saved his life by instant flight, and was plundered of his waggons and equipment. Burchell's old waggon road — in bygone years the main and only route from Kuruman to Pitsani and the north — ran by close at hand. Everywhere around us flourished the long grass veldt, excellent for cattle and goats, and even — except during the fatal months of horse-sickness — for horses also. The veldt here is what is called warm veldt ; that is, there is plenty of timber and bush, and shelter from sun and wind is readily to be found. From almost every point of view ours was as desirable a place of sojourn as any in broad Bechuanaland. Water was, however, scarce and not too good, and in a month or two later, wdien the rain-pools were disappearing, we not only found our supply falling rapidly in quantity, but deterio- rating with equal rapidity in (quality. By April our FOUR MONTHS IX BAROLOXG HUTS s3 solitary pool was foul and muddy, aud strongly impregnated with animal matter, from the fouling of cattle ; so much so that we had first to precipitate it with alum, and then to filter it, before it was fit even to make a decent cup of tea. It is only fair to say that this was an exceptional season, and we were then at the end of nearly two years of drought. In the month of May — to obtain our water supply — Ave "were sending the waggon every two days, loaded up with empty barrels, to be filled from a hole in the Setlagoli, six miles distant. At the beginning of 1 89 1 , when there were excessive rains, the cry was all the other way ; there was too much water. Con- servation of water, and especially well-sinking and < lam-making, will greatly tend to adjust these matters as the country becomes filled up. All this Setlagoli district in which we were living was, until 1885, under the sway of Monsioa, Chief of the Barolong tribe. Monsioa and his tribesmen are now, however, restricted to native locations, the ground of which they are unable to alienate. Even now, outside the locations, the Barolong and Vaalpens tribesmen are k)yal to Monsioa and obey his orders, although much of his power is gone. The extent of ground over which I was entitled to exercise sway was l)etween 65,000 and 70,000 acres — more than 90 square miles. I found on my arrival a number of black servants of various l»reeds — Zulu, Bechuana, Matabele, Mozamljique, and \ aalpens ; these in their turn again encouraged liangers-on of many sorts and numbers. Discipline had been very slack, there had been scant super- \ision, and the new regime, under which I endea- \'0ured to evolve some sort of order, cleanliness, 34 <'rX AND CAMERA IX SOUTHERN AERICA and method out of a happy-go-lucky chaos, was not approved of. It was not long, therefore, Ijefore I made a clean sweep of most of the old gang, after which things settled down ; such of the younger l)Oys as I kept on, together with the new hands, conformed to my ideas or did their feeble best to do so, Altliouo;h there are large numl)ers of natives in Bechuanaland who have little or nothing to do, and who pass their time idling in their native towns, while the women work in the fields, thatch and mud the huts, carry the water, and undertake most of the heavy labour, it is a most difficult matter to ol)tain servants. Often when a Ijoy has been hired, he will stay a month or two, draw his money, and depart to his kraal again, leavino- his master stranded. He has always an excuse ready ; either he is sick, or his friends are sick, or the "Baas" speaks too sharply to him, or he is misunderstood ; and so off" he goes, having first secured some old clothes and the few pounds he required. AVe suffered a good deal from this sort of thing, and were unfortunate in never being al)le to command a decent cook or house-boy. We had a number of incapables it is true, but, help and instruct them as we would, we succeeded in dinning very little efficiency into them. They are poor whining creatures too, and can stand very little scolding or correction — by which I mean, not corporal, l)ut verljal correction. If we required a baking of decent bread, or the mealie meal porridge and the stew or roast up to time for breakfast and supper, we had to look sharp after it ourselves. I have known breakfast, the preparation of which began at sunrise, not to appear for three hours after- FOUR MOXTHS IX BAROLOXG HUTS 35 wards, if left to the lagging hands of our so-called cooks — T'Clioko and Tony. What on earth they were doing, heaven knows ; they appeared to he prepar- ing, and yet the breakfast tarried and tarried. One of these boys, T'Choko, or another, an amusing young- rascal called Peetsi, I usually deputed to make the beds. We had some sheets in use, and I have, time after time, shown these boys how to make the lieds so that the sheets might be in their proper places. My teachings were utterly in vain ; day after day the sheets were to l)e found, either tucked hopelessly at the ])ottom of the Itlankets, or disposed in some other extraordinary ftishion, in which it was quite impossible to get at them for sleeping purposes. After a time we gave it up in despair, and the water supply failing, and a large " wash " being therefore out of the question, the sheets were relegated to limlto, and blankets only used. Peetsi, whom I have mentioned above, was a young Vaalpens, with a fondness for horses, a Cjuite unrealisable yearning for the cooking department, and a leaven of rather quaint humour. Peetsi is the 8echuana name for horse, and as the lad's proper designation was rather complicated, and he was attached to the horse de- partment, we called him for short "Peetsi." He and the upper groom, " Dottie," a lame Barolong, who had had a leg l)roken Ijy a Boer bullet in a fight at Mafeking some years before, were perhajis the most satisfactory servants we had. Dottie's right leg was as stiff as a poker, but he was by no means a bad l)oy on a horse for all that, and had plenty of pluck. And out of Peetsi, with his white teeth, })rilliant red gums, rolling eyes, bare head — each woolly kink neatly shaved with a bit of broken glass — and quaint 36 GUX AXI) CAMEEA IX SOUTHERN AFRICA angular ways (he was a tliin, leggy creature, wore ruined boots four sizes too large, and was all feet and elbows), we extracted a good deal of amusement. Dottie and lie were both fond of horses, and did what they could in the way of grooming, feeding, and catching, wdien required. " April," our head waggon- boy, was a Matabele, a fine, well-set-up savage, now passionately attached to European clothing. " April" was very fond of his donkey team, and managed them extremely well on the whole, and when he had work to do, was smart and active enough. These Zulus — for the Matabele are of Zulu blood — are finer men physically than the mild Bechuanas. April had taken part in the last Matabele raid, ilespatched by Lobengula against the Batauana — the Lake Ngami tribe — in 1884. This " impi," after a terrible journey across the desert, had been led into ambush, and defeated wdth great slaughter, by the Lake people. April, like most other Africans, had a great gift of narrative. He used to descrilje the .scene most graphically. How the Batauana betook themselves and their cattle to an island ; how the Matabele advanced into the water until they were up to their chins or swimming, and were then shot down in numljers, before they could get to work with their stabbing assegais ; and, finally, how they Ijroke and fied. Very few of them — a mere handful — got back to their own country to tell the tale, and the bones of their comrades to this hour whiten the desolate .swamps of the Lake country. I had with me Corn- wallis Harris's l;)ook on Southern Africa, in which appears a coloured drawing, by the author, of Mose- likatse, the founder of the Matabele nation, fiither of FOUR .MOXTHS IX RAROLOXCl HUTS 37 the present King Lol)enguhi. When I showed this to April and explained who it was, he became half frantic with delight. Afterwards he was perpetually requesting to see again the " great black one," " the elephant," " calf of the black cow," as he called the departed chief. Moselikatse, who wrought terrible havoc among the Bechuanas during his passage north, is equally remembered by them, if in a different manner. Besides these boys, we had others, a shifting- population, some staying a few weeks, some a few days only. It is amusing to watch the progress of these natives towards that acme of their ambition — European clothing. A boy will at first appear in his native garb of nothingness or next to it. He then begs or picks up an old sack, through the bottom end of which he thrusts his neck and arms, and assumes his first air of civilisation. From the sack he wheedles, begs, or Ijuys his way to a waistcoat, trousers, and even a shirt, and then to crown all a coat. I have witnessed many of these courses of evolution, and from the naked or chrysalis stage l)y anxious degrees to the full-blown liutterHy stage of brand new store outfit, they are each and all full of interest, instruction, and amusement. At sunrise each morning — that is, from about 5.30 in February to 6.30 in May^ — one of the boys set ofi' with two empty l)ottles for a supply of fresh milk, which was most kindlv furnished hv our near neighbours, the Getliins, a mile away across the ^ The longest day in Beclmanaland is tlie 21st Decembei', when the sun rises at 4.47 and sets at 7.10. The shortest day occurs on the 21st June, when the sun rises at 7.6 and sets at 4.47 — less than ten hours of daylight. 38 GUX AND CAMERA IX 80UTHEKX AFKICA river. AVe ourselves meanwliile had our early morn- ing coffee brought to us in bed, and then prepared for the day. Very frequently we took a stroll with the gun before breakfast, to pick up a few head of partridge or koorhaan, and now and again a small buck. Meanwhile, if supplies permitted, a goat was being slaughtered and the fry prepared for breakfast. These early mornings were brimful of charm. During the summer season, while the rains are aljout, the dews are heavy ; earth and air are alike delightfully cool ; the veldt and the woodland are arrayed in smiles ; there is a pleasant scent from bush, and grass, and shrub ; the birds are at their merriest, all nature ripples with good humour. Before the dry winter season has set in many of the birds have trekked north — although many still remain — and, as the long parched months slowly succeed one another, the country is reft of much of its charm and beauty. After breakfast we had various matters to occupy ourselves with ; explorations of the estate, hut im- provements, carpentering, interviewing petty chiefs and natives, some of whom were allowed to run stock upon the land, journeys to St. Stephens' camp, journeys to Mafeking, Yryburg, or Setlagoli, mail- day correspondence ; these and many other details required our attention. Even the more sordid cares of housekeeping, baking, and cookery, with which we had perforce to interest ourselves, occupied some portion of our time. We had not long been at the Junction before it became necessary to ride up to Mafeking — fifty miles north-east — and interview the chief, Monsioa, for the purpose of obtaining more native labour for St. Stephens' cam^j. Monsioa happened to be away from FOUR :\10XTHS IX BAROLOXG HUTS 39 the town at this time, and we were therefore taken by one of his sons to see him at his country seat, a col- lection of half-a-dozen huts six miles from Maf eking, w'hither the old man had betaken himself to superin- tend the completion of a large dam. I had a letter to the chief from the Rev. John Mackenzie, a very old friend of his, and at once secured an audience. Monsioa must have been even at that time (1890) more than eighty years of age. He told me he re- membered sea-cows (hippopotami) in the Molopo, and the Molopo of to-day, which, like other South African rivers, has dwindled greatly, would find it a hard matter to liold a single sea-cow. The old chief, wdiose locks w^ere white us snow, was feeble and infirm, and his eyes troubled him greatly. He was exceedingly civil, and sat up at the foot of his bed wrapped in a l^lanket, with his favourite young wife at his side. He promised to send down some of his young men to work for us. He had then many questions to ask about England, its Queen, and so on, and several minor Grievances to unfold. Monsioa has always been a firm and faithful friend to the British. Even in the dark days, when it seemed that the Boers must overwhelm him and his people, he stuck to his guns, defended Mafeking, and still believed that the (,)ueen of England would come tc his aid. His lono- and most sfallant defence of Mafeking cannot be too highly praised. Assisted by Mr. Christopher Bethell, who organised the forces and was himself treacherously slain by the Boers in one of the fights at that time, Monsioa successfully resisted all the assaults of tlie Transvaal freebooters, until at last England came to the rescue and Bechuanaland was saved. He and liis people, under 40 GUX AXD CAMERA IX 80UTHERX AFRICA the new government of the country, are now settled on their own ample locations, while the old chief further draws a pension of £3^0 a year (not one whit too much for his services) from the British Govern- ment. As this pension is periodically drawn, it is banked until recjuired in a very simple way — under the old man's pillow. While the chief complained of his troubles and his ailments, I happened to remark that even the great Queen of England was not altogether exempt from the ills of mankind, and herself had had many and grievous sorrows and was believed to suffer from rheumatism. The knowledge that his ailments were shared by so great a personage seemed immensely to lighten the old man's load of woe ; he expressed frecjuently by his curious Bechuana " Eh ! " his great surprise and interest, and for the rest of the inter- view Ijrightened up in a wonderful way. AVe were glad to have had a chat with this old chief, an in- teresting link M'ith the days when white men were strangers to the Bechuanas ; when arms of precision were unknown, and the wilderness was one vast, teeming game-preserve ; wlien Moselikatse and his hordes had not yet broken from the Zulu power and whirled forth a hurricane of war and bloodshed on their career to the north ; when even Sebituane — Livingstone's Sebituane — and his Mantatees (for they were known first as Mantatees before they were called ]\Iakololo) had not yet swept north-westward through the Bechuanas to the Lake Xgami country, and thence beyond the Zambesi to found the Mako- lolo nation, a nation which has long since seen its day and vanished. Returning to Mafeking, we were shown ]\ronsioa's house, a neat oblono; building, an FOUR .MONTHS IX BAROLOXG HUTS 41 improvement on the circular huts, and much resem- blino; an EnoKsh cottaoe. The interior was neat and fairly furnished. On the wall hung, framed and glazed, one of the chief's most treasured possessions, an award of merit presented to him l)y the proprietors of Ally Sloi')er in recognition of his gallant defence of Mafeking. It was impossible to repress a smile on seeing this printed document, so little compre- hended and yet so highly valued ])y the simple old chief In a kotla near by stood another Barolong fetish, a solitary cannon, got up with immense troulde by Christopher Bethell, and used during the siege of the town. Before leavino- England I had obtained from Mr, John Mackenzie letters to Monsioa and other chiefs, asking- them to introduce me to their l)est huntino- veldt, and show me what sport they could. Monsioa'-s country, except to the westward in the Kalahari, has little heavy game left to it, and his assistance there- fore was hardly of much avail. He offered to do what he could for me along the desert part of the Molopo, where koodoos, gemsbok, and l)lue wilde- beest are still to be found. A letter in Sechuana may be thought of interest. Here then is a copy of a similar letter, introducing me to Sechele, the old chief of the Bakwena, further north in the pro- tectorate : — " PORTOBELLO, SCOTLAND, " December 31, 1889. " Go SeCHELE MOCOASELE, " Kwa Molepolole, Isala ea me. " Ga Ke gu Kwalelemahoko ; Ke Kwala he la go gu itsise Isala ea Mr. Bryden. Ena a re, o rata go bona dipoloholo tse cli Tona. Me Kama di sale grona mo hatshiu va Khosi so tla 42 (rUX AND CAMERA IX SOUTHERN AFRICA itse wena Mokwena. Ki tla i tumela ba u Ka mo shupetsa dipholoholo mo hatshin ya gogo. U dumele thata Mokwena, le Baga enu ba dninele thata. — Re na, Isala Ea gogo, " John Mackenzie." Lekoko, a son of Monsioa, wlio conducted u.s to lii.s father, and round the native town, speaks English excellently and can read and write. The Bechuanas have plenty of brains, and when taught appear to be able to acquire English with at least as much facility as an Englishman can pick up Sechuana. The English portion of Mafeking, a little beyond the native town, was at this time a scene of immense bustle and excitement. Recruits for the Chartered Company's police and pioneers were being enrolled and drilled, a camp was formed just outside the town, the market square was crammed with waggons mustering for the northward trek, and the stores and hotels w^ere doins; a roaring trade. Johannes- buro;, which was then suffering from the effects of a financial debauch, seems to have been the happy hunting-ground for recruits at this time. Armies of ])rokers (every one styled himself a stockbroker in those days) were on their beam- ends, and these men, strong, youthful, and still full of faith, though penniless, came pouring into the camp. Kiml)erley, and even far-off Cape Town, also supplied contingents. Hunters, soldiers, sailors, barristers, university men, solicitors, farmers, all these came to swell the forces of the Chartered Company. I had the pleasure of renewing here the acquaint- ance of Mr. F. C. Selous, the well-known hunter and explorer, who was going north to show the way into FOUR MONTHS IX EAROLONG HUTS 43 the Promised Land, and to whose energy and fore- thought, and wonderful knowledge of the interior, much of the success of the pioneers' subsecjuent march into Mashonaland was due. Mr. Selous, on hearing that my companions and I were thinking of making a distant hunting trip later in the year, strongly advised the Lake River country. This advice we afterwards followed, and had no reason to be dissatisfied with. It was at dinner at Isaac's Hotel, Mafeking, that I first discovered tlie virtues of Bechuanaland beef, which is not to be excelled out of England. AVe had an excellent tahle-dliote , and I am bound to say that some of the roast beef sampled at this time was equal to prime English beef — tender, juicy, and well-fiavoured. All the Bechuana territory, indeed, seems to be peculiarly fitted for the production of high-class cattle. Some day, I suppose, when ranch- ino- has been introduced, cannino- factories will follow ; there is not the slightest reason why meat- canning on a large scale should not be successfully introduced. AVith the enormous demand all over South Africa for "bully beef" — as the American tinned article is called — and the low price of cattle, I am convinced that the financial future of such an industry would be assured. It was a pleasant thins: to note how the Boers from Marico and neighbouring parts of the Transvaal come nowadays into the Mafeking hotels, enjoy the table -cVhote, and mingle with English folk. The friendly greeting, better fare, and good cooking of the enterprising- British, all have their efi'ect, and these matters — trifiing though tliey are — distinctly tend to that union of Boer and British so necessary to all South 44 GUX ANT) aorERA TX SOUTHERX AFRICA African progress. It is undeniable tliat in the last two or three years immense strides have been made in this direction. ]\Iainly owing to the scant rainfall of this season, the native crops had failed, and with the increased demand caused by the Mashonaland expedition, mealies, of which we were running short, now stood at thirty-five shillings the bag (205 lbs.), instead of the normal price of ten shillings or less. At this ruinous figure I laid in a stock, and even these were of poor sample. Every bag, when it reached the Junction, was badly " weevilled," and our mealie meal breakfast porridge was in consequence strongly leavened with weevils, which were ground up in the mill together Avith the mealies. However, our appetites were usually healthy, and although chopped weevils are not an ornament to one's porridge, they are at least endural)le, and one gets quickly used to them, if the milk 1 )e plentiful. I believe, by the way, that mealies may be kept entirely free of weevils by the simple expedient of placing Ijranches of dacca — a local plant well known in South Africa — between and under the various sacks. Thus protected, mealies may be kept sound for two or three years. Business being completed at Mafeking, we returned to the Junction via Medebi Wells and Maritsani (AVright's Farm), a route of which we afterwards knew by heart every sandy yard. We now set to work to put our huts in order. Thomas, our carpenter and handy-man, was great at shifts and contrivances of all sorts, and, with sug- gestions of our own, the huts soon emerged phoenix- like from their pristine nakedness. Among other FOUR :\ioNTHS IX barolo:ng huts 45 tasks we started sinking for water, but the cirouglit beat us here. Our dress was that usual to the up-country sojourner in South Africa. A broad-brimmed felt hat, than which there can be no Ijetter headpiece ; item, a Hannel shirt, open at the neck and with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows ; item, a pair of breeches or knickerbocker breeches ; item, gaiters — pigskin for choice — and strong lace-up l)rown leather boots, or "field boots." The pleasures of a shirt-sleeve life cannot, I think, Ije too highly estimated. In Bechuanaland and the interior a coat is seldom indeed required. And when, after a spell of this sort of existence, one comes down country, the worry of braces, the struggles with a waistcoat, which at first seems all too tight, and the painful reminders of starched stand-up collars, are harsh and unpleas- ing evidences of the sorrows of civilisation. In the evening, wdien the day's work was over, the putting on of a pair of easy Boer velschoens in place of the heavier boots was a pleasant relief. After supper was over, Mackay and I used to sit in our chairs outside the hut and enjoy our pipes ; not seldom the banjo was produced, and we had a song or two. At this time the summer lightning played nightly in the far horizon to the eastward over the Transvaal, and was a most beautiful spectacle. Yet, somehow, the rain never came our way, and the veldt was fast losing its mantle of green, and the pools were drying up again. It was not long before " Bis. Mick," whom 1 liave mentioned in the first chapter, paid us a visit. That genial ex-freebooter, having tired once more of town life, was on his way to Mosita, a place a little to the 46 (il'X AND CxVMERA IX SOUTHERX AFRICA westward, where gold had been discovered, and where prospectors were getting to work. Mick turned up one day on a rough white pony, which under his gigantic form looked like a good-sized dog ; an old Snider ritie was slung at his back, and a pipe was in his mouth. In South Africa, where one never knows when one may require it, hospitality is an instinct of self-preservation ; besides, up country one is always glad to see a fresh face. Mick was heartily welcomed. Of course he off-saddled, and we had the pleasure of his company for a couple of days, before he struck again for the gold valleys of Mosita. I fancy our musical tastes had something to do with Mick's stay. His father had been a regimental bandmaster, and Mick himself was passionately fond of music. He played the piccolo, and wherever he went there went his little flute. With Mackay's banjo and Mick's pic- colo, and every song and chorus we could think of, we knocked up two quite decent evenings of music ; and, sitting out under the warm, starlit sky, thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Lime-juice and the whisky bottle were at hand to wet the whistle at need. " Old Thomas " often came round to our kotla to have a pipe and enjoy the music. He was a great conversationalist, with a somewhat roaming tendency, which more often than not bordered on the diffuse. He was a Welshman, and had a knack of putting his speech into doggerel rhyme, which, especially at meal-times, often was more than Mackay and I could well bear. We had then to put down our feet, some- times with a show of heat, and the doggerel vanished perhaps for an hour or two. The old man's experi- ence had been vast, gathered in all countries and under all conditions. FOUR :\rOXTHS IX BAROLOXG HUTS 47 He was out and out the best hand at topping a yarn or an anecdote I ever met with. If a state- ment was made, however florid, or tall, or impossible, Thomas would cap it with some astounding experience in Peru, or Australia, or the States, or even in lonely isles of the Pacific. And all delivered with the most perfect solemnity and sobriety, without fuss or excite- ment. It was wonderful — too wonderful ; our ooroes sometimes rose, and Mackay would express his dis- belief in no measured terms ; the old man would manfully attempt to stop the torrent of opposition, and then subside, only to lie in ambush and emerge again armed with some new and mightier fable. But withal old Thomas was a capital workman, and did good service for us at the Junction. For a remote up-country locality we w^ere fortunate in our neighbours. Just across the Maritsani, less than a mile distant, lived the Gethins, two brothers — one of them married — who were runnins^ cattle and goats on their own farm of 6000 acres. We often shot together, and it was a great treat, after a hot after- noon ramble in search of game, to call in and have a cup of tea at Mrs. Gethin's. I am afraid the quan- tities of tea, or milk, that we drank at these " at homes" would have rather appalled a hostess in England. Then there was the baby — absolutely the only white baby in the district, and a most well- behaved, good-tempered baby, always ready to wel- come us with a smile. He was a capital little chap, perfectly happy whether lying in his cradle, crawling on the floor, or carried in tlie arms of his little Bechuana nurse. After a time Mrs. Gethin lost this girl, and the post was filled by a succession of black boys, who really performed their duties very well, and 48 GUX AXD CAMERA IN SOUTHERN AFRICA were kind and good-tempered with tlie child. The Gethins, like ourselves and other settlers in the district, lived in Bechuana huts, and from the proximity of the cattle kraal, and the abundance of milk, Hies were troublesome in the hot weather. It struck me as a singular instance of the adaptability of the human race, that this white child, recently l)orn in the country, should appear perfectly untroubled l)y the plague of insects. Although half-a-dozen Hies might settle on its face at the same time, it took not the least notice, nor attempted to knock them away ; and when asleep in its cradle was ecjually undisturbed by these irritating visitors. At home, I am certain, an infant of a few months would be excessively worried under similar circumstances. Sometimes Mrs. Getliin mounted her pony and rode wdth us shooting. More than once she was of the greatest assistance in driving geese and ducks towards us as we lay in amljush. A mile above the Gethins' huts a watercourse, called the Mesemi Bpruit, joined the Maritsani ; when rain fell, a broad, shallow vley of water attracted at this point numbers of ducks and geese, widgeon and teal. After a heavy local shower some great spur-Avinged geese paid us a visit, and for a short time gave us pretty sport. The first goose shot formed the piece de resistance at a banquet to which we were invited by the Gethins, and so towards dusk, having put on our coats and our best manners, we rode over. The goose was excellent, and the evening a great success. These little social amenities, which we interchanged now and again, formed very pleasant breaks in our rough up-country existence. Other neighbours we had in Messrs. Knox and Fanshawe, farming fifteen FOUK MONTHS IX BAKOLOXG HI' IS 49 miles further up the Maritsaui, and the Cutlers, who were living five miles away on the Setlagoli, on a farm called Sherwood, in the midst of some of the most beautiful woodland scenery in all Bechuaua- laud. In fact, so thickly did the giraffe acacias grow in this locality, that unless one were actually on the road, it was a difficult matter to " spot ' the neat wattle and daul» cottage in which the Cutlers lived. These were our onlv white neioh))ours. A few miles away, on the further slope of the Setlagoli, was a large kraal of Barolong living under a petty chief called Michael Moroka. Moroka is the son of the chief of a well-known Christianised branch of the Barolong, which had been settled for generations in the present Orange Free State territory, at a place called Thaba N'Chu, near the Caledon River, on the western border of Basutoland. The Free State Boers had long coveted and even threatened this Barolong territory, and at last, a few years since, it was arranged that Moroka should sell his location to the Free State (Tovernment. The tribe then came over to their ancient lands in the Bechuana country, and bought from the British Government two large tracts near Setlagoli, where they now live happil}^ enough under Michael and his uncle Richard Moroka. Michael Moroka's lands marched with ours, and we were very good neighbours, and if we recjuired labour for hut-l)uilding. we (;ould usually get it from his kraal. Michael himself was a smart, well-dressed man, who could speak and write English, owned waggons, and did a good deal of transport-riding a paying Itusiuess for natives; but 1 fancy was rather too apt 50 (;rx AXD CA.Mf:KA J.\ SOUTHEKX AFRICA to be bitten with the meretricious attractions of a temporary sojourn at Kimberley. Our supply of poultry usually came from ^lorokas kraal. These were Ijrought over periodically by a bevy of women and girls, all looking forward, of course, to a delicious morning of palaver and bargaining. The inevitaljle haggle into which we were dragged usually resulted in the purchase of the fowls at the standard price of one shilling a head. Poultry in this country have an extraordinary faculty of disappearance. The liawks and falcons, which are inordinately daring, account for a good many in the course of the season. The (jrethins lost by these winged marauders alone forty fowls in a season. Raptorial birds are very numerous in South- ern Africa ; so numerous that shooting apparently has no sort of effect upon their constantly recruited legions. At certain seasons, when they are most numerous, their audacity is astonishing. A friend of mine, travelling not long since in the Kalahari, was sitting by the waggon preparing for supper. One of his boys was busily plucking some partridges for the pot. While he was in the act, a falcon stooped, seized one of the plucked Ijirds, which was lying close to the fire, and sailed clean aAvay with his booty. I have seen a large hawk stoop at a meer-cat, as it ran across the road less than ten yards in front of me, apparently not in the least abashed by my ])roximity. I had fixMjuently to send into Setlagoli for mails or telegrams. If the Bechuana boys are good for nothing else, they can certainly run post. I have despatclied a young, lathy-looking lad for letters ; and FOUR .MUXTJIS IN r.AKOLOXG HUTS 51 ill seven hours the same hxd has returned to me with his parcel, having compassed the thirty-six miles, over a rough country and under a hot sun, without turning a hair. I am an old athlete myself, and this struck me as a highly creditable performance — remembering that the boy had rested at least an hour at Setlagoli before returning. The ride to Setlaooli from our huts, followino; pretty closely the Setlagoli River, was a pleasant and a picturesque one, and I was always fond of it. First the road led for some miles through the charm- ing woodlands of Sherwood Farm ; then, passing an old prospector's hut and crossing the dry river-bed, one ascended the high slope that rose above the southern bank. For some miles again the road fol- lowed the brow of the uplands. Below ran the river- course, fringed heavily with lirush and camel-thorn ; the forest lands stretched far and wide to the left hand ; in front, as one rode — far towards the horizon — -lay, blue in the distance, the hilly ranges of Koodoo's Rand and Woodhouse Kraal ; l^eyond these again swelled in deeper blue the Kuiiana Hills, just upon the Transvaal border. Presently, after crossing a gentle vale or two. the stony kopje of Setlagoli, crowned with its tiny fort; rose upon the view, and, after an eighteen mile ride, usually compassed at a hand canter in just over two hours, the store and post office were reached, and news of the outer world was to be had. The forest scenery about this country reminded me strongl}^ of the wilder bits of the Surrey woodlands. If the reader knows the woody commons of Ashstead or Bookliam, or other portions of the wild Surrey commonlands, and will exchange in fancy the giraffe acacia of Africa for the oak of England, he 52 GUX AND CAMERA IX SOUTHERN" AFRICA may picture to liimself pretty Ikitlifull}^ luucli of the country about Setlagoli. In these regions, even after tlie brief greenery of summer has gone, there is some repose although the yellow mantle of winter has settled over all. The (lark foliage of the acacias is a pleasant relief to the eye wearied and tortured with the eternal glare of the grass veldt. But, when the woodlands are left behind and the bare grass plains encountered, there is no escape from the fierce pale blue of the hot skies and the blinding dazzle of the sun-scorched veldt. There are two species of vegetation that resist, even upon the shadeless plains, the almost irresistible attack of the African sun. The Vaal-bush, with its grey-green leafage, still holds its own and flourishes, and spreads in some localities very thickly over the country. And down among the long grasses there thrives a graceful feathery plant having about its fronds and leaves something of the fern, something of the acacia. Its root, far embedded in the soil, somewhat resembles that of the horse-radish. The Boers call this graceful plant elands' -boenje (elands' bean), probably from the reason that in the old da.ys the herds of eland fed uj)on the plant or its root. There is little of the bean about it that I have Ijeen able to discover ; but then the Boers have a knack of miscalling things. They call the giraffe " kameel " — a camel ; the name eland itself means an elk, an impossible comparison ; why not therefore call the feathery plant, that spreads in tender green patches here and there over the dry red soil, the elands' bean ? This plant, by the way, furnishes a most excellent tannins^ material, which is well known to FOUR MONTHS IX BAKOLOXG HUT8 53 the natives and ought to Ije of service to Euro- peans also. During our sojourn at the Junction we had many opportunities of studying the Bechuanas and their ways ; and we made this discovery, that as conversa- tionalists and debaters, tliev can oive the average Englishman any numl^er of points. Every man, every woman is a Ijorn talker. Thev have o-ood voices — many of the women and children very l^eautiful voices — they use plentiful and appropriate gesture, and their arguments are acute, weighty, and well reasoned out. In affairs requiring diplomatic management I don't think they have any strong regard for truth ; l)ut then few diplomatists have. In fact, argument, haggling, and the skill of bargaining are with them .elevated to the fine arts ; time is of no ol^ject ; and there is nothing they love more than a downright good "jaw" — as a plain Englishman would call it — lasting half a day or longer. An Englishman has neither the time nor the inclination to waste a morning in argument as to the value of a goat, or the (question whether the price of an article should be lessened or increased by a single shilling. As a rule he either gives way or loses his temper, and stalks off wishing the native at the devil — not seldom the latter, I fancy. We had some Bechuana women to thatch and mud one of the huts. Tliey were very amusing, especially tlieir spokeswoman, a most voluble and finished speaker and actress. We could none of us compre- liend the others, except througli an interpreter, and somehow in tlie middle of the jol) a misunderstand' ing arose as to the price. Our lady friends slid off tlie roof fortliwith. and tlie spokeswoman liarangued 54 <^UX AND CAMERA L\ S0UTHP:KN AFRICA US for nearly lialf-an-hour witliout allowing us to edge in a Avord. She was only clothed in a ragged and extremel}' dirty old blue print gown, the usual loose white cotton blouse that Bechuanas affect when they take to European clothes (they make these Ijlouses them- selves, and they are, when clean, really rather pretty and effective), and an old native straw hat perched on her woolly pate. But her beautiful voice, her diction, running on in smooth Sechuana like the clear flow of a rivulet, and above all her gestures (she was not good-looking, l)ut she had beautiful hands and arms), were things to remember. The woman was a born actress, and would have made her fortune on the stage. x\lthough it was all against ourselves, I think we really enjoyed this lingual _ attack. In its way it was perfect. Ultimately we called in Dottie as interpreter ; the misunderstanding- was settled, after much chaff and laughter, to the satisfaction of all parties ; and the ladies resumed their thatching again, mightily refreshed l)y the " talking to" they had given us. Mackay and I had brought our cameras with us, and, in spite of difficulties with foul and muddy water, took and developed many fairly successful pictures, some of which may be seen among the illustrations. The wonderful sunlight of South Africa is at first rather troublesome to one accustomed to dull English skies. The allowance to be made is immense. Even after months of practice, I found that some of my pictures still had a tendency to over- exposure. Our great difficulty, of course, lay in the development. Our sleeping hut at night made a very good dark room, and, liaving previously been FUUK MOXTHS IX BAROLOXG HUTS 55 at much pain.s to cleanse and filter the only water we had available, we used to work usually from nine or ten P.M. to twelve or one o'clock. Many pleasant evenings were passed in this way. We sat scanning anxiously and lovingly each picture as it slowly de- veloped, and when our friend Dove (who joined us at the end of March), who had meanwhile retired to bed and enjoyed his first sweet snooze, woke up, as he usually did towards the end of the performance, we were ready for him with a batch of sun-pictures, which he then proceeded to criticise by the light of a candle. Considering that, filter and cleanse our water as we might (and we struggled very hard to evolve purity out of filth), the plates, on being taken out of the bath next morning, invariably had a film of mud and sand resting upon them, we were very fairly successful within our limited resources. I myself was a struggling novice, only just beginning to acquire this supremely interesting art. In April and May, when the frosts of winter had set in, Mackay and I found this nightly employment a cold one. We usually, therefore, by means of a spirit lamp made ourselves a brew of hot cocoa and ate a l)iscuit before turnino- in. As the frosts l)ecame more intense, Thomas, during our short journey to Morokweng, built a wonderful chimney on to the hut, and we could then indulge in the luxury of a fire. This chimney was a work of art. In default of bricks, it was niainh' composed of mud, stones, and empty ])ottles — the necks of the ])ottles facing outward, and bristling tier upon tier for all the world like an immense battery of miniature cannon. Crown- ing the edifice, and forming a hideous yet ettective cowl, were two or three large biscuit tins with the 56 GUX AND CAMEKA L\ SOUTHERN AFRICA bottoms knocked out, firmly plastered one above tlie other. Inside we had a large and cosy ingle nook, two flat stones serving as a hearth. Our chimney was the pride of ourselves, the wonder and admira- tion of the neighbourhood. Unfortunately, at a later period during the torrential rains at the end of 1890, the mud plaster became washed away, and the whole edifice fell at once into ruin. CHAPTER III. NATURAL HISTORY NOTES Decadence of great game — Hartebeest, brindled gnu, steiubok, and duyker — Leopards, hyasnas, and jackals — The cheetah — African lynx — Karosses — Yultin-cs and their ways — Eagles, buzzards, and hawks — The secretary-bird — Namaqua doves — Hornbills — The dwarf blossom- pecker and its nest — KoUers— Shrikes— The social weaver-bird — Swallows and swifts — Song-birds — Other Bechuanaland birds — The green tree-snake — Puff-adder — Cobra — Eing-hals and other snakes — The Python— Snake-bite remedies — Insects — The Hottentot god and other PA.asHi(Wrt'— Centipedes and spiders — Butterflies — List of those captured in Bechuanaland and the Kalahari — Protective mimicry and its wonders — How to pack butterflies — Bechuanaland flora — The bitter water-melon : useful in the desert — Jack and Jenny, our tamo baboons — Their interesting traits and tragic ending. In another chapter of this book I show how the wiki life of Bechuanaland has become of late years de- pleted and in many parts exterminated altogether. The great game, which in Livingstone's early days roamed so abundantly over all this country, have been hunted, persecuted and destroyed, till the land knows them no more. A troop or two of hartebeests {Alcelaphiis Caama) still ranged al)0Ut the Maritsani to remind us sadly enough of the magnificent fauna that once thronged these natural pastures. As a rule we left these harte- beests to graze in peace, desiring with our neighbours to see them increase and multiply ; and indeed tliey had become so little accustomed to be shot at, that they were not very shy of displaying themselves. We indulged ourselves so far as to have one turn at 58 (lUX AXl) CA:\IERA in SOUTHERX AFRICA tliem (set forth in Chapter IX.) with our neighbours Knox and Fanshawe, during the month of May ; Ijut, save on this occasion, they were unmolested by us. So confident had they become, that Mr. and Mrs. Gethin hxter in the year, when they took over our dwelling, were for a short time accustomed to see the big red antelopes pass within sight of the huts nearly every day, at a certain hour, on their way from one feeding ground to another. The very last blue wildebeest (brindled gnu) on the Maritsani, which had been accustomed — no doubt for company's sake, poor beast — to consort with the hartebeest, disappeared from the scene only a few months before our arrival. AVhether he was shot ; whether he wandered off westward to the Kalahari in search of more congenial scenes ; or wdiether, in sheer despair at his forlorn state, he died of a broken heart, somewhere in the dense bush near the Marit- sani, heaven only knows. The dainty steinbok [Nanotragus Tragulus) and the stealthy duyker (Cephalopus Mergens) were of course always with us. I know no part of South Africa where they are not to Ije found. Alike inde- pendent, or all ])ut independent of water, they seem to live and thrive as happily in the driest pastures of the Kalahari, as in more favoured spots. In the worst recesses of the North Kalahari " thirst land," at a later period, I met with these antelopes in astonishing numbers— astonishing, I mean, when it is remembered that they run in pairs or singly, and not in herds like the springbok. Common though it is, the tiny steinbok, with its perfect form, brilliant ruddy colouring, slender legs and feet, delicate head and dark melting eyes, is not easily to l)e surpassed. NATURAL HI8T0RY NOTES 59 The little beauty is very wary and wide-awake, and — unless, as sometimes happens, it gives way to an overpowering curiosity — is not easily to be sur- prised. Its speed is something wonderful, and it takes a very smart greyhound indeed to run up to a stein] )ok. Rapidly though South Africa is l)ecoming shot out, these two small antelopes will long survive, and at the present time they may be looked for all through Bechuanaland as a certain addition to the day's bag, even when bird-shooting, if the guns are held straight enough. We had a few leopards prowling about the run. A prospector, who met a brace of them on the veldt, was nearly frightened out of his skin, and beat a hasty retreat, and one of the Gethins came across another in the bed of the Maritsani. Occasionally the " tigers," as all South Africans call them, came round the kraals at night ; later on they killed three of the Gethins' goats at a sitting, ])ut as a rule nothing was seen or heard of these nocturnal marauders. T rememl)er them in the mountains of Cape Colony as far fiercer and more troublesome neighbours. Hyaenas [Ilycena Ct'ocuta and Ilijcena Brunnea) — always called wolves locally^ — still existed, but were not plentiful. After our departure, however, the elder Gethin had a valuable horse destroyed by one or more of these brutes. A spring-gun was set, but the hyaena escaped with the loss of part of a jaw, which it may l)e hoped put an end to its rapacious career. That curious creature the aard-wolf {Froteles Cris- tatus), not a true hyaena, althougli related to this liideous family, is still plentiful in Becliuanaland ; 6o GUX AND CAMERA IN SOUTHERX AFRICA and its handsome striped skin is much sought after ])y the natives. Jackals, whose eerie cry imparts a distinct access of mehincholy to the lonely veldt, were of course to be heard at night. These and the hyaenas feasted right royally in May, when the carcasses of five or six of our horses, which died of horse-sickness, had to be al)andoned to the veldt scavengers. o The silver jackal (Canis Mesomelas) or " pukuye "' of the Bechuanas, and the Cape fennec [Megcdotis Capensis), " motluse " of the Bechuanas, are both in high request among the natives for the sake of their skins, from which very beautiful karosses are made. A large silver jackal kaross, composed of from twelve to fourteen skins, costs even up-country as much as from ^4 to ^6, los., that of the motluse rather less. The hunting of jackals, leopards, caracals, and other fur-producing animals, and the manufacture of their skins into karosses — most beautifully sewn with fine sinew — is, and has always been, a chief industry of the Bechuanas. The African cheetah (Felis Jubata), called ]>y the Boers oddly enough "luipard," in contradistinction to the leopard, which they perversely designate "tiger" (there is of course no tiger in Africa), is still found in British Bechuanaland. There is not much in common between the cheetah and the leo^Dard, although there is a rough family likeness. The mark- ings differ widely if closely inspected ; the cheetah is much taller on the leg and more dog-like, and this dissimilarity is more readily apparent l)y comparison of the foot of either animal — which can be done at the Zoological Gardens. The cheetah's foot is dog- like in the sense that the claws are non-retractile ; NATURAL HISTORY XOTES Ci the leopard's foot is of the strongest feline type, and the claws are sheathed and unsheathed at will. The South African cheetah is of a shy and secretive dis- position and is seldom seen ; but the feet that its skin is pretty often procured by the natives (usually by snaring or by hunting with dogs), and frequenth' sold in karosses, is proof positive that its occurrence is less rare than many people imagine. iVnother of the felidae found commonly all over Bechuanaland, and highly valued for its skin, is the red-cat or African lynx (Rooi kat of the Boers ; Tuane of the Bechuanas; Fells Caracal of naturalists). A good red-cat kaross is always worth in Bechuana- land from ^4 to ^5. There is a general tradition that the skin of this handsome animal is a certain remedy against rheuma- tism. Many people in the country swear l)y them and use them as blankets. I am inclined to think from personal experience that there is some peculiar virtue in a red-cat kaross. • It is certain that the fur has a high faculty of attracting electricity. I re- member travelling down by post-cart from Khama's with a red-cat kaross in my possession. During one night in particular the kaross was absolutely charged with electricity ; if one stroked the fur a sheet of sparks appeared in the darkness, and the crisp crackling was very remarkal)le. Probably this electrical tendency or capacity has something to do with the high reputation' which this skin undenial>]\- possesses throughout South Africa. The skin of the serval [Felis Serva/), a handsome tiger-cat, and of some of the viverrida3 — among which the civets, genets, and meerkats (Soutli African ichneumons) are to be found —are also much sought 62 GTW AM) CAMKKA L\ S()rTHP:RN AFRICA after l)y the natives for kaross-makiiig. (.)ne of the handsomest karosses is made from the skins of the ])lotched genet {(jrenetta Tigrina), a very handsome clouded tabby. A good kaross of this skin sells readily up-country for £'^ or £6. The kaross industry is a traditional and very ancient one among the Bechuanas. Their skin cloaks in the old days were sought far and wide by other tribes. No other people can so deftly shape and sew them. few indeed attempt it. In the course of the year, among the various Bechuana tril)es from the Zambesi to the Vaal River, karosses to the value of some thousands of pounds are sold to the up-country traders. Hunting and snaring is systematically con- ducted ; the long grass of the desert is periodically set on fire, so that hunting with dogs may l)e more readily pursued ; and throughout the Kalahari, the Vaalpense and Bushmen, vassals of the various Bechuana tribes, are always at work collecting skins, which in turn are gathered together by a chief or headman from headquarters on his annual visitation. It is impossible to deal fully in these pages with the avi-fauna of Bechuanaland. A Ijook of serious dimensions would be required for such a purpose. I can ])ut briefly indicate here some of the more common of the innumeraljle forms of bird life which at all times were to be seen about us. First let me note a few of the raptorial l)irds in which Bechuanaland, and indeed all Africa, is so particularly rich. Vultures, true lovers of all broad and open countries, are, of course, to be seen when game is shot, or an ox or horse lies dead ; not, as I have seen it stated, " as thick as leaves in autumn," but in great numbers. NATURAL HISTORY NOTES 63 The commonest kinds are the sociable or bhick vul- ture/ [Otogyps Auricularis), zwart aasvogel of the Boers ; the common fulvus vulture {Gyps Vulgaris), aasvogel of the colonists ; and the white-headed vulture ( Vultur Occipitalis) ; the small Egyptian vulture (Neophron Percyiopterus), witte kraai (white crow) of the Boers, is also fairly common. I do not think that these repulsive but useful birds can be found in any place more numerous or more destructive than in the Hat country along the Lake River, Ngamiland. My hunting friend, Dove, and I had many instances of this. I rememl)er well Dove one day shot a springbok, and, riding to the waggons, at once sent out some l)oys to fetch in the meat. When the boys arrived, in less than half-an- hour, there was not an atom of flesh and very little skin to be found — the \^ultures had left little but the clean picked bones. On another occasion my after-rider, Joseph, and I had each shot two giraffe in the space of fifteen minutes. 1 returned quickly to the two larger animals, which had been shot first, in order to skin and save the heads, Alas ! before I could return I saw, half-a-mile oft', the vultures descending in swarms. To my intense disgust, on getting up 1 found the eyes and the large soft lips of the dead giraftes, the softest portions of the body, picked clean ; the heads wei-e utterly spoilt for setting up, and I had to content myself with tlie feet, tails, and slabs of the immenselv thick skin. I have seen two laroe elands, as bio" as cows, picked clean in a few hours. The numbers and the eating capacities of these birds in a wild desert country —where I suppose they are not in tlie liabit ' Tlie iiluiuage of this vultiiri' is not lilack. lnit lnown. 64 GUX AXJ) CAMERA IX SOUTHKRX AFRICA of dining each day punctually — seem to l)e illiniit- aljle. That vultures usually find their prey by sight and not by scent is, I think, utterly beyond (question. Far up in the heavens, out of sight of the human eye, the great birds range and quarter the sky, far apart from and yet within sight of one another. When a death happens below, the nearest ■vulture instantly perceives it and sails down. His nearest neighbour, distant though he is, observes the signal with that wonderful sight of his, and straight- way follows. He is succeeded by others ; the signal of death flies instantly through space, and scores upon scores of the voracious birds come swooping down to earth. Scent can have no possible part in the case of a dead animal lying upon open plains with vultures so far away in the sky as to be beyond the vision of man. That vultures, however, have some power of scent, and can upon suitable occasion use it, I have no doubt. Darw^in, in his " Voyage of the Beagle," has some interesting notes on the condor of South America, all going to prove that these birds trust entirely to sight and not to their powders of scent. We shot one or two specimens of the great zwart aasvogel at the Junction (at the time they were feeding on our dead horses), for the sake of the wings, which are magnificent. The length of this, the largest of all South African vultures, is 4 feet or thereal)0uts, the wing measures 2 feet 8 or 10 inches, and the spread of l)0th when extended looks enormous. There are, I think, few finer or more suggestive sights in the natural world than a band of vultures soaring and circling far up in the blue atmosphere, watching some prey Ijeneath. The majesty of their flight, the XATUEAL HISTORY NOTES 65 wonderful ease and grace of their aerial circles, sweeps, and whirls, are the very triumph of motion, the perfection of sustained force. Of eao-les, the commonest throuohout Bechuana- land is undoubtedly the Bateleur eagle [Helotarsus Ecaudatus), notable for its jet-black body-colouring, rufous back and tail — the latter curiously short and stumpy — crested head, orange cere (the bare skin near the base of the V)ill), and crimson feet. This bold, fierce, and striking bird is usually to be seen soaring over the l)road plains, and makes its nest at the top of the highest and thorniest acacia tree it can dis- cover. Eiding one day on the flats between AVood- house Kraal and Setlagoli, we startled a sitting eagle of this genus off" her nest — a rough bundle of dry sticks — and Mackay jumped off" and immediately got up the tree. He found one Qgg only, a large creamy white one, and got for his pains a most terrible scratchinor, the tree beino- a mass of thorns. The Senegal eagle {Aquila Senegalla), sometimes called the tawny eagle {Aquila Nwvioides), a fine eagle well known in Cape Colony, is also fairly abundant in Bechuanaland. A small, handsome eagle known as the spotted-breasted hawk-eagle [Spizaetiis. Spilogastor) is not uncommon. We shot a good specimen close to our huts at the Junction, and at once identified it. The general colouring is dark brown, much variegated with white. The under parts are white, blotched and marked with dark brown. The tail is grey, barred with lu'own and white-tipped. The legs and thighs are white and lieavily feathered. The cere, feet, and eye are greenish yellow. This eagle rarely exceeds 24 inches in leno'th — an inch or two less is a fair averaoe. 66 OUX AND CAMERA IX SOUTHERN AFRICA The specimen shot at the Junction was perched on a dead tree, a habit to whicli this species is rather attaclied. These three eaoles and the African fishino' eaole (Hcdiaetus Vocifer), which latter was very abundant on the Botletli River at a later period, were the only four eagles specifically identified by me during this sojourn in South Africa. We often saw eagles far up in the sky, but were unable to identify them ; and these great raptorial l;)irds are not always anxious to offer themselves for a closer inspection. The jackal Inizzard {Buteo Jackal) and desert buzzard [Buteo Desertorum) are found in Bechuana- land, the latter plentifully. Of kites, the l)lack kite {Milviis Ater) and the yellow-billed kite [Milvus Parasiticus) are plentiful. Tliese birds appear just before the rains. Hawks and falcons are too numerous to dwell upon, fascinating as are their appearance and habits. I had determined if possible to make a complete collection of the skins of Bechuanaland hawks. I began fairly well, Ijut from loss of arsenical soap, the ravages of a small skin-destroying beetle, and white ants, and much moving about, I was forced to re- lintjuish my task. I brought a few skins home, two of which, the many-zoned sparrow-hawk {Accipiter Polyzonoicles) and the chanting hawk {Melierax Musicus), l)lue hawk of the colonist, are given in the frontispiece. Of these two, the beautiful little sparrow-hawk is of a dainty pearl-grey, the back and wings rather darker ; the stomach is whitish, strongly banded with thin brown bars. The tail is lono- and white-tipped, and V)arred with brown. The cere and legs are yellow. This charming little hawk, which NATURAL HLSTOKY NOTES 67 measures just under a foot in length, was shot near to our huts on the Maritsani. The chanting hawk (so christened more than a hundred years ago by Le Vaillant the French naturalist), a much larger hawk, extending to two feet in length, is also of a pearl- grey colouring, white as to the stomach, which is marked Ijy brownish lines. The shoulders are lighter coloured, the rump white. It is easily identified by the larger wing feathers, which are black. This splendid member of the great family of falcouidas, which is common all over South Africa, was shot by Dove in a big camel-thorn tree at Mosita, sixteen miles west of our huts at the Junction. Here, briefly, are some of the many hawks and falcons to be found in and near Bechuanaland, most of which at some time or another fell to our guns : Kufous-necked falcon [Falco ruJicoUis), shot by me on the Botletli River in July ; South African peregrinoid falcon (Falco Minor), a small edition of the well-known peregrine ; South African lanneroid falcon (Falco hiarmicus) ; tlie hobby (Hiipotriorchis suhhuteo) ; western red-footed hobby (ErytJiropus Vespertinus), very plentiful during the rains ; grey- winged kestrel (Tinnunculus cenchris) ; lesser South African kestrel (Tinnimculus rnpicolus), very com- mon ; greater South African kestrel (Tinnunculus rupicoloich's), shot l)y me at T'Klakane waterpits, North Kalahari ; (Ta})ar hawk (Melierax gabar), common nortli and south of the Orange Riv^er ; Tachiro sparrow-liawk (Accipiter Tachiro) ; minulle .sparrow-hawk (Accipiter minullus), identified in North Bechuanaland and on the Botletli River ; and, to complete my list, Swainson's harrier (Circus Swainsouii) and Le Vaillant's harrier (Circus ran- 68 GUX AND CAMEKA L\ SOUTHERX AFRICA ivorus), l)Otli seen near the Limpopo auel Botletli Rivers. It must not l)e understood that this catalogue ex- hausts, or anythino' like exhausts, the falconida3 of Beehuanaland and its adjacent territories, by which I include the Kalahari and Botletli River countries. It would l)e matter of impossibility, in so vast a country, for a score of the most ardent collectors to arrive at even an approximate list in the course of several seasons. The difficulties of the country ; the fact that one far oftener carries the rifle than the shot gun, when in the game country ; and the differ- ences in migrations caused hj vevy wet or very dry seasons, all have to be remem])ered. But this family of the falconidse is so full of interest and of l)eauty, that it would be well worth the while of a collector to devote himself to it alone during a whole season. I am convinced that the result would add consider- ably to our existing knowledge of African raptorial birds. The curious secretary l)ird {Sagittarius secreta- rius), that strange l)lending of the A'ulture, the falcon, and the bustard, is plentiful all over Beehuanaland. Indeed, north of the A^aal River one is never very long without seeins; it. On one occasion Mackav, 8t. Stephens, and myself were riding from St. Stephens' camp to the Junction, accompanied by several dogs. A secretary l)ird chased ])y the dogs, after running very swiftly, at last got up, flew a couple of hundred yards or so, dropped again, ran, and was again put up by the dogs. This performance, which took place upon a huge flat, went on during an exciting chase of two miles or more, and, although we had a oood view of the run, bird and dos^s orot NATURAL HISTORY XOTES 69 right away from us. At length the secretary appeared completely exhausted, was run into by the leading dog (Ponto), and quickly killed by the pack (which included, I am sorry to say, two South African pointers), all of which seemed more or less ashamed of themselves when we galloped up. For curiosity's sake we opened the secretary, and found its stomach to contain the following items : One small tortoise (not yet dead), one mouse, four lizards, and a large quantity of locusts. There were no snakes or remains of snakes, nor were there any indications that the great bird had been recently feeding on hares or game Inrds, as has been often asserted. By this I do not wish to imply that the secretary bird does not eat serpents or the young of game ; it is certain that he often destroys the former, and in my judg- ment he is exceedingly likely to devour the latter. As neither I nor my friends are wilful slayers of these interesting l)irds, I should mention that we were powerless to prevent our dogs killing the secretary on this occasion. This bird is a poor flyer, and seldom makes use of his wings if he can help it. Occasionally he will take a little journey into the air with a snake in his beak, and, as on this occasion, when pursued will make a series of short, shallow flights, with intervals of running. I have never seen one indulge in long or sustained iiight, nor do I think they are capable of it. Indefatigable walkers these ])irds certainly are ; and the solemn, business-like way in which they stalk the veldt is unmistakable even at a long distance. Besides raptorial birds and the various game birds — of which I treat in ( 'liapter XXII. — we had an infinite \ariety of bird life about us. I can only 70 CiUX AXI) CA:^rERA IX SOrTHERX AFRICA here make brief mention of a few of the more noticeable. When ^\e stepped out of our huts in tlie morning and strolled in our pyjamas for a few paces to look round and inhale the fresh, cool air and bid good- mornino; to the tame baboons, the first birds almost certain to meet our eyes were half-a-dozen tiny Namaqua doves {jEna Capeiisis ; La Tourterette of Le Vaillant), which, with an assured sense of trust and safety, were to be found walking swiftly hither and thither in the sand just outside our kotla, pick- ing up crumbs, grain, grass seeds, or whatever else they could find. Often they were inside the kotla at our very door. In the long list of African doves and pigeons there is none more dainty or more beau- tiful than this friendly, diminutive creature. Imagine a tiny dove of nine or ten inches in length, at least five of which go for tail, of the most daintily perfect form and carriage ; ash-coloured as to its upper colouring ; rich red as to the wing feathers, which are darkly edged with brown ; bluish with purple spots as to the secondaries ; the breast, throat, chin, and cheeks of glossiest jet Ijlack;^ the tail succes- sively barred in white, black, and again black ; with purplish pink legs and feet, and pink and orange- tipped bill, and you have before you this matchless bird. The Namaqua dove spends much of its time upon the ground ; at other times it is to l)e seen or heard in bushes and low trees, and its deep, tender " coo " is a sweet and welcome sound. Common as it is all over South Africa (we met with it with the keenest pleasure even l)y the far-off, isolated pools of 1 I am describing the male 1)iid, tlie female has less black about her. NATURAL HISTORY XOTES 71 the North Kalahari), it is universally admired. These birds are easily tamed, and I much regretted that my subsequent wanderings prevented my bringing a pair home with me. In the camel-thorn oroves near us were alwavs to be seen numbers of interesting birds. Prominent among these were queer, bizarre hornljills and l)rilli- ant plumaged rollers — the latter invariably miscalled lilue jays by up-country colonists. The yellow-billed hornbill ('Tockus flavirostris) is pretty generally distributed throuohout Bechuanaland in suitalilv woody localities. Its curious yapping cry, Toc-toc- toc, often repeated and varied, is soon familiar. In the Protectorate, after passing into the Bangwaketse country, the red-l)illed hornbill {Tockus erythro- rhynchus) is also seen. This species, known to the Bechuanas as the korwe, nests in holes of the camel- thorn or mopani. The curious imprisonment of the hen l)ird of this and other hornbills on these occa- sions was first noticed by Livingstone. When she enters tlie hole or hollow place for incubation, the male Inrd carefully plasters up the entrance with mud, so that just enough space is left for feeding- purposes, to which he devotes himself until the young- are ready to fly. The natives are well aware of this habit, and proceed to capture the unfortunate hen bird, which from lack of exercise becomes plump and attractive, and, imprisoned as she is, falls an easy prey. There are other instances of a like tyranny — for surely it is a species of tyranny — to the hen bird during the period of incubation and nursing. A small l)ird which often nests along the river beds of Bechuanaland and other parts of South Africa 72 r;rx and c A:\rERA ix s()uthp:rx africa undergoes a somewhat similar captivity. Tliis is the Paroides Capensls or dwarf hlossom-pecker, a tiny, greenish-yellow ])ird of the titmouse family. The nest of this diminutive creature is a triumph of art. It consists of some fluffy, cotton-like vegetable fil)re, usually of a whitish colour, woven, into the consis- tency of strong felt. The nest is oval-shaped, and is securely fastened to a branch or twig ; the aperture is about the centre of the nest, and consists of a small pipe or spout, which is, it is said, in ease of danger 23ulled inside and closed at will. Underneath this is a sort of hollow or pocket, where the male bird sits on guard during the period of incubation. These beautiful nests, of which we brouglit some specimens home, are well known, and are regarded as curiosities all over South Africa. Although the hen bird thus undergoes a Aveary imprisonment, Imtli in the case of the ugly huge-billed yet striking hornljill, and of the tiny three-inch titmouse, the male l)ird has no very good time of it either. What with feeding the broody lady before inculcation, and herself and her progeny afterwards, her husband has Cjuite enough of it, and, as is well known in the case of the hornbill, becomes himself worn to a feeble shadow. The rollers (so-called blue jays of the colonists), with their Hashing and most brilliant plumage of greens, violets, lilac, rufous, and pale and dark blues, and the curious rocking flight^ from which they take their name, are always familiar and welcome oV)jects in woody parts of Bechuanaland. The bird is a swdft, often a high tiyer, and not always easily to be shot. The lilac-breasted roller {Coracias 1 This rocking flight has been very well compared Ijy C .J. Andersson to the motion of a hoy's kite when falling to the si-onnd. NATURAL HISTORY JJ'OTES 73 Caudata), Moselikatse's bird, as some call it, was common about the Junction, even during tlie dry season. Further up-country we often encountered anotlier member of this family, the handsome white-naped roller (Coracias Nuchalls). Coming down by train from Vryburg to Kimberley during the tremendous rains of February 1 89 1 , I saw vast numbers of tliese same rollers — easily distinguished l)y their rufous colouring — between Taungs and Kimberley. Many were sitting on the telegraph wires and posts, and they were to be seen right away down to Kimberley. On inquiry I found that this unwonted migration had been observed by Kimberley people, and that the T)ird had before l^een little if ever noticed in these parts. 1 presume the abnormal summer rains of 1890-91 had In'ought them so far south. Many members of that interesting ftimily the shrikes are to l)e found in Bechuanaland. The most striking is the crimson-breasted shrike (Laniarius at rococc incus ; korokoba of the Bechuanas), which is widelv distributed in ])ushy localities. I found this bird fairly plentiful in some dense bush fring- ing a dry watercourse near Woodhouse Kraal. The brilliant crimson feathering which extends over the whole of the under part, from the throat to the tail, affords, I think, one of the finest bits of colour to he seen in bird life. The upper portions, including the parts immediately beneath the wings, are wholly black, with tlie exception of a white stripe running from the shoulder to the end of the wing. This and otlier members of tlie family have a clear and pleasing note. One of the helmet shrikes (Priimops tcdeacoma), a Ijlack and white bird, which is to be 74 <^-yy AXI) CAMEKA IX SOUTHERX AFRICA seen in small flocks, is reputed to 1)e much attached to the Burchell zebras found further up-country — perching on their Ijacks and titillating their skins after the manner of starlings with sheep at home. The shrikes pursue in Africa their slaughtering- habits much as does our butcher-bird in Enfjland. Further down in the Cape Colony there is a well- known shrike (Lanlus Collaris), which goes among the Dutch by the name of the " Fiskal" — the Fiskal, or Crown-Prosecutor, being in the old days of the Batavian Government an officer by whose exertions criminals were brought to justice and executed. The ancient Dutch name is by no means a bad one, and the "execution dock" of this Vurd, consisting usually of thorns, aloe-spikes, and other engines of terror, whereon may be seen displayed beetles, locusts, snakes, and even mice and lizards, is surely cal- culated to drive fear into the minds of evil-doers, or well-doers either. This shrike is replaced in Bechuanaland by a very near relative, the coroneted shrike [Lanius suhcoronatus) , a bird equally as fierce and daring as its Cape congener, and only to be distinguished from it by the white marking upon the forehead and over the eye. The general upper colouring; is dark brown, almost l)lack, with a white V-like marking ; the under parts are drabbish white ; the tail feathers black and white. I have many times come upon the larder of these birds among the thorns of acacia bushes — a ghastly ])Ut interesting garniture. In the o;iraffe-acacia forests near the Setlaooli and Maritsani rivers the huge grassy dwellings in which the social weaver-birds, sometimes called the social grosbeaks (Philceterus socius), make their colonies NATURAL HISTORY NOTES 75 in common were, I think, more abundant than in any other part of the interior. These collections of nests consist of dense masses of long dry grasses heaped upon the branches in the shape of a huge hay-cock. The pile is firmly compacted, umbrella-like in shape, and often covers the greater portion of the tree. At the bottom of this mass, where it is dressed to a flat, even surface, the little brown weaver-birds pierce their nests, a whole flock settlino- in one estab- lishment. This habitation presents a most curious and striking spectacle. As a resting-place pure and simple, it probably forms one of the cosiest dwellings used by feathered fowl ; rain and even wind having no terrors for the occupants. Swallows and swifts are of course visitants in Bechuanaland. I saw little of them after the rains of the beginning of 1 890 until the wet season again appeared at the end of the year. The common chimney swallow of Europe (Hirundo rustica) is a well-known visitant to the extremity of Southern Africa. I think an even more beautiful bird is the Cape swallow [Hirundo Capensis), whose colouring- is perfect in its way. The back is blue-black ; the wings and tail are green-black ; the head, rump, neck-collar, breast, and stomach, are all of a rich rufous-brown ; and as the bird flashes hither and thither, or sits upon some vantage coign near at hand, one cannot sufficiently admire its colouring. It is even more attached to the dwellings of man- kind than its European cousin, and is a welcome resident inside the liouse of many a Dutch colonist in South Africa, where it usually fastens its nest to the reed roof and centre beam. To such a point is the little favourite tolerated that a ])oard is usuallv 76 (a;X AND CA:\IERA IX 8(JUTHERN AFRICA fixed immediately beneath the nest so as to prevent fouling upon the dining-table, which happens often to stand immediately below. This swallow performs contract on its part l)y ridding the Dutchman's house of vast numbers of the swarms of Hies with which it is infested. This is, I think, one of the few instances in which the Boer of South Africa is known to Ijestow any sort of care upon wild animal life, and in this rare instance it is manifestly for his own comfort. One cannot help but look upon the swallows, even in Africa, as old friends. One connects them instinctively with the old country. Some of them, at least the red-throated ones, have winged their flight over the hot face of Africa from the far-oft' northern lands ; some of them may have ])uilt their nests Ijeneath the brown thatched eaves, or round the storm-worn chimneys of some quiet English hamlet, nay, even perchance the very village in Northamptonshire one remembers from childhood ; some of them may have flitted, hawked, and played about the lush grasses, and dipped among the cool, golden buttercups of English meads. It is pleasant at all events to picture these things to one's mind as one rides amid the dry vast plateaux-lands or the sun-scorched karroos of Southern Africa. Riding up from Vryburg to Setlagoli in March 1890, I saw many thousands of these Cape swallows seated upon the telegraph wires or Hocking in the air. They were evidently collecting for their return to some other part of Africa. It is a singular fact that this swallow passes through Bechuanaland and other parts of the interior on its passage to the Cape, where it arrives in September. In Bechuanaland it does not settle until another month or two later. NATUEAL HISTORY NOTES 77 The swifts, of wliicli several kinds are to be seen in South Africa, are, like the swallows, only periodical visitants ; but there is a very pretty martin, the fawn-breasted martin [Cotyle fuligula), which re- mains in South Africa all the year round. Upon the same ride from Vryburg my attention was much attracted by the odd ways of a handsome lark [Megaloi^honus apiatus), well known to the Dutch colonists as the " clapert leeuwerk." This bird, which is found commonly upon the vast flats of Bechuanaland, is of a greyish upper colouring, handsomely marked in red, dark brown, black and wdiite, and has a brown speckled, pale -yellowish breast. Its habit is most singular. It rises close to the passer-ljy suddenly and without warning from the long grass, and, beating its wings so violently that quite a loud clapping is heard, flies upward straight as a line for twenty or thirty feet, then gives one long- whistle and falls to earth as quickly as it rose. This seems to the traveller rather an idiotic performance, yet the lark probably has good reason for it. I can come to no other conclusion than that this habit is purely one of defiance. Larks are notoriously pugnacious birds, and the "clapert leeuwerk's" noisy little flight may be nothing more than an intimation of displeasure at intrusion upon the wastes it loves to frequent, or a challenge to mortal combat. " God's poets," as some one (Mortimer Collins, I think) has well called the singing birds, are not proportionately anything like so numerous in Africa, or of such beautiful voices, as are our songsters at home. Radiancy of colouring here, as in other hot countries, too often goes with a voiceless or harsh- throated l)ird. Yet now and again, especially al)0ut 78 (U'X AN]) CAMERA IX SOUTHERN AFRICA the season of the rains, one hears a beautiful song or an exquisite note. When the melody is heard, it may be attributed pretty safely to one of the warblers or reed- warblers, perchance even the Euro- pean warbler, which is found thus far south ; or to the wheatears, larks, thrushes, or Berg canaries ; or perhaps it l)elongs to a drongo or white-browed widow-bird. Among the many varieties of birds to be found in Bechuanaland at various seasons and places, besides those I have mentioned, there are owls, night-jars, kingfishers, sun birds, woodpeckers, honey guides, cuckoos (among wdiich appears the European cuckoo, Cuculus canoriis), crows (chiefly black and white), herons, storks, cranes, plovers, many of the snipe family (Scolopaciche), wagtails, bulbuls, orioles, fly- catchers, w^eaver Inrds, finches, sparrows, grosbeaks, and many others. More than twenty-five years ago, when the coun- tries north of the Orange River were comparatively little known, Mr. E. L. Layard had catalogued and described, in his excellent " Birds of South Africa," no less than 702 species occurring south of the twenty- eighth parallel of south latitude. If his labours could have l)een continued to the present day and extended as far as the Zambesi, the list would possibly be nearly doubled. Andersson's " Birds of Damaraland " (which in- cludes other adjacent countries of South-west Africa), published in 1872, shows a list of 428 birds, many of which are, of course, included in Layard's catalogue. Before I conclude these notes on avi-fauna, let me say that no wayfarer in South Africa, who takes an interest in bird life, should be without these two NATURAL HISTORY XOTES 79 l)ooks as references. They will be found most useful, and will often settle to his satisfaction a perplexing- point in identity. Although South Africa is fairly supplied with snakes, they appear in nothing like the abundance of India, nor do people trouble themselves very nmch about them. Towards the beginning of winter, i.e., aljout the month of May, when nightly frosts appear, they seem to vanish from the scene almost entirely. From the end of May to the end of Sep- tember, when traversing the vast stretch of country between Mafeking and the Botletli River, I saw positively only one snake- — and that a small one, encountered on the Hats bordering the Lake River. ( )n the other hand, in February, March, and April, round about our huts at the Junction, serpents of various kinds had been pretty numerous. We had an old kraal fence of thorn-bush near to us, which, I think, harboured, as these fences always will do, a good many of these undesirable neighbours. One mornino- we killed a laroe oreen tree-snake in the thatch of our stable. Curiously enough — as bear- ing out the familiar Afrikander theory that a dead snake will always attract its fellow — on the very next day a scuttle was heard among our dogs in a jjieee of })ush a few yards away from our living hut, and, on running out, there was a magnificent tree-snake, in all the radiance of its wonderful grass-green colour- ing, standing up fiercely and showing fight. Quickly arming ourselves with sticks, we put an end to its career. These green tree-climbers, which extend to seven or eight feet in length, and taper off greatly towards the tail, are, I think, the most active among African 8o TiUX AND CAMERA IX SOUTHERN AFRICA snakes. Their movements are liglitning-like. I once saw a dog pick one up and run with it. The move- ments of that snake were astounding ; it seemed to flash every way, and when it freed itself temporarily (it was killed with a ^\'aggon whip afterwards), its pace was positively terrific. This snake [Bucephalus viridis) is usually called a mamba in Bechuanaland, and is looked upon as highly poisonous. In reality it is no mamlta at all, I believe, and from the con- formation of its head, I doubt very much if it is poisonous. At the same time, I would not care to test the question in a practical manner upon myself. But the fact that the dog I speak of ran at least a hundred yards with one of these snakes in its mouth, the said snake striking all the time at its captor, and the dog afterwards taking no hurt what- ever, ofters strong presumption of the harmlessness of this brilliant reptile. Another species of tree-snake (^Bucephalus Capensis) of a less Ijrilliant colouring is occasionally met with. The puff-adder { Vipera arietans) is common in Bechuanaland, as elsewhere in South Africa. Fortu- nately this deadly snake is excessively sluggish in its haliits, and can be easily avoided, and as easily killed. On the other hand, its colour is strongl}^ protective, and it is very fond of lying al)Out on roads and paths, partially buried in the sand, and at night especially is liable to be trodden upon with dire results. It is very amusing to see a swarm of small birds flutterino; and chatterinoj around their common enemv with a strange blending of anger and fear. Our attention was called in this way to a puft'-adder close to our huts ; and the snake w^as quickly put NATURAL HISTORY N^OTES 8i an end to and bottled in Boer brandy. The hideous, broad, flattened head, and vile, wicked eye of this loathsome reptile convey instantly to the beholder the patent warning of its deadly poisoning powers. The African cobra {JVaja Ilajc), which varies in colour from yellowish to a dark brown— almost black at times — -is tolerably common. After rain, we occa- sionally found them indulging in tepid baths in tlie shallow pools and vleis near the river-bed. These are active, and at times rather aggressive snakes, and they too are deadly poisonous. The darker varieties of this cobra are usually called black mambas. I believe this to be a mistake. I have had no experi- ence of the dreaded mambas of Natal (green or black), but I am inclined to think they are not identical with the so-called maml)as of Bechuanaland, which are, in fact, the green tree-snake and the dark- brown cobra. The ring-hals [Sepedon hcemacliatis) ; the scliaap- sticker (sheep sticker) {coluber Rhomheatus) ; the horned viper," hornjesmann " of the Boers {Vipera cornuta) ; and the Berg adder or Cape adder ( Vijyei'a atropos), are also met with, A pretty and very slender riband snake is sometimes to be seen crawl- ing about the branches of bush and shrubl.)er}\ Once, while out bird-shooting, I all but ran into one as I went to pick up a winged partridge. I had the pleasure— for I believe in destro}dng snakes when- ever and wherever met with — of blowing the reptile to atoms a moment afterwards ; although I am not at all certain that this is a poisonous species. The protective colouring of this slim serpent, its greenish- yellow and black riband markings, harmonising as they do very wonderfully with the foliage among 82 iiU^ AND CA:\IERA IX SOUTHERX AFRICA wliicli it creeps, renders it often a hard matter to pick out/ Huge pythons — called ])y the natives tari — which are possessed of a certain amount of constrictive power and are dangerous to small antelopes and such- like animals on which they prey, are occasionally met with. We had them about the Maritsani, l)ut in spite of their bulk and length — they attain as much as twenty feet — they have a strange faculty of concealment, and are seldom seen. Two were shot upon our land during two years. One of these was found with a partially digested steinbok in its interior. Another, shot by Mr. P. Gethin near the huts after our departure, measured over sixteen feet in leno;th. AYhen, I wonder, is a reliable antidote against the terrors of snake-poisoning to be given to the world ? I noticed not lono- since that Dr. Calmettes, residiuo' at Salomon in Cochin China, had, as it was stated, proved to demonstration that subcutaneous injec- tion of chloride of gold, applied before apoplectic symptoms supervene, is an infallil)le remedy. One would like to hear more aljout this. (_)n the other hand, one cannot always carry about, or even pro- cure, chloride of gold and an injector when far away up-country in the African veldt. In the case of the ])ite of a healthy puft-adder, I fear the apoplectic symptoms would supervene long before one's camp or waggon could be reached ; probably ten minutes or a C|uarter of an hour would suffice in an extreme case against all the remedies in the world, ' 1 am by no means certain that this slender riljand-snake may not turn out to be merely the young of a tree-snake. A plate in Smith's "Zoology of South Africa" gives me this impression. ^'ATUKAL HISTORY NOTES 83 As a matter of fact, 1 may mention for tlie comfort of intending colonists or settlers that the yearly butcher's bill from snake-liite in South Africa is an absurdly small one, and stout boots and pigskin gaiters are perhaps the very l)est all-round safeguards that can be suggested. Croft's Tincture, an old and tried South African remedy, is really, I believe, efficacious if used in time, and a l)ottle can always be kept at hand in the hut or waggon. A bottle or two of neat l^randy or whisky, administered as rapidly as may be, is one of the soundest remedies against snake poison, and is the antidote usually resorted to by the Dutch farmers. Of insects we had naturally many kinds about us. Saving, however, the house-fly, which during the hot season — and especially just before the rains fall — is somewhat of a trial, insects are not a supreme source of trouble in Bechuanaland. Many of them, indeed, are of great interest, and well repay a little observation. The curious praying mantis, or Hot- tentot god, as it is often called, perched upon the diniug-table for the l)enefit of the company, fre- quently afforded us immense amusement. This insect ])elongs to the Phasmidce, in which are in- cluded the leaf, spectre, and walking-stick insects, a numerous family in Africa. Some of these insects, nearly allied to the praying mantis, so exactly resemble a ])lade of orass that until one touches them it is impossible to say which is grass or which insect. The reverential way in which the praying- mantis elevates his fore-limbs as if in the very attitude of prayer, is excessively comic. Spiders, trap-door spiders, and the lightning-like scorpion-spiders ; the scavenger-beetle, perpetual!}^ collecting and pusliing 84 GUX AXI) CAMERA IX SOUTHEKX AFRICA awav with lier hind leo;« the round Ijall of dry duno- in which she deposits her eggs ; ant-lion Hies ; the noisy cicada, with its ceaseless, irritating, hurd}'- gurdy-like refrain ; locusts and occasional Lees, wasps, and hornets — these of course we had with us. Beetles are a very numerous and very interesting order. An unpleasant-looking creeping thing clad in a shiny black, shell-like skin, and provided with an immense number of legs, is the Spirostrejjtu.'^ gigas, a sort of smooth, enormous caterpillar which is very common in Bechuanaland. The poor thing- is perfectly harmless, uncanny-looking though it is. Poisonous centipedes are occasionally heard of, but are not very common. A certain large hairy spider is also commonly reported to be poisonous and is much dreaded, whether with reason I know not. Compared with tropical America, the hotter por- tions of Asia, and the Malay Archipelago, Africa is at very considerable disadvantage in its display of butterfly life. And especially in beauty of form and gorgeousness of colouring is this the case. However, as Mr. Eoland Trimen in his great work on South African butterflies has shown that the Ethiopian region produces something over one thousand known species, the average collector is pretty sure to find here and there brilliant specimens of rhopalocera, and a sufficient number and variety to interest and amuse him in almost every part of Austral Africa. But south of the Zamljesi no very rare prizes are to be expected. The area of distribution is very wide, and a butterfly captured in some remote region, reached with infinite toil and danger, is pretty sure to be found, on the traveller's return to civilisation, to be referable also to some easily accessible part of NATUKAL HISTOKY NOTES 85 the country. No doubt as the Zambesi and other river systems of South Central Africa are opened up, some new and valual)le forms will be discovered. But hitherto the remoter districts have not yielded the rich stores of butterliy-life that might perhaps have been anticipated. In Bechuanaland in the early part of 1890 we were unfortunate in having short summer rains and a prolonged drought, and l;)utterflies were therefore rather scarcer than usual ; we collected, however, in British Bechuanaland, at odd times, and in a very desultory fiishion, a good many specimens of the following seventeen species, as well as a few moths : — 1. Didiais Chri/sippus (Linnaeus) — A large, handsome, reddish-brown butterfly, with lilack mar- gined wings and white spots towards the tips of the fore wings. Common all over Africa. 2. Acrc^a Neobule (E. IJoubleday) — A curious reddish butterfly, variegated with l)Iack spots ; the fore wings nearly transparent and with little colouring. *3. Pyraiaeis Cardui (Linnseus)^ The well-known " Painted Lady " of England ; found all over the world. 4. Junoaia ' V/^rcHr (Tiimen) — A veiy handsome, but very common butterfly. Colours, lilack and ochreous yellow ; a tine circular patch of metallic violaceous blue on the lilaik of each liind wing. *5. Jlypatiu Iljithia (Drury) — I^ich yellowish bi'own, witli very handsome black markings. 6. Lyvfnud Miiludlokutviia (W'allengren) — A small, ])retty, ))luish-violet butterfly ; the fore wings mainly yellowis]i-1)ufl'. Female dark brown. 7. Lijcd'na Trodiiliis (Freyer) — A tiny bi-own liutterMy, carrying ;i ])atch of yellow on the liind wiiig-s. 86 (;ux AND ca:\ikka in southern affjca *8. Teriaa Zo'e (HopH'er) — Bright yellow; deep Ijlaek liorder inaikiiig.^. Medium size. Female paler. 9. PIcris Mesi'idina (Cramer) — White, with slight Idack border markings. Female yellowish. *io. Hrrprrnia K n'phia {God&vt) — \\1iite, with strong Idack markings. Female yellowish. A striking ImtterHy, reseml)les the "marMed white" of England. *i I. Teracolus Erin (King) — White, with yellowish and violet ti])s. Female yellowish and without the violet. *I2. Teracoltis Enniina (Wallengren; — White, with strong orange ti})S ; a dark longitudinal stripe in both wings ; a beautiful biittertly. Female, orange ti]).s duller, black markings stronger. *I3. Teracolus Antiijoiic (Boisduval) — White, with orange-pinkish tips, black markings. Female yellowish, the orange tips paler. *I4. I'allidrijus Flarella (Fabricius)- — All greenish white. Size about that of the Englisli " Sulphur." A very swift tiyer. 15. I'apilio Demoleus (Linnanis) — A large, handsome butterfly. Colour black, strongly variegated with i)ale sulphur. Two "eyes" of red, black and blue upon each hind wing. 16. TdjiiUn Constantinus (Wavd) — A still larger brownish-black buttertl}^ strongly marked with pale sulphur stri])es and spots. Hind wings tailed. Some- what resendjles the swallow-tail of Europe. A striking butterfly ; not common. A Bechuanaland specimen in my possession measures more than 3j inches across the wings. 1 7. Hesperia Forestall (Cramer) — One of the well-known "Skii»])ers." A dull brownish bnttertly ; the hind wing darker and with a tinge of yellow. NATURAL HISTORY NOTES 87 In addition to the al)Ove butterflies. Dove and I captured in June 1890 at the pits of T'Klakane in the North Kalahari, between the Zambesi road and the Botletli River, several good specimens of Acra'a Aglaonice (Westwood) — A handsome species, bright brick-red and slightly tawny in colour, lightly margined and spotted with Ijlack, and having towards the apex of each fore wing a curious small transj^arent patch. This is a scarce l^utterfly, and we esteemed our- selves lucky to have captured specimens in so dr}' and remote a part of the country and in mid-winter. These were almost the only l)uttertlies seen by us during the whole of our shooting trip to the Botletli River during the months of June, July, August, and September. At present this handsome Acrcea seems only to have been obtained from Lydenburg, Trans- vaal, by Mr. T. Ay res ; from the Marico and Limpopo Rivers by Mr. Selous ; and from Tati, Matabeleland, by the late Mr. Frank Oates, who first discovered it. I have two excellent specimens, both males, in my possession, and my friend has one or two also, all taken at T'Klakane. The three moths captured were as follows : — I. Acherontid Atropo-f — The well-known Death's-Head Moth. A specimen taken at Vrybiirg seemed to resemble precisely that of Euro])e. *2. i>pJiintjouiorpha Sipiihi (\';uii'ty A. of ( Juenee) — One of the great division of Noctitu; family Ophinoula'. 3. Peiopcia PulchdUi — Fore wings white, minutely speckled with crimson and Idack ; hind wings white, with irregular brownish- black outer l)orders. This pretty moth is identical with tlie " Crimson- speckled Footman "of England. Taken at the . I unction, Maritsani River. 88 GUX AX]; CAMERA IX SOUTHERX AFRICA Of the above twenty-one .species of Ijutterliies and moths, those marked with an asterisk were captured in the true Kalahari region l)etween Mo.sita and Morokweng, in the western portion of what is now called British Bechuanaland, and were handed to Mr. Roland Trimen of the South African Museum, Cape Town. Most of these species were taken also on the Maritsani River, and in other parts of Bechu- analand. Danais Chrysippus and Junonia cehrene were seen plentifully in the same country between Mosita and Morokweng. I should perhaps remark that these w^ere not all the butterflies we saiv, but all we caught ; very often w^e had no net with us. Of these butterflies, the Danais and the Acrcea are remarkable as being protected members of the much- persecuted Lepidoptera, an order cruelly preyed upon by many birds and insects and some reptiles — as lizards. These insects, owing to a certain disagreeable odour and flavour of their own, are left severely alone, and, indeed, are plainly avoided as uneatable. Their remarkable immunity is intensified in another way ; and here tliat wonderful faculty of protective mimicry (now so clearly established, thanks chiefly to the labours of Bates, Wallace, Darwin, Trimen, and others) steps in. Recognising the immunity of these distasteful and so protected butterflies, other butterflies, which of themselves in their normal state liave no protection, cunningly, and with the mysterious aid of Nature, shelter themselves from pursuit by assuming or mimicking the colours of the protected forms. The late Mr. H. AV. Bates discovered many instances — thirty-six in all, I think — of this protective mimicry among tropical American butterflies. Mr. Roland NATURAL HISTORY X0TE8 89 Trimeii lias done much the same among the huttei- liies of South Africa. His recent magnificent mono- graph of course deals very fully and ^'ery a1>ly with these extraordinary phenomena. Thus he shows in his interesting table of cases that the common Danais Chrysipjnis is mimicked for protective purposes by the female of Diadema Misij^pus (Linn.), as well as by a papilio [Papilio Cenea), also a female. Further, that one of the Acreince {Acrcea Acara) is mimicked in a similar manner by a butterfly of another genus, now known as Pseudacrcea Trimenii. In this case both male and female of the mimicked butterfly are copied by the male and female of the mimicker. In another instance the male and female of Plaiiema Aganice — also one of the Acreince — is mimicked by two butter- flies, Pseudacrcea Imitator, and Pseudacrcea Tar- quinia ; but, curiously enough, although in the case of the Imitator both male and female mimic, in the case of the Tarquinia the male only assumes the protective garb. The case of the Papilio Cenea is certainly most wonderful. She is not content with mimicking one protected form, but imitates, and most closely, three, viz. : Amauris Echeria, Amauris Dom^inicanus, and Danais Chrysipinis. And to do this, liesides assum- ing utterly different colours from the normal, she actually discards the long, broad, notable tail with which her male is provided. Mr. Trimen considers tliis, and I think with justice, the most remarkable instance of mimicry yet recorded among butterflies. The case is rendered yet more notaljle by the fact tliat at Lake Tsana, in Abyssinia, the male and female of Papilio Merope (of which our mimicking friend Papilio Cenea is tlie South African representati\e) 90 OUN AND CAMP:RA IX SOUTHERN AFRICA are garl)ed alike. In Abyssinia it would thus appear, as Mr. Trimen points out, that the instinct of pro- tective mimicry is not required or exerted. All this is very wonderful, and minutely illustrates the extraordinar}' methods by which Nature performs her work. Geographical distribution seems among butterflies to be just as capricious as with mammals. During the whole fifteen months I was in Bechuanaland I never once set eyes on a handsome, speckled, Ijrownish-grey Ijutterfly known as Hamanumida Dcedalus — the guinea-fowl butterfly, I may call it ; and yet on a trip into the Marico country, only some thirtv-five miles from iMafekinj:^ across the Transvaal border, we found them plentifully near Zeerust. We only had our hats. l)ut managed to capture a few specimens as they settled on the road in some charming park-like country beyond Zeerust. Widely distributed though these butterflies are in other parts of Africa, they are not common south of the Zamljesi. ^^'e had many very Ijeautiful Palpares in the long- grass about our huts on the Maritsani. The delicate pinks and greens, variegated with black markings, of the transparent wings of these flies, which are similar in size to a large dragon-fly at home, are very re- markable. Unfortunately, after death these lovely colours usually fade completely away, much to the chagrin of the collector. Let me add here, for the benefit of the uninitiated, that by far the best and simplest way to pack and preserve butterflies is to enclose them, with the wings folded together above the body, in little three- cornered envelopes, wliich can l)e made of any odd XATUEAL HISTORY NOTES 91 pieces of clean paper cut rather oblong. As these envelopes are filled and collected they should be placed on edge in a tin toljacco or biscuit box until they are fairly tightly packed. Then put in some camphor, or sprinkle lightly with weak carljolic acid, and send home. Butterflies posted by me in this way travelled excellently, and were in good condition on their arrival in England, Beetles are best packed in sawdust sprinkled with spirit and carbolic acid, and enclosed also in a well-fitting tin box. We were a good deal disappointed in the Bechuana- land flora. No doubt the dry country and the excep- tionally rainless season had something to account for. But the wealth of flowers so noticeable at certain seasons in Cape Colony was here lacking. True, after rain there were fine crops of pink and white lilies in the vleis and marshy places. At the junction of the Mesemi spruit with the Maritsani this was especially noticeal>le, and, during the tremen- dous rains of 1890-91, I noticed vast spaces in the alluvial valley of the Harts River made brilliant 1)\' these handsome lilies. We had also some huge and handsome bulbous flowers — AmaryUis toxicaria and Amaryllis Brunsvigia mnlti flora — scattered about the veldt. But of smaller and humljler flowers there was little (lispla^'. A pretty, creeping, scarlet-coloured verbena was to be seen in April, and there were a few tiny lobelias and pansies, some asters, and a handsome violet marguerite with a yellow centre. The ])loss()m of the various acacias (usually called mimosas in South Africa, l>ut true acacias in reality), and espe- cially of Acacia horrida, Acacia Girctffce, and Acacia Detincns (the common acacia, the camel-thorn, and 92 GUX AND CAMERA IN SOUTHERN AFRICA the wait-ti-ljit), are, just Ijefbre the rains fall, very beautiful in colour and scent. In the forest country at this season vast tracts are perfumed with the strong, sweet scent of these acacias. The Yaal-bush blossom, too, has a sweet and powerful scent. But there was little else to be seen, save the dwarf aloes, which in the driest soil flourished and ])ut forth their red Howers. Ixias, stapelias, convolvuli, cucurljits, commel}'nas, bean-Howers, wild indigo, clematis, hybiscus, helio- pliila, squills, and many others are to Ije found ; Ijut I was not fortunate enough to observe them in bloom. In the mountains of the Protectorate no doubt there is a greater wealth of Mora ; but here again I travelled, unluckily, only in the parched season of winter. Bulbous plants certainly hold their own in the dry uplands of Bechuanaland, as in other parts of Africa. Some of these, especially the magnificent Amaryllis Brunsvigia, are enormous, and may Ije seen half- protruding from the veldt as big as a man's head and bigger. In so vast a country, flowers, however numerous, can make but a comparatively scant show. We English people are too apt to measure the floral capacity of a country l)y picked specimens crammed into a hot-house, or by the blaze of colour contained on the confined space of lawn-beds and parterres. To such the illimitable wilds of a sunburnt country, re- splendent only for a Ijrief season during and after the rains, are disappointing indeed. Again, the vegeta- tion of Bechuanaland is essentially dift'erent from the growths peculiar to the Karroo systems of Cape Colony ; and the spectacle of miles upon miles of plains carpeted with glowing masses of fiowers (for the most part flame-coloured or purple), sometimes XATURAL HISTORY NOTES 93 to Ije seen for a Imei space after heavy rain on the Great Karroo and in the wikls of Little Namaqualand, are in Bechuanahand not to be looked for. The soils of the Karroo and of Bechuanaland are widely dif- ferent ; the one being usually hard, sun-baked, and impervious ; the other friable, sandy, and pervious to water. A sharp and very penetrating kind of spear grass is often very troublesome to the ankles and legs of the pedestrian, unless clad in boots and gaiters ; and the well-known burr-weed (Xanthium Spinosum) has proved so great a pest to stock farmers that special regulations are enacted for its destroy al. The wild ]»itter water-melon is often seen trailing a])0ut the veldt. In the dry wastes of the Kalahari this plant has man}^ a time and oft saved the lives of men and cattle when no water was to ])e found, and 1 »y its aid many otherwise inaccessible portions of the desert are hunted and passed through, especially in good years, when the melon is plentiful. The fruit is bitter as gall, l)ut full of juice, and a variety of it is systematically cultivated by the Bechuanas in their mealie and corn oardens. The sioht of these oardens after the corn harvest, when the huge melons cuml)er the earth in hundreds, is a remarkal)le one. Even of these semi-cultivated melons only a small proportion are sweet ; the bulk l)eing l)itter and unpalata])le to Europeans. Dr. Burchell, who travelled in South Bechuanaland so far back as 181 2, is one of the few people who have attempted any classification of the flora of this country ; and his lal)ours were necessarily incomplete and scanty. A perusal of his travels is, however, well worth attempting, if only for the sake of the 94 <'U^^ AND CAMERA IN SOUTHERN AFRICA curious old coloured plates and woodcuts scattered about the book. Before coucludino- these rouo;h notes on natural history, I must add a few lines in which to descrilie our only pets, two tame baboons, named respectively Jack and Jenny. Jack and Jenny were usually fastened by long riems of hide to a couple of stout, posts close to the huts. They were vastly comical and diverting, and afforded us not a little amuse- ment. Jack, with liis harsh, grunting voice, was always ready to answer us if we called to him ; and at sunrise he and Jenny, perched on the top of their posts, surveying the country, and basking in the warm rays, were among the first to greet us. There is no better watch-dog in the world than a baboon. Nothing escapes his (juick eye and ear. Jack, from his perch, especially watched the road from Setlagoli to our camp, and, long before we had any idea of an arrival, his grunts and barks and excited gestures told us of the approach of messengers or visitors. Baljoons are pretty omnivorous, and these two were no exception to this rule. We usually fed them on mealies, boiled or unboiled ; occasionally porridge was given them ; sometimes a piece of meat, or a bone or two, as a treat ; Ijut their greatest luxury consisted of slices of water-melon, which they devoured with characteristic greed and rapidity. With tit-bits of this sort Jack always got, if he could, the lion's share ; and Jenny at these times, un- less Jack was closely watched, invariably suffered. In the same way Jack was always to be found on winter mornings with Jenny's piece of sacking spread over his shoulders as well as his own, until we put them further apart. In simian life it is to be feared that NATUKAL HISTORY XOTES 95 the weaker sex suffer as much in these ways as too often do their sisters of the human race. And yet poor Jenny was greatly attached to Jack, and. witli all his faults, loved him well. Althouoh tame enouoii with us, Jack was rather a rough playmate, with whom few liberties could be allowed. He had a trick of suddenly springing on to one's head from his lofty perch, and if any symp- toms of fear were shown, especially hy strangers, as likely as not he (and Jenny too) would inflict a severe nip. The teeth and jaws of these creatures are tremendous, and much to be dreaded. Fortu- nately, Jack and Jenny had a wholesome respect for white men — much more than for Ijlack, curiously enough — and, if treated firmly and without any show of shrinking, could always be handled and petted. Of petting, stroking, and scratching they were ex- tremely fond, and on such occasions would chatter and grunt with unconcealed pleasure. It is worthy of note that they were l^oth beautifully clean and sweet, and their thick coats were always in magni- ficent condition. Sometimes we unhitched their riems and led them for a walk on the veldt. At these times they always dragged us towards the Vaal-bushes, where a plentiful feast of sweet berries awaited them. Other berries, seeds, and bulbs, were eagerly picked up and devoured on these rambles. The seed-vessel of the trailing grapple-plant ( Uncaria procutnhens) was always spotted, dexterously ripped open with the teeth, and, the contents being extracted, the pod was cast carelessly aside. In these laughable yet instructive lessons in l^otany our baboons played the part of Aristotle, we humans following behind humljly 96 GUN AND CAMERA IN SOUTHERN AFRICA seeking to qualify ourselves as Peripatetics. In the science of what to eat and what to avoid, Jack and Jenny were true philosoj)hers. Our dogs never could make friends with the baboons, both of which manifested an intense jealousy of them, and rushed savagely at them if they ever approached their limited domains. Jack and Jenny were always secretly scheming and la})ouring to un- fasten their hide rienis. On the rare occasions on whicli they succeeded they straightway made for the store hut, which they knew intimately Avell, and played havoc with flour, sugar, and other luxuries. Once, after an unusually destructive raid, our pre- decessors were so enraged that they sentenced the marauders to banishment to their natural veldt. The baljoons were accordingly put on the waggon and driven some twelve or fifteen miles away to a bushy part of tlie country, where they were cast loose. But the role of " babes in the wood " little suited the ideas of these clever apes. They scorned the wild veldt and its privations, and remembered the good dinners and the never-failing flesh-pots of civilisation. Next morning, to the horror of the camp, Jack and Jenny were found to have returned, and, worst of all, to have passed most of the night in riflino- the sug-ar and flour sacks. After this escapade they were perforce forgiven — their captors were loth to shoot them — and their bonds were made more secure. When we left the Junction, Jack and Jenny were taken over by the Gethins as dependants of the estate. Unhappily Jack's behaviour grew rapidly worse. Gethin had often to be away from the huts ; Jack would take ad- vantage of these absences, free himself, and proceed NATURAL HISTORY NOTES 97 to besiege Mrs. Getliin in lier liiit. He would olimV) the cliimiiev, and from tliere threaten and terrify her. He seemed to comprehend his power ; and Mrs. Gethin's baby was, naturally enough, a constant source of anxiety to her on these occasions. At last matters came to a climax. Gethin came home after an unusually threatening state of siege, and Jack was incontinently shot. Within a week Jenny, who was comparatively inoffensive and never aided Jack in his attacks, pined away, refused to eat, and died also. It was a singular and touching end, and illustrated aptly enough the theory that brutes upon occasion can and do feel acutely. Alas ! for our clever and amusing baboon friends ; they were pleasant in their lives, and in death they were not divided. CHAPTER IV. A DAY WITH THE SHOT GUNS Difficulties of commissariat— Scarcity of slieep and goats — Trip to St. Stephens" camp— Orange River francolins — Black and white bustards — South African pointers — Sport along the Maritsani— Concerning hares — Bag a "legovaan" or monitor — Curious incident — Its habits — Midday rest — Birds around us — Afternoon sport — Among the koorhaans — Our bag. Although one may live in Bechuanaland in close proximity to native kraals and cattle posts, where goats and cattle are run in considerable numbers, it is often a matter of extreme difficulty to procure butcher's meat. In a scattered community and under a hot sun beef is usually out of the question, for an ox is worth from ;^4, los. to ^7 ; and among a small party it would be gross extravagance to sacrifice an animal, the meat of which must of necessity be more than half wasted. The Bechuana hates breaking into his flocks ; his wealth lies in their numbers, and if he is induced to sell a goat or two, or a native sheep now and again, he drives an uncommonly hard bargain. I have paid (through the nose, of course) as much as 15s. and £1 for a miserable goat or sheep worth at the outside from 5s. to 7s. While sojourning temporarily in our huts at the junction of the Setlagoli and Maritsani rivers, I and my companions were often driven to our wits' end to procure meat. The few months of our stay at this place rendered the acquisition of flocks and herds of A DAY WITH THE SHOT (iUXS 99 our own undesirable, and altliouoh now and aejain we succeeded in collecting a few goats about us, as a rule our " scatter guns " had to Ije constantly carried, to keep the pot filled for the evening and the morning meals. The native or fat-tailed sheep are found in Bechuanaland in but small numbers, while merino sheep are at present few and far l)etween. Bechuanaland is a new country, and the latter breed is hardly yet acclimatised, although here and there upon a few farms, after heavy losses for a year or two, the corner has been turned, the flocks from dow^n country have overcome the trials of a virgin veldt, and theii" successors are now^ doino- well. Early in April, Do^'e having recently arrived from the Cape, he, Mackay, and myself settled to pay St. Stephens a visit, and have a turn at the partridges and koorhaan, which on that portion of the Maritsani were extremely plentiful. We rode oft' early on the morning of March 31, with our shot guns and a brace of pointers, and, here and there pausing for a shot on the way, reached Hutton Farm with a leash of partridge, a brace of koorhaan, and one hare. Taking a short turn round St. Stephens' camp just before sundown, we added to the bag by two brace of partridge, one koorhaan, and one hare before supper. Here let me remark that the so-called " partridge " are not true partridges, but the Orange River francolin (Francolinus gariejjensis), a very handsome partridge-like game l)ird, found in abun- dance all over Bechuanaland and part of the Kala- hari Desert. I have found them as far north as the Botletli River, Ngamiland ; and the late C. J. Andersson has recorded them in Great Xama(jualand and Damaraland. These Orange River francolins loo (;UX ANJ) CAMERA IN SOUTHERN AFRICA bear a strong resemblance to the redwing partridge of the Ckpe Colony [Francoli7ius Levaillcmtii) — so much so, that they are usually termed "redwing" even in Bechuanaland — hnt the species are distinct, the colouring of the Cape bird is darker and redder, while in size the Oranoe River francolin has a slioht advantage. These striking game birds love grassy slopes, low stony kopjes, and the light bush and shrubbery fringing the l)anks of dry rivercourses. They are excellent eating, fleshy, and well tasted, if slightly dry, as w4th most African game ; but after an hour's simmering in the stew-pot they are all that can be desired, and help to eke out the scanty me7iu of many an up-country traveller. Their call, a .sharper and shriller rendering of that of the English partridge, to which, however, it bears a distinct family likeness, is one of the most familiar of up- eountry sounds at sunrise and sundown, and once heard can never be quite forgotten. The cocjui fran- colin, another " partridge," we found more plentiful further north and west. The koorhaan I have referred to is the black and white bustard (Eupodotis afroide.s), and is a very near relative of the black koorhaan of the Cape 'Colony. Indeed, save that one lives south, the other north of the Orange River, and the (juill feathers of the northern bird have a large and noticeable splash of white upon them instead of l^eing all black, as in the Cape Colony species, there is scarcely a point of difference between them. Both are insufferably noisy, both are to the gunner exasperating in the last degree, and will, time after time, disturb the veldt for the space of a square mile or more with their harsh scolding cackle, which is delivered incessantly A DAY WITH THE 8H()T GUXS loi as they ri.se to a great height over the veldt, and then drop, still scolding, a few hundred yards further away. Yet with all his faults the Itlaek and white koorhaan is a fine sporting bird, requiring much circumvention ; he is, in addition, not by any means despicable eating, and the gunner could ill afford to be without him. The huts at St. Stephens' camp, which lay on a little slope above the Maritsani (now. COQUI FRANCOLIN. Drawn b;/ G. E. Ludijc, frotn a rhatngraph l>>/ the Aiitlinr. after nearly two years of drought, a mere dry and sandy watercourse, save for a scant pool of water here and there), were small and poorly ])uilt, and as there were but two bedsteads pertaining to the estab- lishment, my friends and I lay in our blankets upon the mud Hoor, and slept soundly enough till morning. Tlie ist of April broke gloriously clear and bright, and after l)reakfast we took our o-uns and made for I02 (lUX AND CAMERA IX SOUTHERN AFRICA the banks of the river, wliere, during the heat of day, the partridges were usually to be found. Behind us, at a respectful distance, followed a couple of native boys leading our horses, upon the saddles of which were fastened water Ijottles containing a refreshing mixture of lime-juice and water, and saddle-bags to carry the game we shot. Dove, who had been out of health, rode his hunting pony Dunboy, and, shooting mostly from the back of that steady quadruped, did as much execution as any of us. We had two pointers with us, 8t. Stephens' Lassie, a capital and steady worker, and my Don, a big, liver-coloured young dog, possessed of a rare nose, but not very well broken, and a little too headstrong and impetuous at times. Few dogs at the Cape are as completely broken as at home. There are so many things against them. The running habits of so many of the game birds, the catchy nature of the scent in a parched and burning climate, and the exhausting character of their labour over a terrain more often than not cruelly rough, broken, and thorny, under a strong sun, and with little water to be encountered — all these points tell hardly against the perfect training of an African sporting dog. All things considered. Cape dogs do their work extremely well, and come up to time day after day, after work that would ensure collapse to their English brethren fresh from cooler skies, a softer soil, and less vexa- tious quarry. It is beyond question that the pointer is better adapted for South African shooting than any other sporting dog. Its short, smooth coat gives it a wonderful advantage amid the thorny and hindering tangle of so much of the South African bush and underorowth, in which the handsome coats A DAY WITH THE SHOT CIUXB 103 of the retriever, setter, and spaniel are hopelessly handicapped. Arrived at the river l)ed we divided forces ; Mackay and I taking the further bank with my pointer ; St. Stephens and Dove remaining on the hither side with Lassie ; and we then proceeded to work steadily down. As a rule we were pretty sure of finding a fair number of birds oathered amono; the bush fringing the rivercourse during the hot hours — be- tween ten and three — and this mornino' was no exception. Mackay began the scoring, first one par- tridge, then immediately another falling to his gun ; then a little way further, the rest of the covey, four in number, getting up just beyond shot, crossed a l)end of the river and settled in thickish bush in front of St. Stephens and Dove, who shortly after cut down their numbers by another brace. It is seldom that these francolins get up in a covey with the noisy whirr so familiar to the gunner at home. They lie much closer, or run from shelter to shelter until actually forced into flight by the too imminent approach of the sportsman or his dog. Not seldom when scent fails they are passed by, and rise behind the gun. We trudged steadily along, every now and again adding to the bag, until at the end of two hours five brace had been obtained, as well as a hare and one koorhaan. These hares are smaller than their English cousins, but in colouring and habit are not very dissimilar. They run very stoutly before dogs, but usuallv have rather the best of the course from their trick of going to ground in some of the innumerable lioles with whicli the African veldt is studded. The native cry on sighting a hare or a small buck is " Sa ! sa ! " and it is very amusing, as I04 GUN AXD CAMERA IX 80UTHERX AFRICA the waggon moves slowly over the plains, to see every available clog of the mixed contingent that usually accompanies a trek issue forth, with ears cocked and head in air, all eao;er and ao^oo- for the exciting and most ludicrous scramble that follows the sisjnal. On the vast plains fringing tlie lower course of the Botletli River hares were very numerous, and Dove and I, at a later period, often enjoyed from our waggon l»oxes a view of some most prolonged and laughable courses, in which our solitary grey- hound and Ponto, a speedy mongrel, usually played leading parts. Presently, having joined forces temporarily on the right Ijank of the river, to complete the extermina- tion of a strong covey which had dispersed in some thick and tall shrubbery, out of which, after some pretty work on the part of the dogs, we secure two brace and a lialf, we are puzzled Ijy the Ijaying of Don at some unknown o-ame hidden in a dense bit of thorny covert. The thing refuses to bolt, and, after a good deal of stirring up, Don at last, having made up his mind that it is not a snake, goes for his quarry, and shakes, or attempts to shake it. Then we see that it is a huge lizard — " legovaan," as the Boers call it all over South Africa — about 3i feet in lenoth. The leo-ovaan is now roused in turn, and shows fight, slaps with its tail, and makes use of its sharp teeth, and still holds his position, making the angered noise peculiar to these reptiles, which can best be compared to the blowing of a pair of small blacksmith's bellows. At length the ugly creature is forced to bolt, and, after a good deal of worrying and some heavy blows from our sticks, is despatched and A DAY WITH THE HHOT GUXS 105 slung by its tail to a dee of Dove's saddle. Dead as mutton it was pronounced by all, and yet five liours afterwards, at sundown, just as we were nearing camp, tlie tough saurian was alive and hearty again. Dove's pony had stopped several times, twisting his head round and gazing steadfastly towards his tail. Looking round also. Dove was rather horrified to see the great legovaan, apparently in rude health, sitting comfortably upon Dunboy's rump, just behind the saddle. The creature had evidently revived with the cool of evening, and, scrambling up en croupe, had thus disturlied the pony's equanimity. The poor battered reptile was then suffered to depart in peace, and no doubt made a complete recovery. By some curious mistake this lizard is called an iguana by most English-speaking colonists in South Africa. In reality no true iguana is to be found in the old world — except, I think, one solitary species in Madagascar. This reptile — legovaan I will call it, in deference to its familiar Boer name — is in truth a monitor [Varctnis alhogularis), a member of a well-known group of great lizards found in Africa, Asia, and Australia. This particular monitor, which attains 4 feet or more in length, is of a dark olive and grey-brown colour, strongly variegated — of a lighter colour underneath — and is plentiful all over Bechu- analand. Its Sechuana name is Kopani or Gopani, pronounced gutturally ; "April," our Matabele-Zulu, called it T'Klaam. It is never, I fancy, to be met with very far from water, and in pools where fish are to be found it loves to exercise its expertness as an angler. Although I have seen it lying by the water, I have never actually been witness of this interesting performance ; but I am told that the marvellous io6 C;UX AND CAMERA IX SOUTHERX AFRICA dexterity ^Yitll wliicli the great lizard will seize its finny prey, after watching immovable as a piece of marble, is a revelation in silence and rapidity of movement. The legovaan loves the water also for its own sake, and its laterally fiattened tail is well adapted as an aid and guide in swimming. It is pretty carnivorous, I fancy, and, like the secretary bird, probably devours a good many of the eggs and young of game birds during the course of the year. This monitor is an uncanny and rather formidable- looking beast when first encountered, but, unless attacked by dogs, is perfectly harmless ; and, unless we required them for their skins, we usually let them go their ways. There is a dim old legend that this lizard gave warning of the approach of the crocodile by means of its loud hissing faculty. The hissing, or rather bellows-like blowing, is accurate enough, and no doubt gave rise to the fable. Curi- ously enough, scientific naturalists seem to have fastened upon the old story, and the name moni- tor survives to 2:)erpetuate an idle legend. These Bechuanaland monitors may be styled good all-round sportsmen ; besides being at home in water, they are great tree-climbers, and I remember once being horril)ly startled with Mackay at the sight of the head of one of them reoardino; us from behind the trunk of a giraff"e-acacia tree. There are large pythons to be met with occasionally in tliis district, and at first sight we mistook the legovaan for one of these for- midable-looking serpents. By this time it was near two o'clock, and the dogs were fagged and in need of water and a rest, both of which w^e gave them. Then we rested ourselves in the dry sandy bed of the river, under a deep bank A DAY WITH THE SHOT GUXS 107 overliuno- with bush and low trees. The doo;s havino- drunk their fill and wallowed in the scant pool, now scraped away the hot upper sand and lay cooling their feet and ])ellies. The ponies had meanwhile come up, and we ourselves partook of grateful draughts of lime-juice and water, which had l)een steadily cooling in those excellent felt-covered eva- porating water-bottles of Silver's — articles we were never without. As we rested, numbers of glossy starlings, the metallic blues and OTeens and violets of their shinino; plumage flashing in the sunlight, might l)e seen and heard — for they are noisy, garrulous creatures — in the bush around us. The best known members of this handsome family to be found in Bechuanaland are the Kaffir glossy starling {Amydrus coffer; Le nabouroup of Le Vaillant) ; the green spreo (Juida pkcc7iico2:>te7Xi), almost everywhere to be found in bushy or semi-bushy localities ; and that large and magnificent species, Burchell's glossy starling (La?n- protornis Burchellii), less frequently met with. Two South African (or lesser) hoopoes [Upupa minor) were to l)e seen darting with quick, nervous flight round and about an acacia tree beyond us, their ruddy colouring, prominent crests, and white- barred tails easily marking them out. These hand- some birds are not by any means easy to secure as specimens ; they seem to have an instinctive knowledo-e of the collector's orun, and give much trouble when one is actually in search of them. When one is aftergame, however, as on this occasion, they always appear less wary. All along the banks of this, and indeed of every other river in Bechuanaland, overhanoino- the water- io8 GUX AND CAMERA IX SOUTHERX AFRICA way, depend, often from a single long slender branch, the shapely, elegant, and most beautifully fashioned nests of the various weaver birds. Common as are their grass-woven nests, they are always worthy of admiration. What specimen of the basketmaker's craft can compare with the dainty and perfect handi- work of these clever birds ? There is little noise around us at this hour of hot African afternoon ; the scolding call of a koorhaan who has heard our guns, the chatter of the glossy starlings yonder, the shrill, hurdy-gurdy-like refrain of a cicada in the bush hard l)y, and the hurried panting of our pointers — these are the only sounds that break upon the hot and drowsy silence of the quiet veldt. Twenty minutes and a well-earned pipe and we are up and off again. Following the river for another half-mile, we pick up a few more partridges, and then turn off right-handed from the Maritsani, and strike across to higher, more open and more grassy veldt, here and there thinly bushed, which rolls in smooth undulating slopes to a higher and wilder tableland, which in turn spreads northward to the Molopo many a mile away. It is hot, precious hot, altliouo;li as usual we are shootino; in our flannel shirts, with the sleeves well rolled up ; but the air is clear and sparkling, and we feel in excellent walk- ing fettle as we step out on our homeward sweep towards the camp. The afternoon wears on, and presently the shooting changes somewhat. We are now well on the ground of the koorhaans, which are extraordinarily plentiful upon these grassy slopes. What dodging, running, squatting, exasj)erating wretches they are, with their harsh chiding " kraak," A DAY WITH THE SHOT GUNS 109 " kraak " as one approaclies. And yet patience, care, and a watchful eye on the dog usually results in the downfall of these wily Inrds. Sometimes they stealthily run, hidden in the long grass, and the pointer, drawing on and on and yet on, seems, poor brute, as if he never will bring them to book ; until, suddenly, up gets the great black and white cackling bustard — in that clumsy Avay of his — a magnificent target against the pale blue sky and the yellow of the grass veldt ; " bano- \ " and down he falls, with a resounding thud, to my first barrel. A fiutter behind us, and the silent hen bird is on the wing. We have walked right over or past her. Mackay, over knee-deep in the yellow grass, slews round sharply ; " bang ! " she is forty yards and more away, but the gun is held straight, and she, too, hits the dust. A pretty shot, and a pretty sporting scene, enacted as it is on the shoulder of the upland ; the alert gunner and the falling game bird both outlined against the clear sky ; close by the eager pointer thrusting his head up through the grass, and wonderino- where the deuce that bird o;ot up from. It is noticeable that the lien l)irds of this bustard — the black and white koorhaan — are far less noisy than their mates, and usually get up very silently, and with little notice to the gunner. As we pick up our game we can hear St. Stephens' and Dove's guns pretty frequently half-a-mile away on our left fiank. This sort of thing, with variations of course — for the choke barrel and No. 2 shot are often needed to account for these heavy l)ustards at long range — with the addition of an occasional partridge or dikkop no GUX AND CAMERA IX SOUTHERN AFRICA plover [CEdicnemns maculosus) — goes on for the rest of the afternoon ; the bag is mounting up now. Maekay and I, working round by a patch of native mealies rouo;hlv planted in a gentle hollow amono- the slopes, and now, although little aided by the short rains of January and February 1890, looking splendidly, rejoined our comrades towards four o'clock on the last low hill Ijefore home. Here we rested five minutes, and turned out the bag. We had had a very fair day's sport, our united bag comprising the following items : loh brace partridges (Orange River francolin), 7 brace koorhaan (black and white bustard), 3 hares, 3 dikkop plovers, i legovaan (lizard) ; total, 42 head. Here was game enough to supply all our wants for a couple of days at least ; and, well satisfied with our modest shoot, we were ready enough for the game stew awaiting us at the huts. This day of rough and varied shooting is a fair sample of many and many a day of much the same class of sport enjoyed u23on the health-giving uplands of British Bechuanaland during the first half of 1 890. Sometimes our bag was larger, sometimes a little less. But at all times we had fair unclouded skies, a bright sun, a sparkling atmosphere, cool evenings, and often in April and May sharp, cold nights. The healthfulness and vigour of the atmosphere upon these lofty plateaux lands (from 3000 to 4000 feet al)Ove sea level) were not the least important factors of many a day of keen enjoyment. " Fair are the plains — to memory fair — The wide liorizon clear and large, The breezy 8pace, the ample air." These are telling things, whether considered poetically A DAY ^VITH THE SHOT GUNS iii or otherwise, and with pleasant, keen, and hearty comrades, add greatly to the charms and pleasures of an otherwise rather rouoh existence. o In different localities — often a very little way apart — we found different game birds ; but the Bechuanaland partridge (Orange River francolin) and the black and white bustard (koorhaan) were always with us, at all places and all times. I do not assert that the quiet pleasures of such a form of shooting are quite equal to the fiercer joys of big game hunting farther up-country. I have tested both, and both are in their way super-excellent. But it is comforting to reflect that for the English- man — to whom it can never appeal in A'ain — this soberer form of sport will be at hand long after the great game have completely disappeared from Africa south of the Zambesi, or, indeed, from Africa altogether. CHAPTER V. BRITISH BECHUANALAND AND ITS FUTURE Position, in 1885 — Rapid gri-owth of the colony — Aspect of the country — Forests and their spoliation — Rainfall and water supply — Crops — Farmers — Fruit and irrigation — Climate — Flocks and herds — Ranch- ing prospects — Employment for settlers — Population ; recent Census — Numbers of stock — Administration, Education, and Revenue — Re- forms needed — Native tribes — Their aversion to labour — Origin and development of Bechuanas — Their future — Drink traffic and its dangers — Present comfort of natives — Doubtful effects of civilisa- tion — Native occupations — A native letter — Recent enlargement of colony — Paucity of police — General prospects. Few of our possessions can show more hopeful symp- toms of a prosperous future than this youngest of England's Crown colonies — a colony having a record of hut seven years of existence. To those who rememher the turbulent and dis- tracted territory, mainly known to the outer world up to 1885 as Stellaland and the Land of Goshen — j)seudo Boer republics — the change must seem more than remarkable. The fililjusters and freebooters of those days have either retired into Transvaal obscurity, or may now be found peaceful and law- abiding subjects of the Queen at Vryburg, Mafeking, and other parts of the colony. The natives, tlien harassed and hunted to death, now sit quietly in their reserves, increasing both in population and in cattle (their own peculiar material wealth) with a rapidity even startling. In these seven years Vryburg, the capital, has BRITISH BECHUAXALAXI) AXD ITS FUTURE 113 grown to a considerable town, possessing railway communication with the sea at Cape Town ; Mafe- king is rapidly ousting Kimberley as the emporium of interior trade ; wdiile Taungs, Kuruman, and other villages all show a steady and promising advance. At this day in British Bechuanaland life and pro- perty are at least as safe as in any part of the British Islands. Hitherto no consideralde mineral wealth has been discovered in this colony, and the chief impulses have arisen from the advance of tlie railway in 1 890, the natural opening up of the country, and the extra- ordinary traffic created by the northward movement of the British South Africa Company's forces. After the dreary railway journey from Cape Town to Kimberley, for the greater part over the most barren and forbidding portion of the Great Karroo, and after leaving behind the perfectly flat grass lands of Griqualand West, the entrance into South Bechuanaland comes as a welcome relief. It is true that, with few exceptions, there are not many moun- tain ranges to be seen until Mafeking is jjassed and the Protectorate reached ; but if the stranger should enter the country in January or February, after the summer rains ha^^e fallen, he will see stretched before him one of the fairest prairie countries in the world — a fine rolling veldt covered with an abundance of long, rich grasses, amid which the cattle graze middle deep, veritable pictures of contentment and well-being. True, the green summer grass pales and yellows as the season advances, until the country resembles in midwinter one vast, over-ripe hayfield ; ])ut tlie nutriment is yet there, and cattle retain tlieir condition easily until the rains fall again. .Much 114 ^^^^^ ANi) CAMP:KA I.\ southern AFRICA of the timber has disappeared from Biitisli Bechu- aiialand south of ^ ryl)urg, in the more immediate vicinity of the Transvaal border, to supply insa- tiable Kimberley with firewood ; but to the Avest- ward and northward, as Setlagoli is approached, very extensive forests are to be met Avith, and the graceful ojirafFe acacia adds a wonderful cliurm to the land- scape. Forests of ])astard yellow-wood and other trees are also encountered, and the northern and western part of the colony may he considered as, on the whole, extremely w^ell timbered. Not far to the westw^ard and north-westward, in the Kalahari region, dense forests of oiraffe acacia are met with. It is a matter of oreat reoret that the well-timl)ered lands to the north and west of Vryburg are at the present time l)eing despoiled and disafforested exactly in the w^asteful and shameless way in wdiich much of Cape Colony, Griqualand AVest, and South Bechuana- land have been already despoiled. Wandering Boers and natives go wdth their Avaggons into these localities, cut doW'U as much timber as they can load up and trek to Kimljerley, or Vryl)urg, or Mafeking, and .sell at a good price. Now^ Bechuanaland is a dry country — much dryer than it was of old, if empty river-beds and shrunken fountains are any criterion — and cannot afford to undergo further dessication by the theft of its forests in this way. The ground from wdiich the timber-thieves lift their s^ooil is either taining, before the best of the farms are picked up and larger sums are demanded. At present the usual South African farm of 3000 morgen (about 6000 acres) can be purchased at from ^500 to ^1500, without improvements ; jjrices varying according to locality, water supply, and pasturage. In several instances large blocks of land are held by the richer transport riders, who are thus enabled to keep up the necessary head of trek oxen to replenish their teams upon the road, and to recruit wearied spans on their return from the long trek to the interior. Preparations are already heing made for ranching operations on a considerable scale in several parts of the colony ; and with the drain on ox-flesh con- secjuent upon the ever-increasing trade with the interior, and with the markets of Kimberley, Pre- toria, Johannesburg, and other towns adjacent, and the new railway communication with Cape Colony, cattle-farming on a large scale may be expected to pay handsomely. Store cattle of excellent quality BRITISH BECHUANALAXD AXD ITS FUTURE 121 are periodically l)rougiit across the Kalahari from Damaraland, and sold to farmers at wonderfully low values. Even during the dry winter season, when the tall grass has ])een sun-parched for months, oxen keep their condition in a wonderful manner. I watched closely the trek oxen of a neighbour of mine on the Maritsani Kiver during 1890, and was astonished to find, even after a peculiarly trying season, how well they had retained their flesh. At the end of the drought they were still actually fat and well nourished, although tliey had slight waggon work every week. The British South Africa Company, in considera- tion of buildinoj the line from Kimberlev to Vryburo- is entitled to 12,000 square miles of land in this colony. A commission of farming experts has lately been sent up Ijv the Cape Government to survey and demarcate this land, and it is hinted that a considerable scheme of settlement is shortly to l:)e promulgated. Under the controlling hand of Mr. Rhodes, it is pretty certain that such a scheme is likely to be complete and successful. Among white men, farmers possessed of a thousand pounds or two of capital and some experience of African soil, are sure to do well. But it is not a small farmer's country, except here and there in favoured spots where water is plentiful and lands can ))e easily irrigated. A poor man with a capital of only a hundred or two is likely to be eaten up during the first two or three unproductive years, A pastoral farm is usually reckoned at 3000 morgen, or rather more than 6000 acres. To run cattle, sheep, or goats in South Africa, experience has long since shown that less veldt can hardly 122 GUN AXD CAMEKA IX SOUTHERN AFRICA suffice. It is probable that the tendency will be to fence in and stock much larger areas. Ranching on a large scale is no doul)t to Ijc the future of much of this country. Farm hands can always do well in this colony, and there is a pretty constant demand for black- smiths, fiirriers, Ijricklayers, masons, carpenters, saddlers, bootmakers, and grooms ; a gunsmith would do excellently well, and gardeners would unques- tionaljly get on. Among servants, cooks, nurses, and general servants may be sure of employment at good wages. Laundresses command highly extravagant prices in all the towns. " Out of town," as often as not, one wrinos out one's oamients for oneself and dries in the sun ; the whole operation being a simple, speedy, and economical one. Few other workers, and least of all clerks, are likely to find employment at the j^resent day in Bechuanaland. As to population, there is room enough and to spare for many a year to come in this territory. The first Census evei- known in British Bechuanaland was taken in 1891, with the following results : — Europeans (including Boei>) . . . . 52 ii Hottentots, Kaffirs, Malays, and other natives not belonging to the native Reserves . . 7525 Bechuana Native Eeserve.s — Taungs 19,800 Kuruniau ....... 11,770 Maf eking 10,015 Vryburg ....... 6065 Total . . 60,386 Considering that the towns of Vrylmrg, Mafeking, Taungs, and Kuruman may proljably claim at least 3000 of the European population, it cannot l3e con- BRITISH BECHUANALAND AXD ITS FUTURE 123 tended that the rural white j)opulation of a territory nearly as large as England is at present inordinate. Of the 5 2 1 1 Europeans, it is interesting to note that there are 31 13 males to 2098 females. The 47,650 Bechuanas settled in native locations hardly represent the aboriginal native population of the colony. The Kalahari country holds a good many hundreds of scattered natives — Bakalahari, Bushmen, Vaalpense, and others ; and the " werfts " or villages, such as Virlander's and others, help to swell the ver}' scanty sprinkling of mankind to the square mile. I do not anticipate that British Bechuanaland will ever hold a very crowded population ; Ijut that some day, when it lias l)ecome better known and appreciated, and its water supplies have been en- larged and discovered, it will support a fair popula- tion, I have no doubt. It is worthy of note that there are no paupers and no persons living on charity within the territory. Not including the stock run in the Kalahari, there are in the colony at present no more than 48,686 head of cattle ; 47 14 horses, mules, and donkeys ; and 314,407 goats and sheep (including 24,798 woolled sheep, 153,002 native sheep, 15,048 Angora and 121,559 common goats) — an absurdly small number for so vast a countr}\ Hitherto this colony has been, as it were, merely- struggling to exist, and to justify existence ; its system of government and the administration of justice have l)een conducted at oreat disadvantage, and witli a most rigid and freezing parsimony. The court houses — one at least of them a relic of Stella- land days — poor and insufticient as they are, ha\e, as in the case of Vrylmrg, l)een allowed to fall into 124 ^^"^^ AND CAMERA IX SOUTHERN AFRICA disreputable ruin. There has been, till quite lately, absolutely no sort of provision for education, even of the most elementary nature ; and busy parents are at their wits' end to know what to do witli their rising ofispring. These things are not as they should Ije, and re- quire mending. At Vryburg, it is true, a school has recently been opened, but the (jrovernment grant in aid for the wliole colony amounts to no more than /300, and that for the education of a territory as large as Ireland. The revenue, small though it is, is steadily increasing, and, with the completion of the railway to ]\lafeking, is likely to progress much more rapidly. In 1890-91 the revenue totalled ^45,313:^ the British Parliamentary grant being ^115,992, and the expenditure of the colony ^159,545. The colony is not yet self-supporting, it is clear; ])ut after a few more years of judicious and not too parsimonious aid from the parent country it may be made so, and the steadily increasing popu- lation is a satisfactory feature. A readjustment of the expenses of the Border Police, now — altliough the force is mainly employed in the Protectorate — charged to this colony, is needed, and the establish- ment of a Court or Courts of Record, and trial by jury, are urgently demanded. By a reorganisation of the present system of justice, the Administrator would be enabled to devote his wliole time and attention to the actual duties of Government. Pro- Ijaljly Sir Sidney Shippard would be the first to welcome such a change. As it is, the Administrator is frequently called away to distant territories, and u})on long and fatiguing expeditions. Now he is at ^ Tlie estimate for 1892 was ^55,230. BRITISH BECHUAXALAXD AND ITS FUTURE 125 Buluwayo, interviewing Lobengula in Matabeleland ; now pacifying or admonishing unruly chiefs (such as Lintshwe or Sebele) in the Protectorate ; now hokling commission with the Transvaal authorities — as in Grobelaar's affair — on the far Limpopo River, During these enforced absences prisoners accused of the more serious crimes cannot be tried, and justice is practi- cally at a standstill. The three principal tri])es in British Bechuanaland are the Batlaping, under the chief Mankoroane/ at Taungs ; the Barolong, under the old and loyal chief Monsioa, at INIafeking ; and the Batlaro, under Chief Toto, round and l)eyond Kuruman. In addition, there are various branches of these two latter tribes to the west, at Honing Vlei, Langeberg, Morokweng. and other places. The Batla})ing number some 24,000, the Barolong 14,000, and the Batlaro 9000. These people have all large areas of land allotted to them as reserves, which, happily for themselves, they are unable to alienate. The chiefs now realise that much of their sway has departed, and, forgetting that but for English intervention they would now own probably not one single rood of land, are dis- posed to grumble and lament their vanished power. The locations were l>ut a few years since amply sufficient for the tribes occupying them ; but hve years of peace and order, and a complete immunity from fighting and freebooting, have wrought great changes for the Ijetter among these people, who now complain that their lands are nW too small for them. But the remedy lies with themselves. Of all South African tri1)es, these Soutlieni ' Maukoroaue died Dccembev 1892, and was succeeded liy his son Malala. 126 C.VS AND CAMERA IX SOUTHERX AFRICA Becliuauas are least inclined to work or to take service witli the white man. They prefer to remain upon their old acres, leading a comparatively idle and useless, if idyllic, life (in wdiich, however, the women do all the hard work), until a natural increase of population l^egins to make them uncomfortable and to bring the pincli to their doors. They even encourage or permit strangers from otlier tribes — from the Transvaal and elsewhere — to squat on their reserves, l)uild to themselves huts, and form units of their social system. These people liave been fairly dealt with by the British Government under ex- tremely difficult circumstances, and their cry for more land cannot now l)e considered, unless, indeed, they choose to pay for it. Labour is scarce, and wages are al)surdly high, and natives can everywhere obtain emplovment at rates that would make many a starving Englishman stare. The Bechuana is a born cattle-man, and loves oxen more than he loves vdfe and child, and some day, when he wakes up and finds that he must bestir himself, will do good service — it may be hoped — on the cattle ranches of the future. Whence came the Bechuanas, and what was their origin ? They have a curious mingling of the com- mercial and pastoral, and, of all the Bantu tribes, theirs is the nim1)lest intellect. For fighting they have little stomach, although upon occasion they can and have fought pluckily. But natural-born warriors like the Zulus and Kaffirs they are not and probably never were. Their skill lies rather in the pastoral, hunting, argumentative and oratorical direc- tions. Strong commercial instincts they have, but hitherto these have lain fallow, or have been exer- cised in the way of barter and exchange of cattle, liRlTlSH JJECHU.VXALAM) AND ITS FUTURE 127 ivory, and other spoils of the chase. They have always in modern times been the best clothed, the best housed, and upon the whole the most civilised of African natives. When the earliest English tra- vellers penetrated to Bechuanaland in the first decade of this century, it was (quickly reported that here had been found a far more advanced race than the Hottentots — a peoj)le dwelling simply, pastorally, yet in comfort and under settled government. Have the Bechuanas alw'ays been as they are now, a race of herdsmen and hunters, a people loving passionately their troops of cattle, their Hocks of goats, and the chase of game ? Have they wandered with their flocks and herds down from North-East Africa — nay, from Asia itself — from pasture to pasture, settling here and there perhaps for a century or a score of years and planting crops, for they are agri- culturists also ? Are they sprung from some Semitic race far back in the woml) of time? 'Jlieir close bartering ways, their strong commercial leanings, their custom of circumcision and other traits, point to such an origin. Are they akin to the Egyptians, whose type many of them strongly recall, or to the Abyssinians, whose huts theirs almost exactly resemble ? These are unanswerable questions, unfortunately, and yet with almost each there lies a strong element of plausibility. Probably, as their traditions indicate, they did come from North-East Africa ; pro])ably theirs was before the dawn of history a Semitic origin ; and still more jirobably they were very anciently allied to the Egyptians and Abyssinians. I speak of the triljes north of the Batlaping, who from their proximity to the Griquas and Hottentots are of less 128 GUX AXI) CAMERA IX SOUTHERX AFRICA pure descent than other Bechuana races. Two things are at least certain. In the long centuries they have passed slowly, painfully through dim old savage Africa, and at one time, to have made their way at all, they must have heen bolder fighting men than they are at present. There is a strong resemblance in much of the dialects of the Beeliuanas, Zulus, and Kaffirs (many words are identical) ; and it would he interesting: to know when in the mio;ration south- ward they Ijroke asunder, and liow, and why their habits became changed. Just now the Bechuanas stand upon the threshold of a new era. The white men are swarming into their country ; British Bechuanaland is a Crown colony ; the Protectorate, which at present is neither native nor British (and hangs, like Mahomet's coffin, in a state of suspension), must shortly follow suit. Is the white man's influence to be for good or evil among tliis (juick-witted race ? It is a tough ques- tion. Tlie drink traffic, w^hich, thanks to Dutch influence, has ruined the Hottentots, and now bids fair to ruin the magnificent Cape Kaffir, is the main arbiter of life and death, of happiness and misery in this case. If the Bechuanas are absolutely restrained from strong drink, as they now are by the wise and well-administered laws of the Crown colony and Protectorate, they have before them, I firmly believe, a good and prosperous future. If, on the other hand, Bechuanaland is handed over to the uncontrolled mercies of the Cape Colony, and the old Dutch wine- farming, brandy-selling party (and it is a strong — almost a supreme — party in the Cape Parliament) is suffered to work its will, the country vdW be flooded with vile, cheap liquor, and the natives ruined irre- BRITISH BECHUAXALAXD AXD ITS FUTURE 129 deemably. It is a momentous, a terribly momentous question, and one to be well weighed by the Colonial Office, and still more by the British people, before the future of Bechuanaland is settled once and for ever. There is no objection to the Cape as a Government having the control of the Bechuanas if — and it is a tremendous if in this case — the drink question is settled without fear of relapse or change. The Cape could and would administer the country as well probably as it is now administered ; but there must be no loophole for the entry of the death-dealing Boer brandy, and this ought to be absolutely secured before Bechuanaland is handed over — if it is to l^e handed over — to the C*ape Government, which even now has upon its hands a country huge and scattered enouo'h in all conscience. These are not the views of rabid temperance advocates, but of every sensible and thinking man in South Africa, who is not a brandv-errower or an advocate of the old Boer idea of no quarter to the black man. I have visited nearly every native town of conse- quence in Bechuanaland, including Taungs, Mafeking, Takwaning, Morokweng, Kanya, Ramoutsa, Pilans, Molepolole, Mochudi, and Palachwe, with popula- tions varying from 2000 or 3000 to 20,000 ; and I say unhesitatingly that these people are at this moment physically and morally far better off than many thousands of the population of our great cities in Britain. The Bechuanas are not all Christians — admitted ; ])ut, l)y any stretch of imagination, can the l»ulk of the squalid, toiling, seething masses of our "submerged tenth" l)e classed as Christians. 1 trow not. In every other respect — in housing, food. I30 GUN AND CAMERA IN SOUTHERN AFRICA clotliing, fire, and comfort — the native lias an enor- mous advantage. Throughout Bechuanahmd at this day the people live on the whole in peace and con- tentment. They have no great sins ; crime is almost unknown ; they grow their crops, look after their cattle and goats, and live, within a perfect climate, happier and healthier lives by far than seven-tenths of English poor folk at home. Here and there in the remote districts they may lack English clothing ; hut those of them who cannot aftbrd that longed-for luxury are decently clad in their picturesque skin cloaks and blankets, and have all they need. There are grumblers, of course — there are in all countries and communities. The Bechuana complains that under the British settlement he has not enough grazing ground, and that his folk are 1)ecoming too numerous for their tribal lands. The white colonist on his part cries out not only that the Bechuana has l)y far too much the best of it — the Ijest waters, the fertile valleys, the fattest corn lands — l)ut that he won't come out of his locations and work for a oood wao^e when it is offered him. These are matters which will right themselves. The land settlement cannot be dis- turbed. The Bechuanas, on giving up tlieir country to the Queen of England, were j)laced in their jDresent locations by solemn treaty, and it would be an act of gross perfidy to attempt now to displace them. These Barolongs and Batlapings and Batlaros (who after all have had but six years of British rule) will no doubt begin to seek work in time, as their numbers increase and their spaces become over- stocked. f Civilisation is now creeping apace far uj) into these BEITI8H BECHUAXALAXIJ AND ITS FUTURE 131 territories. Trade is being rapidly and very suc- cessfully pushed into the Protectorate, where large numbers of the Border Police are now (juartered, and a hut tax is being spoken of; and it is unquestion- able that out of the Bechuanas and their country large profits and other increments will not long hence be drawn throughout the whole territory. AVill civilisation bring a blessing or a curse to this j)eople ? It is a moot point. I am induced to think that these quiet pastoralists are happier and better oti* now than they will l)e fifty years hence, when, perchance, unless a sharp look-out has been kept, they may have become levelled down to the de- praved, ])astard Hottentots of Cape Colony, ruined and besotted by drink. On the other hand, if drink is kept from them, these Bechuanas, with their quick minds, strong reasoning powers, and ready adaptability, are quite capable of rising to a far higher and more refined life than they enjoy at present. But that they will l)e truly liappier — even for such a change — than they now are in their plea- sant Arcadian simplicity, and their free communal equality, I declare I greatly doubt. After all, civili- sation, with its frightful wear and tear, its waste, its hideous aggregation of life within the great cities, its awful squalor, crime, and misery in the lower strata, is a serious thing to contemplate, when witli the mind's other eye one looks at the Bechuanas, peaceful, unworried, and with their simple wants easily supplied to them. In addition to their future as jjastoralists on their own account, and as shepherds, herdsmen, and ser- vants to the white man, tlie Bechuanas are gradually 132 GUX AXD CAMERA IX SOUTHERX AFRICA acquiring a large proportion of the transport-riding (or carrying) business of the country. They possess large numbers of waggons and are rapidly becoming possessed of more, and have any amount of cattle ; they have been found to be reliable and trustworthy ; and it is the opinion of many white transport-riders that in a few years the bulk of the carrying trade will be in native hands. A pleasing trait in the Bechuana life is the love of children. The mothers have, poor creatures, a hard time of it, what with carrying water and working in the fields. But the piccaninnies are well cared for. It is a perfect sight to see the tiny brown rascals, so fat that they can hardly waddle, staggering al)out the native villages stark naked. Their fat is mainly attributable to a diet of thick soured milk called " maasi," which is kept in skin bags (Lehuka) much resem1)ling Highland bagpipes, having a wooden plug at top and bottom, and is curdled l)y hanging in the sun. This coagulated milk, from which the whey is drained off, eaten either alone or mixed with meal, forms the main dietary of all the better class Bechuanas, and is a most wholesome and nutritious food. The Bechuanas have received more advantages from missionary teaching than any other South African race. In Khama's country, where the in- fluence of that o;reat native chief has l^een stronojlv exercised for good, this is most noticeable. Here and there you will even find a native who can read and write in English. But that a little learn- ing is often as absurd as it is dangerous is evident from the following epistle (recently pulilished in the Inde^oendent), written by a half-educated Kaffir in BRITISH BECHUAX ALAND AND ITS FUTURE 133 the De Beer's Diamond Mining Compound to his sweetheart outside : — "Dear Miss Judea Moses, — My dear, I am take this lettle time of write you this few Hnes hoping that it will find you in a good state of lieltli as it leaves me here in the com- pound. My dear girl I am very sorry that you did not write my ansert back. My dear Judea Moses, be so kind and let me know liow it is with you my dear girl. I mean to say that you must cry out and shout thou in the habitant of Zion, for great is the holy one of israel My dear ]\Iiss Judea i glided by lawns and grassy plats. My dear friend please anxer me as soon as you get this lettor. My dear oft in sadness and in illness I have watched they current glide till the beauty of its stillness overflowed me like a tide. I steal my lawns and grassy plats I slide by hazel covers, i move the sweet forget me-nots that grow for happy lovers my dear darling Miss J. Moses. Here I shall drup writting with Best loves, geod By 2222 kises to youe." It is manifest from this ludicrous concoction that the " Christian gentleman " who MTote it either " con- veyed " passages direct from some book or books (Tennyson among them), or interpolated lines which he had learnt by heart. In either case there is a lamentalile want of fitness, sequency, and artistic treatment, not to speak of grammar and punctuation, about this precious production. Quite recently some disturbance had arisen upon the extreme western l)order of the colony, in the territory of David Virlander, chief of a tribe of Bastards long settled in the Kalahari. Virlander's country, situated though it is in the so-called desert, contains capital grazing land, and large numbei's of stock are depastured there. Dutch farmers from the north of the Cape colony had been pushing their 134 <"tUX and camera IX 80UTHERX AFRICA way into this region, and something very like armed conflict had nearly occurred on more than one occasion. The position was further complicated by the fact that various rights over Virlander's country had been granted to concessionaries or syndicates. It became desirable that this portion of the Kala- hari, so fcir as the German border — that is, up to parallel 20 of west longitude — should l)e added to the colony of British Bechuanaland, which would then comprise a symmetrical and compact area, and this has been happily carried into eftect. It may here l)e noted that the Kalahari is fast losino; its old denomi- nation of desert, and, its value as a cattle country having Ijeen proved, is largely being taken up l)y syndicates, who are acquiring concessions and leases from the various petty chiefs inhabiting the territory. This has happened already as far as Lehutitung, lying in the centre of the desert, on the tropic of Capricorn. Probably by this time enterprising concession hunters have extended their operations yet further north. During the last year or two, the Border Police Force — a most excellent body of irregular horse — has been withdrawn almost entirely from the Crown colony and employed in the Protectorate and beyond. In the opinion of many this depletion of force has 1)een premature. British Bechuanaland is a huge territory, and law and order, and a due respect for the established government, are not and cannot be sufficiently maintained without police in large and distant native towns such as Morokweng', Honinor Vlei, Motito, Maneering, and others. The Bechuanas are easily governed, l)ut a display of authority is at times necessary to reminv the natives — hereabouts mostly of the Barolong tribe. There is a native location at Mosita, and, as it was Sundav afternoon, service was beins: held under a big camel-thorn tree. The people were all dressed in their ])est, and the gaily-coloured frocks and blankets of the women gave just the required touch of colour to a very charming scene. Crossing the spruit, and passing some large water- pits, we made our way to the house of ^Ir. Reader (a large cattledealer having stock running here), near which we settled to outspan for the night. Mosita had, a few months l)efore our arrival, ac- quired the reputation of a promising gold area. A few prospectors were at work in places here and there, and some traces of gold had undoubtedly been found. St. Stephens carefully inspected the formation in the course of this and the following day, with not very cheerful conclusions. The formation, it seems, is porphyritic granite of an extremely hard nature. AVhat little gold there is is thin and patchy, and the hard, refractory nature of the rock renders it very unlikely that gold mining can ever l)e made to pay in this locality. This opinion seems to have been borne out by subsequent events, and the few prospectors have finally abandoned Mosita as im- practicable. As soon as the waggon arrived we pitched the tent (in which Mackay and I slept), and made all snug for the night. Our supper consisted I50 GUN AND CA:^1ERA IX SOUTHERN AFRICA of the following ingredients : Five guinea-fowl, three partridges, water, sliced onions, potatoes, two dessert- spoonfuls Worcester sauce, two wineglasses Pontac (a rough, red Cape wine), pepper and salt, and half a teacupful of flour and water mixed into a paste. This stew I can, after a long and varied experience, strongly recommend. The liquor provides a delicious soup, and the meat a capital after-course. I will warrant that the most fastidious gourmet of the Amphitryon would not turn up his nose at such a repast, which, indeed, is calculated to appeal to the most delicate of appetites, much more to hungry men after a day on the veldt. We had a pleasant chat and smoke with Mr. Reader's foreman, an old interior man, and then turned in. The night was wet and thundery, which, however, did not prevent us from sleeping soundly. On April 6 w^e were up early drying out after the stormy, wet night. We interviewed a Bakalahari after breakfast, who informed us that there were hartebeest, koodoo, gemsbok, springbok, and ostrich a little w^ay ahead ; but that two Transvaal Boers had been standinsf for some time with their waa-ffons at Kudunque, and had hunted the game about in all directions. This we found to Ije literally correct, and these miserable skin-hunters had greatly dis- counted our chances of large game for the time being. We found tol)acco growing excellently well on a small patch just below the house, and mealies, pumpkins, and other crops were thriving. Mosita, with its rich valley, picturesque out-cropping rocks, and fine rolling grassy hills, looked beautiful towards afternoon, when the sun came out. It is, I think, one of the choicest situations in British Bechuanaland ; A TREK TO MOROKWEXO, SOUTH KALAHARI 151 and the next " laagte," or valley, at Matlaping, a few miles further on, is equally attractive, whether from an agricultural or artistic point of view. To- wards afternoon, having explored the gold formation, we strolled up the spruit (watercourse) with our guns, but only succeeded in Ijagging two and a half l)race of partridge, koorhaan (l)lack and white l)ustards), and guinea-fowl. We wrote mails this morning, and despatched a runner to Setlagoli, about twenty-five miles distant. The horses had escaped from the kraal durino- the nioht, and were not recovered till late in the afternoon. April 7. We were up early, as usual, and, the morning being tine, three of us went for an hour's shoot before breakfast, securing a few koorhaan, guinea-fowl, and partridge. Birds were scarce and wild in the neigli1)ourhood, having, I suppose, been a good deal shot at. We made bread — ino-redients : Boer meal, baking powder, and water — this morning, and in the afternoon, having completed our inspec- tion of Mosita, trekked away west up a beautiful valley. In a couple of hours we reached a large dense forest of bastard yellow-wood, a short, stunted tree averaging about 20 or 25 feet in height. Just before sundown Dove wounded a steinljok, but lost him. Aliout the same time, in another direction, Gethin and 1 came upon some forty guinea-fowl pre- paring to roost, and, as usual, calling to one another in a noisy mannei- with harsh metallic voices, making the woods resound again. They were too sharp for us, and we only secured a brace at long range, and thev afterwards ran in so rapid and persistent a manner that we had to give them up, and find our way back to the road. We outspanned on the 152 GUX AND CA:\IERA IX SOUTHERX AFRICA hillside, just above Matlapino-, at 8 p.m. The stew- pot was, as usual, in requisition again, and, after a hearty supper of game, and a smoke, we turned in to the tent and waggon respectively. Next morning, after a night's heavy rain, the tor- rent still steadily descended. We all scjueezed into the little tent, and made shift for breakfast, with the help of a case or two as tables. At two o'clock the rain cleared, and we sallied out for an hour's sport. There is a native ^-illage at ^latlaping, and in the valley on either side of the spruit, running north to the Molopo River, were sjDlendid crops of mealies and Kaffir corn growing in rich, fertile soil. Water is abundant and good ; besides the water- course there are some deep, rocky pools, which should last well on through the dry season. We rode in various directions Itack to the forest for a bird or two, but only secured among us a Ijrace of koorhaan, a brace and a half of partridge, and a guinea-fowl. The 9th of April still found us at Matlaping. In a short walk before breakfast I came upon a large black or dark Ijrown cobra (Naia haje) which I shot as he darted swiftly away. He measured 4^ feet long, and was a nasty-looking customer. Just about this period, before the rains cease and the sharp frosts of winter set in, snakes are very plentiful in Bechuanaland. But, as a rule, a good stick will always account for them, and people trouble themselves very little about them. Shortly before our arrival at ]\Iosita, however, a Dutchman, as he woke in the morning, was bitten on the arm by a puff-adder, which had crept to him for warmth. The puff-adder is deadly poisonous, and the man's friends naturallv feared exceedingjly. However, they A TREK TO MOROKWEXCr, SOUTH KALAHARI 153 administered the usual up-country remedy— the con- tents of nearly two bottles of neat whisky — walked him about well, and, by great good fortune, pulled him through. The bitten arm, however, remained terribly swollen and inflamed for a long time. The wound was so offensive, and the stench from the virus and matter so dreadful, that strong men became sick and unal)le to stand near. The Boer subse- quently recovered, after much suffering, and ma}' well congratulate himself as one of the few people who have survived the })oison of the terrible puff- adder. We had a chat with the headman of the kraal this morning. He was far too well-to-do and indepen- dent, asking 14s. for a goat (usual price 6s. or 7s.) and IS. for a little milk. We bought eleven eggs for IS. and left him. At ten o'clock we set off in two parties for a food supply. Dove and I riding northward up the spruit. After a couple of miles we passed a huge mealie-field of some 100 acres. The crop was nearly ripe, and the corn was full of naked children, singing and shouting to keep off the swarms of doves and pigeons that came for food. They had a kind of monotonous chant ; all Bechuana women and children have most beautiful voices, and the sound, as it fell upon the bright, clear, sunny air of this peaceful ^'alley, had a very charming effect. As I rode past I exchanged calls with these merry black children, to their intense amusement. Peals of laughter ran around, and we kept up the exchange till I had ridden long past them. Presently we entered more forest land on the west of the spruit, and, although we were disap- pointed in getting a duiker or steinbok, we stum))led 154 (iVX AXD CAMERA IX SOUTHERX AFRICA instead upou a most Ijeautiful spectacle. We had come suddenly upon a large round clearing in the woodland, aljout 300 yards across, and covered with a thick rich carpet of many flowers. Among these flowers were thousands of brilliant butterflies sunning themselves, flashing hither and thither, feeding rapa- ciously at the sweet dainties, and making gay the veldt. The butterflies were nearly all newly-hatched and in the perfection of their wonderful sheen. I imagine the hot sun, after a night or two of rain, had brought forth thousands of newly-hatched butter- flies, all in the very prime of their plumage. Most unfortunately, we had left the butterfly nets at the waggon, and, although we ofl-saddled and made strong play with our Ijroad-brimmed hats, we were not so successful as we might otherwise have been. There were many kinds of butterfly, and during a year's sojourn in Bechuanaland I never saw them so numerous or so perfect as in this little forest glade. Among tlie species captured were Pyra'nieis car did, Hypanis ilythia, Teracolus eris, Teracolus eveimia, Teracolus antigone, Herpseriia eriphia, Terias zoe, Callidryas Jiorella, Junonia cehrene, and Danais chrysippus} Many other rare and Ijeautiful speci- mens escaped us. Eeturning home I sliot, as a contribution towards supper, a brace of koorhaan and an Orange River francolin ; and the rest of the party accounted for three and a half brace of partridges (Orange River and Coqui francolins) and a brace and a half of koorhaan. We had, as usual, a merry supper, and turned in early. On the loth we trekked away steadily, having ^ Most of these were kindly identified for me by Mr. Trimen, curator of the nauseum at Cape Town. A TREK TO MOKOKWEXrJ, SOUTH KALAHARI 155 crossed the Matlaping spruit, and, riding on, spreatl out through the dense forest and bush which sur- rounded the sandy waggon-track. Just as we left Matlaping, Dove shot two and a half brace of C^oqui francolin on the stony hillside in excellent style, my pointer Don standing and working steadily. Shortly after, St. Stephens and I, who were together, bagged a leash of the same little game birds, and a bush koorhaan [Eupodotis r'ujicristata), a very hand- some bustard, common to bush and forest country throughout Bechuanaland. This bustard has a swift, waverino- flioht, dodo;es a o-ood deal among- trees, and is excellent eating. Presently we came across Mackay again, and as he carried my butterfly net slung to his saddle, and there were open glades about, we stopped and captured l^utterHies for half-an-hour or sa Towards noon we emerged upon open, undulating plains, covered with long yellow grass, where we continued our daily shoot for the evening pot. At three o'clock we found the waggon outspanned by a small vley of water, and, after "rowing" April, the driver, for his laziness, made him trek on until 8.30, when we out- spanned at Kudunque Laagte. We, however, rode on, and oft-saddled and kindled a good fire ; but the donkeys (we had sixteen donkeys in our span) trekked very slowly through the sand. The stew took a good hour and a half to prepare, and we were desperately hungry by the time the savour}- mess was ready. It was worth waiting for, though I Before reaching Kudunque we had observed, at a small brack near the road, the spoor of gemsbok, which had evidently been to lick at the salt limestone. Our bag for the day was five and a half Ijrace of fran- 156 rarx and camera in southern Africa colin or " partridge," one variegated sandgrouse, one and a half brace bush koorhaan, one brace black and white koorhaan, and one very handsome plover, or rather courser — the violet-winged courser [Cursorms chalcopterus). These most l)eautiful Ijirds, which we had not met with before, are rather local, and can nowhere be cited as very common. They arrive, I fancy, with the rains, and spread out in pairs over oj)en grassy veldt. They average just under a foot in length ; the throat, rump, and under parts of the body are white, the back is pale-brown, the ])reast of the same colour banded in black. The wings are black, and are remarkaljle for the beautiful shining metallic violet of their tips. They lie very close, and are extremely difficult to Hush. During supper we wanted more wood for the fire, and as April had been shirking all day, and was now gruml)ling to the other boys, and vapouring in true Matabele style that he was one of the great Matabele Zulus, and his chief was Lobengula, and he wasn't going to do this, that, and the other, we thought it high time to call him to his senses. I therefore ordered him to cease, and go and get some wood. To this he very pointedly demurred, growling that he was not a dog, and wouldn't do it. He was a strong, athletic savage, but, there being no other course open, I jumped up, seized a sjambok, and went for him. Mackay sprang up at the same moment to assist in the operation. April, seeing we really meant business, got up like a lamb and went off for the wood, presently returning with a plentiful supply. AVe had no further trouble with liim during the rest of the trek, and the timely display of firmness had its effect upon the other boys, none of whom were A TREK TO MOROKAVENG, SOUTH KALAHARI 157 very keen about the journey. If these 8outh Bechuanas can hang about one's huts, do odd jobs in their own way and at their own time, and have the run of the flesh-pots, they are not averse to serving the white man in a feeble, half-hearted sort of way. Directly, however, they are required to perform a little real work, they cry off and return to their kraals. The Batlaping, Barolong, and other tribes of the Crown Colony, are indeed miserable servants, utterly unreliable, and too often without an atom of pluck or self-respect in their composition. The labour difficulty, as all farmers and employers of laljour rightly com- plain, is one of the main drawbacks to life in British Bechuanaland. Good wages are paid, good food is provided, and yet one cannot obtain decent ser- vants. One of Khama's Bamangwato ]:>oys is worth, in working capacity, cheerfulness, and pluck, half a dozen of the miserable, whining, sneaking servants, who call themselves Batlaping, Barolong, or Batlaro. In justice to our Matal)ele boy, April, I am bound to say that, as a rule, he was a good willing servant, and managed his donkey team (of which he was inordinately fond and proud) extremely well. In the morning we had a minute inspection of Kuduncjue and its surroundings. Here running at right angles to the waggon road is a shallow depres- sion or "laagte" which extends northward as far as the Molopo River, and which holds during the rains a good deal of water. There is a fine deep limestone basin or pool, whicli we found to contain splendid clear water. So (juickly do these desert waters fail, however, that on our return within a week the pool had shrunk to very small dimensions. We had a capital bathe, and after breakfast waslied our socks, 158 aux AND CAMP:RA in SOUTHERX AFRICA liandkei'cliiefs, and tlciniiel shirts, which soon dried in the sun and wind. From the northward, well- defined game paths led to the pool ; these were made by hartebeest, and were quite recent. (Jn the left or southward of the road are two large l)racks, or " licks," in the same limestone formation. Game here in bygone days must liave been in extraordinary alunidance, great hollows having been worn in the hard limestone by the tongues of myriads of animals during countless years. These bracks were and still are favourite places for niglit shooting. There were one or two scherms or screens near the edges of the pan, and on a moonlight night, upon the white expanse of the brack, game can easily l;)e seen and shot. Our friends the Boers had evidentlv had a oood inning's here. We found fresh spoor of gemsbok, hartebeest, and ostrich, as well as of hysenas, jackals, and small bucks, but, as time was short, we were unaljle to stay for a nioht's shootino- on this occasion. It is a curious fact that many of the larger ante- lopes, such as gemsbok and hartebeest, wdll come and lick at these limestone bracks, and yet will pass l)y the water. In the dry season, of course, they have to do without water altogether. The preference for salt or Itrackish limestone over pure water is certainly a remarkable one. We took some photographs of our camp, Ijreakfast, &c., at this place, and then wandered about quietly exploring. Before the waggon trekked again I shot another violet-winged courser, and Dove a brace of tiny bush-quail (Turnix lepurana), dainty creatures, scarcely bigger than sparrows, which Hy very fast, and lie more closely, I think, than any of the close- lying African game birds. Mackay also made a good A TREK TO MOROKWEXG, SOUTH KALAHARI 159 shot off his pony, and knocked over a partridge at more than thirty yards. As a rule, we got oft' our horses when the dogs stood to game. The nags — all except St. Stephens' mount, which had occasionally a nasty hal)it of trotting away — stood admirably, and gave us no trouble. The reins were, of course, always thrown over the head, and hung in front of the forelegs in the usual South African fashion. We trekked steadily all the afternoon and until nine o'clock at night. It was bitterly cold after sun- down, so much so, that we horsemen M'ere glad to lead our nags most of the evening and keep ourselves warm with the exercise. At length we came to a huge friendly vaal bush sticking up on the l)are flats, and made a roaring fire long before the waggon turned up. The vaal bush, or mohatla {Tarchon- anthus), common all over much of South Bechuana- laiid, is a true friend to the traveller ; its branches, although covered with grey -green leafage, are highly inflammable and soon produce a cheery blaze. This night intense frost prevailed ; Mackay and I, under our thin canvas tent, were nearly frozen, although we had each three blankets over us, as well as a dog or two at our feet. In the morning a bitter cold wind blew harshly over the veldt, and we were glad of our coats until long after sun-up. During the winter months in Bechuanaland this keen, cold wind is a noticeable and unpleasant feature of early morning. It usually rises al)Out })reak of day, and continues for a couple of hours or more, until the sun has got the better of night. We were now in the midst of a huge expanse of grassy plains which extended in flat monotony until checked by the horizon. Long, pale sun-dried grass stood up to one's middle — the new i6o (iUX AND CAMERA IX SOUTHERN AFRICA growth not having yet arisen — and small buck could steal away unperceived without much difficulty. We rode steadily until four o'clock, passing a small native station at Masaljaquane, and shooting a few birds by the way, when we outspanned just beyond two small pans of water in a charming bit of forest scenery under a big camel-thorn tree. On the 14th we pushed on steadily, and, after a trek of twenty- two miles — a good trek for the donkeys — the waggon reached Morokweng early next morning, we on horseback having ridden in during the afternoon of this day. We were now fairly in the true Kalahari country ; Ijoundless expanses of pale yellow grassy plains extending in all directions, broken only here and there by dark belts of timber, until they merged in the far blue of the horizon. We found quite fresh spoor of a large troop of hartebeest, l)ut, having no spoorers with us, it was useless to follow. Unless one can tell to within an liour when game has passed — which no white man, unless he has lived great part of his life in the veldt, can do — it is useless following game spoor in the Kalahari. As a rule, only good native hunters can track game properly ; and an Englishman might just as well search for a needle in a l)undle of hay as track game, unaided by native liunters, in the vast solitudes of the Kalahari, where water is scarce, and losing oneself is a very simple and often dangerous operation. Of course I refer to those parts where game has Ijecome scarce and wild. At Logolong (pronounced Loholong) Laagte, another brack-pan, aljout ten miles from Morokweng, we found spoor of gemsbok, hartebeest, ostrich, spring- })ok, and plenty of small antelopes. The country dips from this point towards Morokweng. We off- A TREK TO ]\I()ROKAVEX( ;, SOUTH KALAHARI i6i saddled at a small round pan of water further on, and then, cantering along through heavy sand, at length beheld from a l)luff the laroe native town of Morokweng, the circular grass-thatched huts looking- for all the world like a hug-e collection of bee-hives. Beyond, showing up in green patches from the pale grassy veldt, lay great fields of mealies and Kaffir corn, just now springing into strength. Passing a large salt-pan (all the shallow limestone pans of this country, which are dry in winter and liold a few inches of water in the rainy season, are dignified by the name of salt-pan) on the left hand, in another half-hour we rode into the town and off-saddled at the house and store of ]\Ir. C Smith — known everywhere as Charlie Smith — the principal trader. We had some fair shooting in the morning, and In'ought in five Ijrace of partridge ( Orange Eiver francolin) and two brace of koorhaan. We also put up a rooikat (African lynx) which the dogs lost, and peppered a huge black eagle very hard, who, however, absolutely declined to fall to either No. 2 or No. 5 shot. Mr. Smith, with his usual hospitality, insisted on putting us all up, and, after a capital supper of hartebeest venison, made up blankets for us, some on the floor, some on the counter of his store. Morokweng is, on the whole, a picturesque place. The native town is planted on the rise of a gentle hill, which slopes down to a huge limestone pan, just at this season covered with a few inches of water, and presenting to the uninitiated eye the appearance of a most l)eautiful lake. When, however, one sees, as we did, the ])oy herds driving their cattle home to kraal across this huge expanse of water, which 1 62 CUX AND CAMERA IX SOUTHERN AFRICA barelv covered their aiikle.s, the illusion somewhat vanishes. None the less the dying sunset, lending a wonderful sheen to tlie mirror-like water, the cattle daintily reflected as they paused to drink, the warm red walls of the native huts upon the hill above, and the still atmosphere suflused with the rich glow of African evening, all united to form a picture of unique beauty. At Morokweng, on the 15th of April, we prowled about over the store, and purchased some further supplies for the waggon, as well as curios, lion claws, odds and ends, and some capital karosses of the " motluse " and silver jackal. Mackay, who has a weakness for store clothes, insisted on arraying himself in a suit of bright canary-coloured moleskin, and, although we all jeered at his Boer-like figure, -appeared highly pleased with himself for the rest of the day. Soon after breakfast — indeed, some of them Vjefore — natives came dropping in for small purchases. All trade here is done by barter. A native brings in an ox, or a goat, or a skin, or some ostrich feathers, or a kaross, and is paid its value in trade stores ; clothes — fustian and moleskin — hats, blankets, cotton prints, shawls, coloured liandkerchiefs, knives, powder, lead, caps, cartridges, and guns, V)eing among the most appreci- ated articles. Beads have not the vogue they used to have, l>ut are still sold. Curiously enough the fashions change very rapidly in beads, and after one season a trader may have on hand a large stock perfectly unsaleable. This year a large dark blue bead, with white bird's eyes, was the thing in many localities. Stuck up on the wall, just at the entrance, was a A TREK .TO MoRolvWENG, SOUTH KALAHARI 163 large inscription plainly written in Sechuana. It ran thus : " Ga-ke-nee-Molato," which, being interpreted, means / give no Credit. Rather an unexpected legend this to meet out here ; commercial morality is, I suppose, at a discount even in these wilds. It is a notable fact that the Bechuana has very pro- nounced trading instincts ; he is an exceedingly hard man at a bargain — very bad to l:)eat indeed ; knows the price of commodities in a wonderful way, even as far down country as Kimljerley ; and, as he sets no sort of value upon time, he will spend a day, or many days, in haggling, until he obtains his object. In Bechuanaland, as in most places, things are now " cut very fine " compared with a few years back, and the enormous profits of the good old days are departed. Of course in the far interior, in Mashonaland, Ngami- land, and the Zambesi country, where severe com- petition has not yet set in, trading still pays very handsomely. We traded some magnificent specimens of gemsbok heads this morning, and, having taken photographs here and there, and pottered about generally, rode out for a shoot in the afternoon. We were not lucky in finding guinea-fowl — hereabouts extraordinarily plentiful — and only shot a few hares, koorhaan, and partridges ; but, riding across a shallow pool of water, I came on a pair of black-winged stilt plovers {Himantopus melanopterus of Temminck ; Cha7xt- (h'ius himantopiirS of Linnaeus), which are not common even in this remote region. They were standing pen- sively, mirrored in the glassy water, at the far end of the pool, and got up as I approached ; but, my pony jerking his head as I fired from his back, I missed securing a specimen. No one can possibly mistake 1 64 (^UX AND CAMERA TX SOUTHERN AFRICA the extraordinary length and slenderness and hiilliant red colouring; of the legs of these interesting fowls. The l)od}' colour is snowy white, the wings are black, there is a spot of brown about the shoulders, and the tail is touched with the same colour. I after^-ards found these birds on the Botletli River further north, but only sparingly even there. The average length of these beautiful w^aders is fifteen or sixteen inches. They are known to Europe and Asia as well as iVfrica, and in my opinion are one of the most remarkal)le of the great family of Scolopacidce, or snipes, in which they are classed. We saw a good many small buck during the after- noon, but, having no beaters, and the terribly thorny haak-doorn bush being very dense, could do no good with them. This haak-doorn or hook-thorn ])ush extends for twenty miles out into the desert to the westward ; in which direction a bold chain of hills — a continuation of the Langeberg — confronted the eye in the far distance, running nearly north and south. "We noticed on our way out that the native gardens of mealies and Kaffir corn were showing promise of a grand harvest. As usual, women were hard at work hoeing and keeping off birds, while the men were in town sewing karosses, gossiping, or idling at home. There is a good supply of water at Morokweng, contained in deep limestone wells all the year round, so that the people are not compelled to trek in tlie dry season. In the evening, hearing a native dance in the town, we walked up and were considerably amused. Numljers of Barolong — young men and women mostly — were footing it together in measured time A TREK TO M(:)R()KAVf:XG, SOUTH KALAHARI 165 to the slow cadences of a monotonous chant, which never varied, and continued throughout the night until early morning. Wrapped in karosses and blankets, the elders w^ere squatting or lounging about here and there by large fires, which served to impart a picturesque wildness to a curious scene. There was a good deal of dust floating in the air, and, as our arrival on the scene was the signal for renewed Terpsichorean vigour, the sand, turmoil, and bouquet de lAfricaine were all sufficiently pronounced. The chant itself is not unmusical, and the voices of these young Bechuanas were melodious and well- drilled, l)ut when the same cadences are repeated for eight or ten hours at a stretch — often night after night at this season of the year — they become desperately monotonous, and the thing palls upon over-wearied ears. Next day a deputation from the dancers waited upon us at our waggon, and we rewarded them with a quantity of tobacco — in their eyes no doubt a sufficient tribute of admiration. We were not lono- in exhaustino- the sights of Morokweng. We looked in at the tiny mud-walled church, in wliich were no chairs — the congregation all s(|uatting in the usual Bechuana fashion — and the altar being represented l)y a small deal table. Then we visited the other trading store and over- hauh'd curios there, and afterwards had a good look round tlie town. The chief Monchus or Monsois we did not see. He is very ill-disposed to tlie English, and not at all inclined to ])e civil. Some months after our visit lie fell foul of a Border policeman, obstructed him in the execution of duty, and actually induced his people to take away a stolen horse or i66 OUN AND CAMERA IX S( ►UTHERX AFRICA horse.s from his custody by a display of armed force. This was going a little too far, however, even for the ill-supported powers of British Bechuanaland ; the chief was taken, Ijrought before the resident magis- trate at Vryburg, and fined. It Avould have done no liarm if he had been imprisoned. From laudable but mistaken motives of econoni}', the Government of the new colony is starved l)y the Home Government, and is not strong enough ; the chiefs both there and in the Protectorate (with the exception, of course, of Khama), now that the fear of the Boer is for ever removed from their Ijorders, are dis- aftected and impudent, and do all in their power to thwart and belittle the representatives of the Government that saved them at the very last stroke of the eleventh hour from utter extermination at the hands of the Transvaal freel)Ooters, who would assuredly have made an end of them and their country. It is high time that the additional police force required in Bechuanaland was granted, so that this huge territorv miolit make some show of resolute government, which at present it cannot do. Large native towns, such as Morokweng, require detach- ments of police to keep order and prevent Bakalahari slavery, the perpetration of cruelties on these poor unprotected serfs, and other abuses. Only a year or two back a Vaalpens or Bakalahari slave (for they are nothing else l)ut slaves) was murdered in the territory of this very chief Monchus, for daring to keep two or three goats of his own to himself, and not rendering them up to his Barolong lord and master. The traders at Morokweng are too isolated and too much under the thumb of the chief, and a A TREK TO .AIOROKWKXO, 80UTH KALAHARI 167 file or two of Border police would be much appre- ciated by them also. Monclius, as I have already mentioned, although nominally included liy Monsioa, the old chief of the Barolong, among his vassals, himself sets up as a sovereign, and exercises indepen- dent sway. He is a gentleman who requires looking after. Mackay and I took photographs of the pan and of the expedition preparing to leave the town — waggon, donkeys, servants, horses, riders and all — just at sunset. Before lunch I walked down to the pan with Dove, and while there he shot, as specimens, a pair of that tiny plover known up-country as the sea-cow bird, from its habit of constantly attending the hippopotamus. Many kinds of African game have some special attendant feathered friends, who free them of parasites, gently titillate their skins, and warn them of danger. On the Botletli, where sea-cows are found, 1 ai>ain saw these pretty plovers, which only average from six to seven inches in lenoth. This, the treble-collared plover (Charadrius tricollaris), is in general colouring- brown and white, the forehead is white, the throat is dusky, and is followed ])y a neat black collar, then ])y a white one, and tlien again l)y a broader black one. The stomach is spotless white. These charming- little birds were Ijusily scuttling about in the mud and water at the edge of the lagoon, picking up food here and there ; they mo^e very rapidly, l)ut are tame enough and easily shot. Just at close of day the waggon moved off, St. Stephens accompany- ing it. We others remained for another night at Mr. Smith's, having: arranged with liim to ride on next dav and trv a niojht's shootino- at Logolono- Laagte. 1 68 (iUX AND CAMERA IX SOUTHERN AFRICA There was a wonderful display of colour as the sun vanished ; pale blues and greens, red and gold and pink vying with one another in gorgeous array. The thatched town ])ehind us, the red walls blushing to the kiss of evening, the still lake beneath, and the distant desert fading into mystery in front, all tended to impress and kindle the imagination. Next morning we were up betimes, and had rather an amusing scene trading bangles from native l)elles outside the store. We bought some very good copper, brass, and bead bangles and necklets, and then — I blush to say it — our fair friends had recourse to their legs and ankles, pulling off their cherished ornaments with immense alacrity the l^argain once struck, after a good deal of haggling, and no end of laughter on both sides. Presently we saddled up and rode on to catch the wao-cron. At one short halt Dove and I made a lucky shot from our ponies, each grassing a sandgrouse as a brace got up near at hand. Our morning bag as we went along totalled five Ijrace of feathered game. At three o'clock we reached our camping ground, and rode on to the laagte, where we proposed to lie out for the night. Having seen what sjDOor was al)out and fixed up the sliooting holes, we returned to the waggon, which had halted under a T)ig tree a mile away. This tree must have seen many a good head of game skinned and cut up a few years back, for we found the horns of several wildel^eest, hartebeest, and other buck, trophies of Mr. Smith's night shooting, still littering the ground. Having dined, we waited till sundown, and soon after, each carrying blankets and a rifle, we set off for the laagte. It was a dark night, witli no moon, and somehow we lost our direc- A TREK TO MOROKWENG, SOUTH KALAHARI 169 tion, and it was a good long hour,, after tioiindering about tlie uneven veldt and tlie expenditure of some strong language, before we struck the l)rack pan. The shooting scherms lay about 300 yards apart down the length of the pan, and, having settled Ijeforehand the choice of positions, Mackay and Dove took the top hole. Smith and St. Stephens the middle one, while Gethin and I lay at the further end. By 7.45 we had snugly ensconced ourselves in our shallow holes, well wrapped in l)lankets, and hidden by a screen of low bush from the brack in front of us. The nio'ht, as I have said, was dark ; and, althouoh the stars shone brightly overhead, we had no aid from the moon, and it was hard to see any thing- twenty yards away, even upon the white surface of the brack. Strain one's eyes as one would, it was impossible to pierce the dim pall of night that en- veloped all things. A moonlight night is a necessity for the full enjoyment of this kind of shooting ; liut, as no moon could by any possibility appear, we had to strain our eyes and trust to our ears. Properly to appreciate the weird solemnity of the veldt, one has Itut to lie out in such a fcishion as I write of. By degrees the eyes become more accus- tomed to tlie uncertain darkness, the hearing is extraordinarily quickened, and the footsteps even of a small buck not far away can be heard very dis- tinctly. The very stillness of the night is now and again broken by the wailing cry of a jackal, as he gets our wind, and proceeds to inform his friends of the fact. The howl of a distant liyj^na, the mournful cry of a night plover, the occasional snort of some small antelope testing the air for danger, are the only sounds that Ijreak upon the ineffable solemnity for I70 (irx AND CAMERA IX 80UTHERX AFRICA a long hour or so. Looking upward, the Inilliant canopy of stars, burning as only they hurn in Africa, fairly dazzles the eyes as they seek again the dim uncertainty of earth. The soft breeze, getting chillier as the hours creep on, sweeps almost straight down the brack. At 9.45 my comrade and I hear the strong blowing of a hartebeest as he comes down to the pan. We gaze our hardest, but can see nothing, and the sound passes away. Soon after the loud crack of a rifle rings out upon the night. It is from the upper scherm, and we congratulate ourselves that at all events some sport is going on. The night wears slowdy on. Towards the small hours Gethin and I take it in turns to have forty winks. I am afraid my companion thought me a hard master when my watch had ended ; he was so desperately sleepy. We neither saw nor heard any more large game during the night. The Southern Cross turned on its side in the heavens, the slothful dawn came round, and at length we rose stiff and benumljed, lit a well-earned pipe, and joined our companions. To our great dismay, we found no game had been killed. What had happened was this. Dove had dozed off for half-an-hour while Mackay watched. He was wakened, and heard the whisper, " There's a great big devil of a Imck over here." Straining his eyes, he presently got the loom of a big antelope against the white pan, about thirty paces distant. ' He whispered to Mackay to fire, but the latter thought the game eighty yards away, and waited. The ante- lope (its spoor next morning proved it to have been a large bull gemsbok) scented danger, and began A TREK TO MOROKWEXG, SOUTH KALAHARI 171 to move away, and Dove, firing one shot from liis Express, missed in the darkness. It was a thousand pities to have lost so fine a huck, but in the darkness it was excusable, and these things will happen, as every hunter knows. Two nights later we lay out again at Kudunque Laagte, but at ten o'clock a violent thunderstorm came up, drenched us all to the skin, and sent us back to the waffffon mere huddles of wet blankets, coats, rifles, and miserable men. We shall not readily forget the four-mile walk, loaded up as we were, in that thunderstorm. The next night, of course, after a wonderful sunset, a sharp, silvery new moon came floating up in the pale blue sky, a rose glow below it, and beneath that again a l)laze of orange and yellow. We had no time to wait for the moon to grow^ however, on this trip, much as we wished to have fairly tried the splendid brack at Kudunque. We reached the Set- lagoli and Maritsani Junction again on April 21, after a very interesting if rather hurried trek of 152 miles — seventy-six miles each w^ay by waggon road. We sighted by the way a good troop of harte- beest as we rode in from Mosita. They were but a hundred yards off, but we had only shot-guns at the time. The journey had l)een more in the nature of an exploration than a shooting party ; we had had no time to pursue large game properly, and such feathered game as we shot by no means represented a fair sporting bag, l)ut merely the humble, if necessary, everyday shoot for the pot. We had seen enough of the country, however, to convince us that much of it is a promising farming district. In the 172 CUX AND CAMERA IX SOUTHERX AFRICA valleys of Mosita, Matlaping, Masabaquane, Mara- bani, and others, fine crops are and can be grown. Mucli of the veldt is well fitted for ranching on a laroe scale, altliouoh water will have to Ije sunk for and found to support any considerable head of stock far from existing waters. A few years hence will doubtless work great changes in this respect, when one remembers what well-sinking and water conser- vation have done in many parts of Cape Colony. Grass is good, and su]3erabundant everywhere ; and Bechuanaland cattle, whether as beef-producers or trek-oxen, cannot be beaten in any j)art of South Africa. During the last few months much of the land about Mosita, Matlaping, and Kudunque has, under the Government Survey, been surveyed and beaconed off for farms. There is far more game in this part of the country than most people are at all aware of. Gemsbok, hartebeest, koodoo, springbok, ostrich, and of course duykers and steinbok, are all fairly plentiful. Un- fortunately, no sort of protection is afforded ; the natives of the various locations are permitted to slaughter at their pleasure ; Dutchmen trek in and scour the country, and in a few years there wdll, I fear, be little of the fevde natuvse left. During the following season (1891) the natives from Ganesa location slew some twenty-seven gemsbok, and about the same number of hartebeest in a few weeks' hunting in the Mosita and Kudunque districts ; and these noble antelopes are not likely to survive very long such indiscriminating onslaughts. Calves, cow\s, and bulls are alike slaughtered in these native hunts. Lions have not yet quite departed from this region. A TREK TO MOROKAVEXCx, SOUTH KALAHARI 173 We heard of two having been spoored up the Sethx- goli Eiver as far as Marabani (near Mosita), just about the time I write of. Another pair were sliot near Ganesa — four or five hours from Yryburg, the capital of British Bechuanahxnd — only some four years since. C^HAPTER VIII. A TRIP TO MARICO, XORTH-WEST TRANSVAAL Ravaged by horse-sickness — Vulture banquets — Visit to Knox and Fan- shawe — A long shot — Superior cuisine — Show huts — Large game in 1836 — Hartebeest hunting — Seven mile chase — Fleetness of the hartebeest — Reach Mafeking — A crowded town — Start for Zeerust — Malmani and its gold — Splendid scenery — Boers and their farm- steads — Orange groves — Mynheer Botha's — Reach Zeerust — A charm- ing town — Festive days — In search of horseflesh — Some of our purchases — Lobengula's nag — Ride to Klaarstrom — The "schiet paard" — Butterflies — Puff-adder — Lovely country — Water Kloof — More Boer homesteads — A Boer deal — Back to Zeerust — Another purchase — Boer rifle practice — Return to Junction. Jusi' at tlie beginning of May, when the first frosts had set in, and we had flattered ourselves into the belief that our nags w^ere safe for the season, the deadly horse-sickness fell upon us. First one good pony, then another, then others, were snatched from us ; until, within a week, we found our united stud reduced to a meagre remnant indeed. There was, as usual in this disease, very little warning. A boy would come in and report that one of the nags was sick. AVe would tlieii jDroceed to inspect the suff"erer, whose swollen eyes, fiercely beating flanks, running and dilated nostrils, occasional cough, and dejected appearance, told at once the miserable tale. A little later the yellowish foam would begin to appear, the Vjreathing become yet more laboured, and then death would ensue. In some instances the disease ran for a day, or even a little more, Ijefore the end came ; A TRIP TO MARICO, NORTH-WEST TRANSVAAL 175 in others it was a matter of but few hours ; in one case the horse died within two hours of the earlv symptoms being noticed. We did what we couhl, tried the best known remedies, strong mustard and vinegar blisters, drenches of carbolic and oil (forty drops of carbolic in a pint of warm oil), hot fomenta- tions, plenty of clothing, but all of little avail. Out of eleven horses five died, two recovered and became " salted," ])ut much enfeebled for some months to come, while four escaped altogether,^ It is a pitiable disease, this South African horse-sickness. One sees so much of one's nag in the long days together on the veldt ; and a kindly companionship, often lacking at home, is speedily established, when, as usually happens, the master tenders the morning and evening- feed of mealies with his own hands. In these cir- cumstances the loss of an old and trusted equine friend and comrade becomes doubly embittered, and, as no remedy has yet been discovered for this sick- ness, it all seems a hopeless struggle when the favourite falls sick. Then, too, in this disease the poor Ijcasts seem as if they must come to man, or man's habitations, for their closing hours ; they wdll hang al)Out your huts in a sort of mute appeal, which is sadly trying. Even in up-country towns this may be seen, and the poor dying wretch yields up its latest breath in the public street, as I have more than once seen. The horse-sickness season of 1890 was one of the most disastrous on record throuohout Bechuanaland, the Transvaal, Griqualand West, and the Orange Free State. Even in Cape Colony, in ' Tlie actual cause of death seems to be an intensely acute and sudden inflannnation of the lungs and other j)arts, and suffocation ends the struggle. 176 GUX AXD CA]\IERA IX SOUTHERN AFRICA localitieis where it had apparently died out, it re- appeared again. The vultures round our huts at the junction of the Maritsani and Setlagoli rivers gorged themselves to their hearts' content during the week of death. 80 soon as a pony died, we spanned in a couple of oxen, and by aid of the trek-chain dragged the carcase to a sufficient distance from our habita- tions, after which the aasvogels (vultures) and jackals soon accomplished their foul task. As we had business at Mafeking, and it was necessary to procure remounts for present use and our contemplated expedition to Ngamiland, my companions — Mackay and Dove — and I rode off on the afternoon of May 2 for the farm of Mr. H. H. Knox, who, with Captain Fanshawe, w^as living on the Maritsani River, some fifteen miles to the eastward. AVe had been invited to stay a night or two with these gentlemen, and our nearest neighl)our, Mr. P. Gethin, rode with us. We carried our guns of course, and had the dogs with us, and shot a few head of feathered game as we went along. Just before reaching Knox and Fanshawe's huts I made a remarkable, if lucky, shot at a koorhaan (black and white bustard) as he Hew across our left iiank, cackling noisily, as these game l)irds always do. He seemed all but out of range, but 1 pulled up my pony, fired from the saddle, aiming well in front, and next instant, to the general astonishment, the koorhaan fell dead as mutton — - " moors dood," as a Boer would say. I used the left choked ])arrel and No. 2 sliot, a combination that in my opinion cannot l)e lieaten for the larger game Ijirds so often met with in South Africa. It was a long shot, the distance paced out being just under A TRIP TO MARICO, NORTH-WEST TRANSVAAL 177 seventy yards, and these birds take much killing, and I am afraid ni}^ comrades extracted a good deal of chaff from the incident. Just at sundown we reached our destination, and were warmly welcomed. The waggon, which we had sent on with our rifles, l>lankets, and other articles, was outspanned, and very shortly we were doing justice to a most excellent dinner, the main honours of which rested, I think, with that excellent chef Captain Fanshawe. Deli- cious " cookies " of sifted Boer meal, roast partridges, a leg of goat done to a turn, and some wonderful onion sauce, helped out with jam, l)utter, whisky, and coftee, soon put us in trim for the soothing pipe of Transvaal tobacco (which is universally smoked up- country, and is excellent) and a tune from the banjo of that accomplished minstrel Mackay. Knox and Fanshawe had built some capital huts on a plan of their own, thatched and roofed, of course, in the usual Bechuana style. These they had white- washed with a solution of soft kaolin found near the river bed, which, with tasteful green doors, imparted quite the appearance of neat English cottages. Tiny glass windows, artfully contrived from a numlier of spoiled photographic half-plates, completed the air of refinement, and rendered these huts quite tlie show-places of the country side — over an area of, say, two or three English counties. iVfter a pleasant evening we turned into our blankets, and were soon asleep. The larger game has, as I have said, now l)econie very scarce in the less remote parts of British Bechu- analand, but a troop or two of hartebeest still roamed north of the Maritsani in this neiglil)ourlioo(l ; and, for the reason that our hosts carefully preserved 178 (JU^' AND CA:\IERA IN HOUTHER^^ AFRICA them HH mucli as po88il)le, these handsome antelopes, perhaps the most characteristic of all the Bechuana- land fauna, were generally to Ije found among the camel-thorn forests upon Knox's 6000 acre run, which, like all Bechuanaland farms, is at present unfenced. It had l)een settled, therefore, for some time that we should have a Imnt on this favourite ground, and next morning at dawn we w^ere up and in the saddle. Just fifty-four years before — in 1836 — Captain Corn- w^allis Harris, the first of the great Nimrods who afterwards exploited this wonderful game country, passed through this very region. In those days this locality must have been a perfect paradise, teeming with countless herds of game — wildebeest, eland, ])ufialo, rhinoceros, lions, zebra, tsesseby, hartebeest, gemsbok, and the rest. Now, alas, all have vanished from these erst glorious hunting grounds, excepting » a troop or two of hartebeest, a few springbok, and the inevitable duyker and steinbok. The forests through which we rode to-day have altered little since Harris's time, but the game has gone. One of the best-remembered pictures in Harris's excellent work, " Wild Sports of Southern Africa," depicts a scene, " Hunting at Maritsani," in which crowds of game are l)eing chased upon this very ground. I remembered the picture so well ; it was a sad thing to find these pleasant forests and great plains now so depleted. There were the giratt'e acacias, often Ijuilt up with the rick-like grass nests of the social weaver-birds, just as Harris painted them in his clever sketches ; ])ut the fat elands and dumpy rhinoceroses resting in the shade, the crowds of game thronging the Ijroad pastures, where, alas ! were they ? These thoughts ran through my head as we A TRIP TO MARICO, NORTH-WEST TRANSVAAL 179 rode along on this warm, pleasant morning in search of our liartebeest. In the first instance, we proceeded through fiat, open forest-land to a part of the veldt where a pan of water stands during the rainy season. This was now dry, and although we found plenty of spoor aljout, no hartebeests were to be seen. Spreading out in line, we rode in another direction for an hour or t"wo, and then ofi-saddled for half-an-hour to rest the nags and have a pull at our water-bottles. Having resumed oui' search, we spread out yet further apart, at intervals of five or six hundred yards. At about half-past one I, who was on the extreme right, suddenly noticed in front of me a troop of large, reddish -coloured V)uck. 1 had never seen liartebeest in the wild state 1 before, l)ut I knew them instantly l)y their long, old-fashioned faces, high withers, sloping quarters, and l^right l)ay colouring. There was a good troop of them, about eighteen in all ; some were standing in low bush, others lying down, and they formed a beautiful picture, surrounded as they were by typical sylvan scenery. They saw me at the instant I set eyes on them, and springing up and away, loped ofi" at a steady canter. Galloping hard, I got within 200 yards, jumped ofi', fired, and missed. The troop, now fairly alarmed, stretched themselves out, and were soon lost to sight among bush and acacia trees. I followed on at a good pace, and, presently emerging on some open rising ground, saw them galloping far away on a distant undulation of the veldt. 1 rode on their spoor some mile or two further, and then, turning, retraced my steps to the forest fiats. Looking through an open glade, T presently noticed some way ofi' a bay figure, which i8o GUX AND CAMERA IX SOUTHERX AFRICA I took to be Dove's pouy, aud .so, taking ott" my hat, I waved it, shouting lustily at the same time. To my surprise the red figure turned and 1)olted swiftly to the rioiit hand. I at once o^uessed that I had mistaken a hartebeest for a horse, and, ramming in spurs, dashed off in the direction of the fugitive. Very quickly I saw, cantering leisurely through the open forest, another good troop of twenty hartebeest, sailing away as if to cross my front. I set ni}' horse at his best gallop to cut them off, and althougli they now increased their pace, I had too good a start, and severed the troop right in half as they tried to pass, part flying away beyond me, the other half standing at less tlian 200 yards, evidently per- plexed for the moment. So close were they, that their black faces, rugged horns, aud full black tails were all plainly visil)le. I jumped otf, took aim at the nearest, a good l)ull some hundred and fifty yards distant, and had the satisfaction of striking him through the ril)s, l)ut, I fancy, rather high up, and too far back to be immediately fatal. I was a little unsteady from the gallop, or should have secured him. The band, now startled into action, suddenly swerved off and tore away at a great pace. I fired again, but missed, and then turned to my horse for more cartridges. I was as usual riding in a flannel shirt — coatless — I had no bandolier on, and my cartridge bag was fastened to the saddle. To my intense disgust, my horse, for some fatuous reason, had trotted away, and, as fast as I followed him, he moved on. Despite my fierce wrath, there was nothing for it but patience, and after ten minutes' manoeuvring I secured my errant steed. By this time the hartebeest had gone heaven knows where, A TRIP TO MARICO, NORTH-WEST TRANSVAAL i8i and although I followed them for some way, I could never oet within hail aoain. Much disQ;usted, I rode off for liome, where at about four o'clock I found the rest of my comrades. Strangely enough, not one of them had heard my shots or come across the spoor of my (juarry. It is indeed astonishing at how short a distance, in African forest, the sound of rifle shots can be lost. Fired by the news I brought in, my friends determined to stop another day, and try again for the hartel)eest. Next morning, therefore, taking a Bakalahari to spoor, we made for the point where I had last seen the game. The native soon found the blood spoor of my wounded antelope, but although he and INIackay followed it up for some miles, they never got up with the buck. On the following day the Bakalahari, with another native, again went on the spoor, but whether he ever secured the wounded hartebeest I never learned, as we had then left. Meanwhile, Dove, Gethin, Knox, and myself had been looking in another direction. Dove, who was ahead, soon sighted a troop of eighteen or twenty hartebeest, and, calling to us, dashed after them. The l)uck had a long start and went at great speed, and, with Dove behind them forcing the pace, were soon a mile or more away, before we others had realised that there was game afoot. At length the crack of a rifle gave us the direction. We galloped for two or three miles, and at last, o-etting through the trees, caught sight of Dove riding about four hundred yards behind the game, which were flying down a long, shallow, open valley. It was a beautiful sight, a perfect picture of sport. The fleeing game ran in a compact troop, apparently going lazily at that heavy slow gallop i82 GUX AND CAMERA IX .SOUTHERN AFRICA which they assume till pressed. Every now and again Dove, on his little hay mare, would spurt u}) to within two hundred and fifty yards or so, dis- mount, and fire, when the hartebeest would stretch themselves out and sail away in wonderful fashion. In their slow paces they look awkward and somewhat mule-like, and the gallop appears high, l)ut wlien pressed the action is magnificent — free, low, sweep- ing, and machine-like. For speed and staying powers there is only one antelope in all Africa, the tsesseby, a near cousin of the hartebeest, that can approach this game, as we found to our cost on this and other occasions. It is a hopeless task trying to run down hartebeest, even on good horses. Now Knox and I joined in obliquely, pressing distantly upon the near flank of the troop of red-coloured game. The chase swept on, mile after mile was compassed, and our horses were well-nigh spent. Dove and I had dis- tanced our friends, and he was still leading, when suddenly, after another shot from his rifle, one ante- lope turned out from the troop and galloped off right- handed. It looked like a hit. I turned and pushed across up a rise to try and cut oft" the Ijuck. My nag could hardly raise a canter now, Ijut I got within two hundred yards of the line, jumped oft, and fired shakily as the beast swept past. Naturally I missed. The sport was now over. Dove's plucky pony was run to a standstill, the rest of the troop had made good their escape, and Knox presently rejoined us. We had run these antelopes at top speed for seven miles on end, on fairly even veldt, and had made no sort of impression on them. We had to own our- selves well beaten, as we slowly rode back to the farm-huts. Nevertheless, it was a glorious gallo}), A TRIP TO MARICO, NORTH- WE.ST TRANSVAAL 183 and one of the prettiest phases of South African sport I have ever witnessed, and at heart none of us, I think, grudged the gaUant game their escape. Dove's ])ay mare, a wonderfully good galloper, never, I think, recovered the day's chase. She died in her stable a few days after at ^fafeking, though whether actually from her exertions of this run we never learned, as we happened to he away in Marico at the time. After a cup of tea at the huts, we sallied out again on foot with our shot-guns, Mackay and Fanshawe being already home, and Ijefore 'sundown secured four brace of partridges (Orange river francolin), a lu-ace of l)ush koorhaan, and one steinbok, the latter of which fell to Dove's gun. The silly little antelope had escaped through our lines, but turned sharp l)ack, ran the gauntlet, and fell to a charge of No. 5 shot. Next morning, after inspecting Knox's crop of mealies, and the cattle and goats, all of which were doing excellently, we rode off for Mafeking, thirty miles distant, and arrived there by easy stages ])efore sundown. jMafeking, as you enter it from the south- west, by the usual road, presents a very charming appearance. I know no other " stadt " in all South Bechuanaland that can vie with it in this respect. The native town, with its circular, grass-thatched huts and warm red walls, nestlino- amono' a mass of shrub and greenery and great boulders of rock, especially if viewed under the glow of sunset, looks Ijeautiful. The little Molopo River flows beneath the gentle slope on which the town is planted. At this time the English part of the town, which lies upon the plateau, about half-a-mile beyond the native location, presented a widel}' different aspect to that of a few months previous. The pioneers and 1 84 CrV^ AX J) CAMERA ]X SOUTHERN AFRICA Chartered Company's police were still being enrolled ; and, passing through to the north, long strings of waggons rolled through day after day ; the market place and main street looked like a miniature Kimberley ; both the hotels were crammed to reple- tion, and we had the greatest trouble to get stabling for our horses. Isaac's Hotel being hopeless, w^e tried Bradley's, where we were kindly provided with shake- downs for the night, on the floor of the proprietor's parlour. Having seen the nags stabled and fed, we entered the tahle-dlwte room. Here all sorts and conditions of mankind were to l)e found — Jews, Gentiles, Boers, transport riders, police, pioneers, diggers, prospectors, general loafers ; all the hetero- geneous elements of South African life were well represented. One gentleman, with a l)road Scotch accent, who had evidently been some while " on the burst," monopolised most of the conversation. He liad one principal idea in his rather addled brain this evening, which he insisted in enlarging upon to the exclusion of all other topics. His idea was that there were no accidents in this world ; all was carelessness. Harking back to the loss of the Sultan, he exclaimed, " Na, na, it was nae accident, but just millions and drillions (he pronounced it ' mullions and drullions ') o' neglact." This phrase stuck in our memories for some weeks, and was retailed upon aj^propriate occasions if any mishap occurred. As the Scotsman rattled on from one subject to another, he was funny for a time, l)ut the thing presently l)egan to jar ujjon one. At Mafeking we found it impossible to pick up horseflesh suitable for our expedition, and we there- fore settled to leave our j^onies Ijehind and drive over A TRIP TO MARICO, NORTH-WEST TRANSVAAL 185 the Ijorder into tlie Transvaal, and see what we couhl do among the ]\Iarico Boers. Thanks to the kindness of Mr. Alfred Musson, we were equipped next day with a Cape cart and four horses, looked after hy Moses, a capital coloured servant ; and on May 7 we drove merrily off for Malmani, our first outspau on the way to Zeerust. Malmani lies fifteen miles from Mafekiug, to the north-east, in Transvaal territory, amid some rather pretty scenery. The Boers cer- tainly chose the pick of the country. Almost directly one leavef^ the dry plains of Bechuanalaiid and enters the Transvaal in this direction, running water is ever}^diere to l>e found, pleasant streams are met with, and at Malmani a full, deep river (a branch of the Klein Marico) of most pellucid clearness, has to be driven through, even at this the dry season of South African winter. The morning was liitterly cold as we started off, and we were glad of the rugs and wrappers kindly provided l)y our Mafeking friends. jMalmani a year before, during the " boom," was looked upon as one of the most promising gold-fields of the Transvaal. All was now chanoed. The one long- street seemed desolate, canteens and stores were closed, the bank had shut up shop and taken its departure, and Malmani sat, figuratively speaking, crooning over the grey ashes of her vanished past. There was one good hotel and store, however — that of the Messrs. Weil — still open. Here we outspanned for an hour, liad a capital lunch, and, thereafter, pushed on again. There is a good deal of expensive machinery lying waste here. The notorious Crystal Reef Company carried on operations at this place, as well as other companies. Gold in considerable quantities has un- 1 86 GUN AND CAMERA IN SOUTHERN AFRICA doubtedly ])een found in the (juartz formation, l)ut the general impression seems to Ije tliat, although very rich deposits, or " pockets," are liere and there found, the gold is patchy and inconstant. There are knowing people who affirm A^igorously that Malmani has not yet had a fair trial, and tliat, given honest and capable management, fair play, and companies not overloaded by vendors and promoters, the fields here will some day turn up trumps. For the present, however, Malmani, pleasant spot though it is, is very much out in the cold, and almost deserted by its erst bustling population. Soon after leaving Malmani, the beautiful hills sur- rounding Zeerust began to open out in the distance, the country became richer and more fruitful-looking at every mile traversed, and after passing the little village of Jacol)sdal, we entered upon the fairest and richest l)it of country, from an agricultural point of view, that I have seen from the Cape to Khama's Countr}'. Well may Marico l)e called the garden of the Transvaal. Its fat corn lands, plenteous water supply, smiling well-to-do homesteads, and fair orange groves, all set among noble hills, amply justify that title. The farms passed this afternoon between Jacobsdal and Zeerust are equal to the best parts of Devonshire. Tlie soil is a rich deep loam, red for the most part, water is unlimited, and is laid out in sluits or courses to every part, and the crops are magnificent. Marico was and still is well known as the strong- hold of the old stubborn anti-English Boers, sons of the sturdy " Voer-Trekkers " who first occupied the district some forty or fifty years since. The famous old elephant hunter, Jan A^iljoen, now a very old A TRIP TO MARICO, NORTH-WEST TRAXSVAAL 187 man, one of the early trekkers, and his family live here. AVlien Jan first picked his farm up here he called it, aptly enough, " Var Genoog" (far enough), Marico, then lately wrested from the Matabele, l)eing the extreme northward limit of the wdiite men. In those days elephants wandered by hundreds over this part of the Transvaal, rhinoceroses were as plentiful as pigs, and all other game was equally a])undant. It is not many years since such men as Viljoen led two widely different lives. In the winter they w^ent elephant hunting far up into the Mashona, Matabele, and Lake Ngami countries ; while in the summer they looked after their farms in Marico. Much of this is changed, however. Elephant hunting south of the Zambesi is nearly a thing of the past, and as the game is hardly worth the candle, the hunters stay more at home or have trekked to the wilds of Ovampoland and Ijeyond. I am not certain that even in the good days those wilder spirits had all the best of it, and am inclined to think that the men who sat quietly at home on their land the year through have done better for themselves in the long run. We were greatly surprised to find such capital homesteads in this region. Some of the farmhouses were excellently w^ell l)uilt, and, with tlieir dee]) thatches, white walls, and green doors and shutters, looked extremely picturesque. They were mostl}' enil)owered in groves of orange trees, just no\\- positively aflame with luscious-looking fruit. Some of them, such as the house of Mr. Botha, where we next halted, are e(|ual to most of the l)est homesteads at the Cape, and to many a good farmhouse at home. Here let me note that the Marico oranges are the 1 88 GUN AND CAMERA IX SOUTHERN AFRICA best in all South Africa ; indeed, now that disease has carried off most of the old ^plantations round the Cape, they have no rival. Of course, tlie difference between a ripe orange plucked from the tree, and an orange that has been plucked unrij)e to enable it to be eaten in England (and which, therefore, never can be said to truly ripen) is incomparable. There had been very heavy rain recently, the roads traversed this day were sticky, and before reaching Mr. Botha's two of our team (which was rather a scratdi one improvised for the occasion) showed signs of giving in. We therefore outspanned and left tlie two feeble nags behind, while the others rested. Mr. Botha, who came out and kindly under- took their charge until our return, is well known in these parts as Danje Botha, or " Rich Botha " as many call him, A dark, stiff-built, well-to-do-looking man of middle height, perhaps fifty -five or sixty years of age — one ^yould hardly imagine that the S is a long price for an unsalted horse in these regions, but the nag was an exceptionally good one, and Mackay sold him in Khama's Town later on for more than he gave for him. It was very amusing to see the Dutchman showing oft' the paces of his favourite. As a rule, trotting is very little practised in South Africa; the canter, or "tripple," being found more easy for man and beast on long and fatiguing journeys. But Mynheer Basson desired to call our attention to the trotting powers of the chestnut, and stretch- ing forward in the saddle, grasped his horse with vigorous fingers about the middle of the neck, when immediately it fell from a canter into a smart, slinging trot. This is a common practice among 196 GUX AND CAMERA IX SOUTHERX AFRICA JJutcli farmers, ])ut when first seen it is certainly amusing. Halting, as I have said before, at Klaarstroom to look at another horse on the way home, w^e reached Zeerust a little after dark, after a journey of some forty miles. We had not certainly transacted a great deal of business, ])ut we liad ridden tlirouoh a most beautiful country, and thoroughly enjoyed a deliglitful and interesting day. On the whole, we found the farmers friendly and hospitable ; true, the fact of our being purchasers of horses may have had something to do with it, but not, I think, altogether. Next morning early, Dove having concluded the purchase of the white and grey ponies, we inspanned them in the cart with the pair with Avhicli we had arrived, and set oft' for Mafeking, calling on our way at Mynheer Kersteyn's. Here I bought a strong, useful, good-looking chestnut pony, upon which I had pre- viously had my eye on our former visit. The price I paid was /^iS. I used the pony for some months on our expedition across the Kalahari to Xgamiland ; Giltboy, as I christened him, turned out a capital shootinof horse, and on returnino- to Khama's I sold him in low condition, and after a deal of hard work, for ^19; so that, on the whole, we did more than reasonably well with all our Marico purchases. Mr. Kersteyn had one or two friends, neighbouring Dutch farmers, over at his place, with whom, as we drove up, he was engaged in rifte practice. Now that the good old days have departed, and the game has been all but exterminated in the Trans- vaal, the Boers are perforce compelled to betake themselves to target-shooting, which they do to a considerable extent. The Government of the South A TRIP TO ]\rARICO, NORTH-WEST TRANSVAAL 197 African Republic supplies good jMartiui rifles (made in Germany), to each burgiier at the low price — so far up-country — of £4, is. gd. per rifle, and all those farmers who had old or inferior weapons are availing themselves of this offer. President Kruger has on more than one occasion in recent years urged upon his Transvaalers to " keep up their shooting," and, from what one hears and sees, they are not very loth to take his advice. But practice at targets is, after all, a very different matter from that best of all practice at game, which every Boer until these last ten or fifteen years had his fill of. The new genera- tion of young Dutchmen now rising to manhood are not what their fathers were — some hardly touch a gun at all — and it is not too much to say that another dozen years will see the Transvaal burghers very different shots (far less formidable in time of war) to their forefathers. On this occasion ]Mr. Kersteyn and his friends were shooting with a rest, the said rest consisting of the hide-laced seat of a wooden cliair. The chair was laid upon the ground in front of the shooter as he lay prone, the muzzle of the rifle was poked througli the thonged seat, and aim was taken at a square board placed 1 50 and 200 yards away. The practice, of course, was good under such condi- tions ; ])ut tliis sort of practice must be vastly inferior to the old shooting at herds of Hying game, when distances had to be judged, and the hunter hastily took his shot — having jumped off his horse — after a breathless gallop. Taking the chestnut ])ought from Mr. Kersteyn, we picked up the other two horses left at JMynheer Botha's — having paid the forage l)ill there — and pushed on to Malniani. Here we inspanned all four 1 98 (iUN AXD CAMERA IX SOUTHERX AFRICA of our new purchases and drove into Mafekiug soon after nightfall, the team behaving extremely well. Moses, riding one of his master's four horses, drove the rest before him, and although he managed to lose one on the way in (which was not recovered for more than a month after), got in soon after us. At Mafeking we picked up our old horses (except Dove's bay mare, which had died meanwhile), and next day, riding and leading, made our way down to our huts at the Junction. CHAPTER IX. OUR STEEPLECHASES Trying the new horses — Gun practice — Micliael Moroka's — Jumping — First idea of steeplechases — Making the course — Preliminary trials — Knox and Faushawe arrive — The " brook "' — Other fences — The grandstand — SiJectators — Our costumes — Description of the races — Boys' contest — The luncheon — Afternoon shoot — Vagaries of horse-sickness — Next day's sport — My fall among thorns. 80 soon as we had reached the Junction again, after our horse-buying expedition, we set about trying the new purchases, and especially to see how they stood fire. . On the morning of the 14th May we had each nag out in turn, and, mounting them, proceeded to fire from their backs, pointing the guns in various directions. English horses would strongly resent such practice ; but up-country in South Africa most ponies are well accustomed to the sound of firearms, and there is no difficulty in teaching them to stand steadily when a gun or rifle is fired from the saddle. And, even if the ponies be a trifle skittish to begin with, a week or so in the huntino- veldt, where the work is hard and food other than veldt grass none too plentiful, has a marvellous eflect, and the timid nags become quickly transformed into steady shooting ponies. This we soon discovered on our expedition to Morokweng, from which every horse returned warranted steady under fire. My chestnut, Giltl)oy, and Dove's two greys we found to ])e the least amenable ; but Giltl)oy quickly overcame his fears, 199 200 OUX AXD CAMERA IN SOUTHERX AFRICA and the other pair were not long in following his example. Mackay's Ijig chestnut, Rooibok, was as steady as old time, and minded the gun no more than the low of an ox. After an hour's practice, Mackay rode into Set- lagoli, to fetch out the mails. I got out my camera and proceeded to photograph a green tree-snake, killed the day before close to the huts, and some Coqui francolins. Then nothing would suit Dove l)ut we must set up the dead snake and a spotted- breasted eagle [Spizaetus Spilogaster) — also killed the day l)efore — facing one another as if in mortal combat. After no little troul)le, and much propping up with sticks, the bit of still life was prepared and photographed. We then had some practice with a Marlin carbine at lOO yards, at a target i\ feet square with a 6-inch bull's-eye, and made some pretty fair practice. By this time P. Gethin, whom I had l)een expect- ino;, had ridden over. I had arranoed to hand over to him the charge of the farms from the ist of June, at which time I was leaving the Junction for the shooting trip with Mackay and Dove, and we had many things to talk over. After lunch we all three rode over to Moroka's Kraal, in order that I might explain to Michael Moroka that Gethin was to succeed me as master, and arrange for obtaining a water supply at Michael's pits in the Setlagoli, our own holes in the Maritsani and Setlaooli l)eino- now all o o but dry. Takino' as usual our ouns and doos we cantered across and satisfactorily interviewed Moroka. On leaving his place we passed some strong thorn kraal fences, and it was here that the idea of our steeple- OUR STEEPLECHASES 201 chases first took root in the sporting brain of Dove. " Come on, you fellows ! " he called out ; " I'll give you a lead over these fences." We set our nags at the thorny obstacles, and they were negotiated with ease and despatch. We repeated the performances and then turned for home, picking up a head or two of game, including a steinbok shot by Dove, as we came. On the 1 5th we were busied in various ways ; fencing in with thorns our precious last remaining waterpit in the Setlagoli, to preserve it from stray cattle ; interviewing Tatenyani, a local petty chief, as to a constant milk supply for the Clethins, who Avere sending their cattle further away for water ; and arranging other matters. On the i6th, Dove, who had been inspecting our own kraal fences, announced that there was excellent material for a steeplechase course, and all hands were called out to assist in demarcating l)oundaries and strengthen- ing jumps. Dove, let me jiremise, had been long- since accustomed to Irish steeplechasing, and, despite many a l^ad fall and numberless broken l)ones, his soul, even in sun-parched Bechuanaland, yearned to tempt the fates once more and test the racing powers of African shooting ponies. Mackay and I were nothing loth, and, eager for new sensations in the routine of our (juiet existence, we laboured hither and thither, and soon produced a sufticiently for- midal)le course. Now we saddled our horses, and taking them out in pairs, tried them one against another in a series of off-hand matches. Despite a fall sustained by Mackay, in which, however, no harm was taken, the results were most encouraging. It is a signal proof of the all-round adaptability of 202 (lUN AND CAMERA IX >S0UTHP:RX AFRICA the South African horse that here, upon the first onset, not one of our nags (there were eight in all tried) refused or attempted to refuse their fences. They jumped freely, willingly, and well, and seemed thoroughly to enjoy the game. Suddenly another brilliant idea struck Dove. Our neighbours Knox and Fanshawe were arriving in the evening for a day or two's visit ; why not invite the (lethins, and have a private steeplechase meeting of our own ? The proposition was put and carried unanimously and upon the instant. A note was despatched to the Gethins requesting their attend- ance, and begging the favour of Mrs. Gethin's and the baby's presence on this festive occasion, and pre- sently a reply came back cordially accepting our hurried invitation. We now proceeded to improve the course as far as possible, leaving a few items only until the morning. Knox and Fanshawe arrived just at sunset. After a merry supper, we drew up a programme of events. This business finished, with the aid of a strong con- sumption of Transvaal toljacco and Dog's Head cigar- ettes, after a little banjo playing we all turned in. The morning of Saturday the 1 7th May dawned, as usual at this season of the year, in perfect splendour. The atmosphere, despite the strong, bright sunshine, was inexpressibly nimble and exhilarating, and before breakfast we set to work to complete our prepara- tions. In the horse-kraal Dottie and Peetsi were busy providing the horses with their morning mealies ; while, in view of the special nature of the occasion, an extra grooming was being bestowed, so that all the nags should stand before the starting flag in the pink of prejDaration — as understood in the wilds of Becliu- OUR STEEPLECHASES 203 analand. In rear of the huts, at some distance from the first kraal fence, we set to work to dig our gallery jump. We had unfortunately no water, but we made a good broad trench, eleven feet in width, fronted l)y a moderate bank, the top of which we bushed thickly with brushwood. This " brook," as we called it, when completed represented a good, fair hunting jump, and we were mightily pleased with it. Our course ran thus. The start was 200 yards above the l)rook ; thence another 200 yards to the first kraal fence, composed of stift', dry thorns thickly bushed to the height of a good hurdle jump at home, so that, horrid as it was with cruel thorns, no horse could gallop or slur through it ; thence across the kraal to another and similar fence. From there the course trended slightly downhill over two more fences, then bore to the right along the flat, thence turning up hill again, and then bearing right-handed along the level l)row until the starting point was reached. This course had to be twice compassed, and the winning j^ost, whereon fluttered our l^nioii Jack, stood at a point some 200 yards behind and beyond the starting place. In all the distance to l)e run was al)out a mile and a quarter, and twelve fences (including twice over the l)rook) had to be negotiated. We marked out the course here and there with tall poles upon which were fastened our gaudy blankets, which, oflering their gay greens, yellows, and reds to the sun and breeze, imparted quite a gala aspect to the veldt. These hibours over, we turned heartily to breakfast, and in the meantime Knox's Scotch cart and four oxen were sent over the river to fetch Mrs. Gethin 204 (tUN and camera IX SOUTHERN AFRICA aud her iiifciiit to the sceue of the .struggle. At ten o'clock the Gethins had arrived, and at eleven, having conducted our visitors over the course, we began the first race, Elliott, our English lad, assisting as starter. An unusually impartial judge was at hand in the person of old Thomas, who discharged his duties with becoming gravity and decorum, and appeared to prefer the " prospect " of this festive meetings to that of neighbouring " gold areas " where he had l^een recently at work. It had l)ecome known among our attendants on the previous night that upon the morrow the " Baases " were going to indulge in some extraordinary festivities. These tidings had been bruited from kraal to kraal of the Barolongs aud Vaalpense adjacent, and we had quite a small standful (if only we had had a stand) of dark and interested spectators, all on the tiptoe of excitement aud anticipation — for steeple- chases were hitherto unknown in the district. The Scotch cart drawn up l)etween the winning post and starting point, and, comfortably furnished with a chair, cushions, and rugs, served our sole lady visitor as a grand stand. Beneath the shade of a large umbrella she and the baby watched the various events. It was at first proposed to fit up a stand on the top of the horse-shed, ])ut this was negatived as too arduous a climl), and too risky an altitude for the infant. The only other spectators were a few vultures and l)lack and white crows, seated pensively on some mimosa trees near the skeleton of the last deceased horse. These creatures viewed the affair with an air of gorged and absolute indifference. As our asseml)led neighbours had suffered like ourselves from horse-sickness, and their studs were just now OUR STEEPLECHASES 205 much impaired, we divided the mounts in as impartial a manner as possible, so that all should have a share in the fun. In all we mustered only some dozen horses, of which our Marico purchases w^ere the pick ; and it fell therefore that most of the nags had to be pulled out more than once for the various events. Our costumes were not of a hioii order of merit — considered from a racing point of view. No silk jackets Hashed in the sunlight or fluttered to the breeze ; no snowy breeches or well-ordered lioots were ours. But we had sharp spurs, persuasive sjamboks of giraffe hide, and good saddlery. We and our nags were all in sound, hard condition, and one and all braced to our level best performances. Flannel shirts, open at the neck, and rolled up at the sleeves, displaying ])are l)rown arms ; stout breeches and field l)Oots or gaiters, and any cloth cap that would stick on ; these equipments would not fit the ideas of an EnoHsli race meeting- but they were good enough for our purpose. Dove had a decent pair of 1)rown boots — the envy of the camp — and he displayed also a l)it of colour in the shape of a red silk nightcap, which glittered in the van of several of the races. Mackay rode l)areheaded, for there is no fear of sunstroke in South African winter. Our programme ran as follows : — Setlagoli and Maritsani Impromptu Steeplechases. Stewards — Captain Fanshawe, Messrs. H. H. Knox, P. A. H. Gethin, H. R. Oetliin, W. Matkay, W. Dove, and H. A. Bryden. Staitei— Mr. EllioU. Judge— Mr. Thomas. I. Match (i mile and a quarter). Mr. W. Mackay's Buggins . . . Owner i. Mr. W. Dove's Called Back . . Owner 2. 2o6 GUN AND CAMERA IN SOUTHERN xVFRICA Called Back, as his name may seem to imply, liad only lately recovered from a severe attack of horse- sickness, and was barely at liis hest. Buggins, a capital stamp of shooting horse, had manifestly the foot of his opponent, led all the way, and won in a canter, 2. The Junction Steeplechase (i mile and a quarter). Mr. W. Mackay's Rooibok . . . Owner i. Mr. H. H. Knox's Captain . . . Owner 2. Mr. H. A. Bryden's Giltboy . . . OwTier 3. Mr. ^Y. Dove's Bluelnick . . . 0^v^ler 4. This was the principal event of the meeting, all the nags l^eing of good class, and the winner in particular a grand stamp of galloping hunter. All cleared the water jump in fine form. Captain, closely pressed Ijy Giltboy, cut out the running until the last fence, when Rooibok came to the front, and, being much the speediest in the straight run in, won, hard held, by half-a-dozen lengths. Two lengths between second and third. 3. The Maritsani Plate (1 mile and a quarter). Mr. H. A. Bryden's Waclit-een-bitje . Owner i. Captain Fanshawe's Schelm . . . Owner 2. Mr. P. Gethin's No Name . . . Owner 3. Mr. W. Dove's Witbooi . . . Mr. Knox 4. In this race the l)ay mare Wacht-een-bitje (Wait- a-l)it) jumped away with a strong lead, was never headed, and won easily by ten lengths. A good race for places. 4. Match (i mile and a quarter). Mr. W. Dove's Dunboy . . . Owner i. Mr. H. A. Bryden's Giltboy . . . Owner 2. This promised to be a good race ; but Giltboy, who OUR STEEPLECHASER 207 Tcin unkindly at the turns, Ijolted before coming into the straight for the hist time, and, ahnost running headlong into a high thorn kraal, threw his rider (who escaped with a severe scratching), leaving Dun- boy to canter home alone, 5. Tlie SetlcKjoli Scurnj (three-quarters of d mile). ]\Ir. W. Mackay's Bixggins . . . Mr. Dove i. (Japtaiii Fanshawe's Schelm . . . Owner 3. Mr. P. Gethin'.s No Name . . Owner 3. Buggins, judiciously ridden by Dove, forced the running from start to finish, and won, with a trifle to spare, by two lengths. 6. Match (i mile and a quarter}. Mr. W. Dove's Dunhoy . . . Owner i. Mr. W. Dove's Witbooi . . Mr. Mackay 2. This was (juite the race of the day, and arose out of an old discussion as to the merits of the two ponies. From start to finish the affair was a dino--dono; one. Witl)Ooi led off at a strong pace ; in the second round Duuboy shot to the fore and held possession till the last fence Ijut one, when Witbooi went away again and appeared to be winning easily. Here Dove's old steeplechasing experiences serveil him in good stead; sitting down to his work, he l)rought up Duuboy, who answered gallantly to whip and spur, foot by foot, and, with an Archer rush at the finish, won a magnificent race by a neck. It was a rattling set to, and elicited loud plaudits from tlie company — l)la<'k and white. 7. Match (i mile and a quarter). Ml. W. Mackay's llo()il)()k . Owner 1. Mr. Knox's Captain . . Mi. ]iiyden 2. 2o8 GUX AXD CAMERA IX 80UTHERX AFRICA Captain made running at- a strong pace, with the idea of outstaying his opponent. E,ooil)ok, however, always held him safe, and, coming away at the last fence, won easily by three or four lengths. The festivities were wound up with a race among our boys, whom we mounted on various nags. This was a piece of screaming fun, and while it was enacting we could scarcely hold our sides for laughter. The prize to the winner was five shillings, an extensive sum to a Bechuana ; and one and all, whether they were used to horseback or no, rode to desperation. At it they w^ent, liammer and tongs, sjamboks and naked heels being freely plied. The water-jump was by a miracle safely passed, though the seats of more than one shifted uncomfortably. Down the hill they tear, over the kraal fences, Dottie and Peetsi making the running. One falls, one or two bolt out of the course, Elliott among the number ; and presently Sam, our latest importation, who had evidently been on a horse before, comes Hying first to the winning post on the white pony ; his rags fluttering to the wind, his big toes grasping the stirrup in true native fashion, and his l^lack face and white teeth set to a broad grin of exultation and delight. Sam, the despised Sam, has w^on on Witbooi ; Peetsi, the light weight, is second on AVacht-een-bitje ; Dottie third on Giltljoy. The rest straggle in from the veldt at intervals. The races over, we turn our attention to luncheon. At such short notice the Junction estaljlishment could not be expected , to attain very great heights of gastronomic excellence, but we did our best. We had luckily a good English ham at hand ; this and some chickens helped us out OUR STEEPLECHASES 209 of our culinary impasse. Here is the menu of our cold collation : — GAME SOUP. TINNED SALMON. DIGBY CHICKS. SARDINES. COLD (ENGLISH) HAM. COLD CHICKENS. CORNED BEEF. JAMS (various;. marmalade. BISCUITS. PRESERVED GINGER. BOTTLED STOUT. PONTAC (RED WINE). TEA AND COFFEE. Mrs. Getliin was o-oocl enouoh to declare herself delighted with the morning's sport ; the baby was laid peacefully to sluml)er in a cot extemporised from an empty case and some pillows and cushions ; and we all sat down to our modest l)anquet with excellent spirits and appetites. In the afternoon we sallied out with our shot-guns, and, forming line across the veldt, took a sweep up the Maritsani and home again by the further ])ank. Game now was less plentiful and wilder than it had Ijeen hitherto, and the grassy cover was becoming thin and scanty under the combined influence of sun and drought. None the less we had a pleasant afternoon, halting to take tea at Sligo Farm, whither ]\Irs. Gethin had returned ; and at sundown we reached home with a bag of eight brace of bustard, partridge, and guinea-fowl. By the time we reached the huts again the ponies had been got in from the veldt, where they usuall}' fed until wanted, had had their feed of mealies out of nose-l)ags which we kept for the purpose, and were fastened up for the night. During the season of horse-sickness it is an invari- able rule that horses shall not l)e allowed to touch the veldt grass until the sun has l»een up for an hour or 2IO GUX AND CAMERA IX SOUTHERN AFRICA two, and the grass is thoroughly dry and the veldt aired. In the same way horses must be got in before sundown, so that no risk from dews or dewy grass may be incurred. Even these and many otlier precautions are often unavailing ; and we ourselves, although taking every care, had, as I have shown, suffered heavily from the mysterious and perplexing murrain. As a rule, the first frosts are a signal for the disappearance of horse- sickness ; but this year frosts had prevailed for some nights before our horses began to be attacked. The suddenness and extraordinary vicissitudes char- iicteristic of this disease are well illustrated by the case of a chestnut pony of Mackay's, which was at this time just recovering from the sickness, and took no part in tlie steeplechases. I rode on my bay pony one afternoon to Setlagoli to receive and post mails. Next day I left for the Junction, riding Mackay's chestnut (which had been left for a day or two) and leading the bay. Both ponies, as I left Lamb's Hotel, seemed fit and well. After I had cantered along four or five miles I noticed that the chestnut — usually a lively, excitable nag — was dull and heavy, and required frequent jogs of the spur. I changed saddles and mounted the bay. In another mile or two the chest- nut lal)Oured yet more, presently could hardly trot, and yellow matter and foam began to run from the nostrils. Its flanks were now heaving with ominous rapidity, and I saw that horse-sickness had got hold of it. With the greatest difficulty I dragged the poor brute to the Cutlers' cottage, and there turned him into a kraal, as I thought, to die. Next morning Mackay and Dove rode over to ascertain the pony's fate. Mackay was mounted on OUR STEEPLECHASES 211 a very handsome black pony (one of the lot brought up by Dove from Kimljerley, and quite his favourite mount), which appeared as fit and well as possible. Before getting to the Cutlers' place, five miles off, the l)lack was suddenly seized with the sickness, and had to be off-saddled and left l)ehind. Dn reaching the Cutlers', to their utter astonishment the chestnut, left by me for dead on the preceding day, now appeared fairly well ; it recovered in a few days, and not long after was getting strong and brisk again. The black pony, on the other hand, died shortly after. These are but common examples of the mysteries of this fatal and extraordinary sickness. On the day following the steeplechases Knox, Fanshawe, Dove, Mackay, and H. Gethin set off for a day's shoot along the high veldt bordering the Setlagoli on its course to the Molopo, They had a fair day, getting eleven brace of koorhaan, partridges, liares, and guinea-fowl. I was very sore after my fall of the preceding day, and my right knee, which was sprained, troubled me with a limp for some time to come ; I therefore stayed at home, writing up i'orrespondence, putting the huts in order, and pre- paring the evening meal against the gunners' return. (xiltboy, by bolting in the match with the dun ])ony and putting me headlong into the kraal fence from which he swerved, gave me a nasty ftill. I emerged from the thorns in very much the guise of tlie fretful porcupine. The wdiole of my left side bristled with long mimosa thorns — and they are no Joke — my face was streaming with blood, and it took myself and Mackay no inconsiderable time to extract the tliorns from my leg, side, and arm. One ran into the elbow joint and stuck there, and troubled 212 GUX AXD CAMERA IX 80UTHERX AFRICA me for months after. Beyond this und the sprain, however, I escaped easily, and have to thank the kraal fence, no doubt, for saving me from a broken arm ; a fact I may congratulate myself upon, as my left arm had been Ijroken twice previously. We had again a very merry evening with our visitors, who left us on the following day — after assisting in a series of photographs — for their own farms. Our impromptu steej^lechases had gone oft' capi- tally ; they had been a source of keen enjoyment and hearty fun to all of us ; and among many recollections of our Junction days, not the least pleasant will be that rough fragment of English sport, translated so successfully from the green pastures and grey skies of home to the embrowned veldt and sunny atmosphere of British Bechuanaland. CHAPTER X. A U'AGGOX JOURNEY THROUGH THE PROTECTORATE Our old waggon — Vryburg races — Post-cart journey to Mafeking — Master of Elphinstone and Mr. Giflford — Sad death of the Master — Start to Mafeking — A forced march — Our alarum — Ramathlabama — Boulder Pits — Bangwaketse people — Bechuana singing — Romantic scenery — Gordon Cumming's ground — His bags not mythical — Kolobeng — Aasvogel Kop — Touracou — Ramoutsa — Tribes and chiefs of Protector- ate — Unsatisfactory state of country — Jolting travel — Gaberone's — Charming scene — Reach Mochudi — Our boys decamp — Boyale rites — Marico and Crocodile rivers — Plenty of game — A dear store — Kiewitje plover — A Boer trek — "Van Rooyen the hunter — Bamangwato country — Sofala Hills — Duck-shooting — Oxen lost — Fat-tailed sheep — Hot- tentots and Bushmen — Waterberg Boers — Palachwe. In preparation for our departure to the hunting ojrounds of the far interior — the time for which had now arrived — we had despatched the waggon, loaded up with saddlery, guns, rifles, and the rest of our kit and bao-oao-e, to Mafekins;, there to await our arrival. Before sendino- the waoo-on we overhauled her as far as j)ossible, strengthened the staves of tlie half-tent, which we covered with new canvas, and ga\^e her a fresh coating of paint. She was a very old waggon, and the felloes of her wheels in parti- cular were, from age, hard trekking, and the excessive dryness of the climate, so shrunk from the tyres as to make us seriously doubt whether she would safely compass the 360 miles from our huts to Khama's. Rickety waggons, however, like threatened folk, live long, especially in a sandy country such as Bechuanaland. We had not intended to take tliis 214 GUX AND CAMERA IX SOUTHERX AFRICA waggon beyond Khama's, ])ut changed our minds on reaching Palachwe, and the old vehicle eventually travelled to the Lake River and back, serving Dove as a comfortable residence during the months of that expedition. Old as she was before we started, her aspect when we trekked into Khama's Town once more on our return was a hundredfold more battered. The after axle broke early in the joui-ney, and a false axle, cut from the hard wood of the giraffe acacia, had several times to be improvised, and was a con- stant source of anxiety to us. The fore axle smashed in some rocky country, luckily only a day or two before we got back into Palachwe, and was spliced together with raw hide sufficiently to allow the poor old wanderer to crawl home. As for the felloes, we were perpetually driving in wedges Ijetween the woodwork and tyres to keep things together, and copious libations of water were poured over the wheels whenever water was handy, in order to swell the woodwork as much as possible, or rather to de- crease the shrinkage which in the dry air and heated sands of the desert was incessantly going on. It was a risk taking the old lame duck upon so long and anxious a trek, and we might easily have procured a better but heavier waggon. She was so light, however, compared with a full-tent hunting waggon, which we obtained at Palachwe, that we were glad to make use of her ; and no doubt her comparatively light weight was a great saving to the second span of oxen, and helped to avert what was nearly proving to be a catastrophe on our return journey across the "Thirst Land." Leaving Mackay and Dove to place P. Gethin in possession of the huts, and make their way to A AVAGGOX J0UKXP:Y 215 Mafeking witli the ponies and a Cape cart, I left the Junction on the 23rd of May and rode down to Viyburg by post cart to wind up certain ])usiness matters there. On the 24th — Queen's Birthday — Vryburg races were held, which, although on a bigger scale, compared as I thought not too favour- ably with our sporting little meeting at the Junction a few days before. Early on the 27th, having com- pleted my business matters, I embarked again on the post cart for Mafeking. Just at this time the ravages of horse-sickness had completely disorganised the postal service from Kimberley to Khama's Town — which was then conducted by the Bechuana- land Exploration C^ompany. Nearly all the horses were dead, and the post carts were for a time drawn by a ragged and deploralJe contingent of mules, donkeys, and even oxen. The passengers had had an upset during the pre- vious night, and the cart was consequently very late. After a weary journey to Setlagoli, we had a still more miseraljle trek to Mafeking. The unfortunate mules, overworked as they were, after the usual wild spurt from Laml)'s Hotel (it is the thing in South Africa alwa}'s to l)egin a stage with a mad gallop), sul)sided into a trot, and thence degenerated to a walk. All through a bitterly cold night, there- fore, we toiled along at a snail's crawd, which, de- spite change of teams at Wrights' (Lower Marit- sani), and Medebi AVells, had improved very little ere we completed the 100 miles to Mafeking next afternoon. Happily I found in the crowded cart two pleasant fellow-travellers in the Hon. Maurice Giltbrd and the Master of Elphinstone, with whom I walked 2i6 GUN AND CAMERA IX SOUTHERN AFRICA ciliead of the lagging post cart much of the next morning. The former of these o;entlemen was on his way to assume control of the Bechuanaland Exploration C^ompany's affairs at Palachwe ; the latter to take up a commission in the Bechuanaland Border Police at Macloutsi. To Mr. Clifford I was afterwards indebted for many acts of kindness and courtesy at Palachwe while preparing for and returning from our hunting expedition. The subsequent untimely death of the Master of Elphinstone, which happened under pecu- liarly sad circumstances, is well known. Not long after reaching Macloutsi he had been attacked by dysentery, and from a too great devotion to duty, and some neglect of that dangerous malady, added to the heat and lack of comforts, had suffered one relapse after another. In November Lord Elphin- stone joined Sir Henry Loch in his progress through the Protectorate, and underwent the long and fatiguing trek to Khama's country in order to meet his son. He reached Macloutsi only in time to find the Master in a state of extreme weakness and ex- haustion. The only hope seemed to lie in bringing the sufferer down country for change of air and better attendance. It was too late, however ; Mr. Elphinstone died in his father's arms at Pallah Camp on the Limpopo Kiver, and was there buried, adding one more name to the long roll of Britain's sons who have yielded up their lives in Africa. It was a sad ending to a promising career, and aroused deep sympathy among all who had had the pleasure of knowing a kindly and most courteous gentleman. I told the Master what little I could of the fauna of the country, and the prospects of A WAGGOX JOUKNEY 217 sport up nortli ; and lie was evidently looking for- ward keenly to many a good day among the game of the Protectorate. Little did he or I think then how sadly it was all to end. At Mafeking I found that Mackay and Dove had all hut completed preparations for the start. As usual during this year of the Mashonaland Expedition, the town was very busy and full of life. AVe met, among others, Mr. John Strombom, the Lake Ngami trader, who was trekking to the lake shortly after ourselves, and from whom we picked up some useful information. All our stores, ammunition, and heavy gear had been sent forward, and was timed to arrive at Palachwe some week or two before ourselves. We were fitted out l)y Messrs. Whiteley, Walker & Co., whose experience of the interior was of the greatest service to us, and from whose excellent stores we were supplied at a most reasonable rate with every- thing that a hunting party could require. I don't think that people going into the hunting veldt can do l)etter than lit out at Mafeking. The cost and troul)le of transporting stores from Kimberley is materially lessened, much time is saved, and Messrs. Whiteley & Walker, as well as other traders, can supply all necessary outfit that can be required. Similarly, waggons and oxen can be procured here either for hire or purchase ; and the traveller can run up (piickly from Cape Town by rail and post cart, and so start at no great distance from the hunting veldt. jMessrs. Musson Brothers, the well-known transport agents, can be depended u})on to procure all that is wanted in the shape of waggons and oxen. A sliort notice is of course necessary. As Dove was somewhat pressed for time, we had 2i8 GUN AND CAMERA IX Sr)UTHKRX AFRICA arranged to trek with the light waggon — now all but empty— by forced marches, so as to accomplish the 320 miles to Khama's Town (Palachwe) if possible in record time. As a matter of fact, although we had but scratch teams of oxen and servants (we were pro- curing both at Palachwe for the hunting expedition) and lost part of a day at Mochudi and another at Sofa la, we accomplished the 320 miles in sixteen days — a performance of which we were reasona})ly proud. Dove, who is a determined man, had fully made up his mind that our resolve to trek by night as well as by day should l)e lived up to. He therefore purchased a huoe American alarum clock — ha vino- a face diameter of the best part of a foot — which was fixed up above the kartel. How we used to curse that awful clock when, after a hard day's travel and a late supper, we had sunk into well-earned slumber. The vile thing usually rang out its devilish summons at 2 or 3 o'clock A.M. or thereabouts. The nights were bitterly cold, the boys and oxen alike tired. But it had to be done. The boys were roused from their blankets, and, after shivering awhile and warming their velschoens over the dying fire, they proceeded to inspan and trek. The horses were unfastened and driven forward in the darkness, and we who remained in the waggon either smoked a pipe and waited for the chilly dawn, or snatched uneasy slunil)er amid the joltings of the rough and uneven roads. Ugh I it was unpleasant, that forced trek, and we none of us much relished it. Mac and I seriously thought of slaying the clock, and when, towards the end of the journey, the rough mountain roads had done their work, and the sleep- disturber had succumbed, we rejoiced openly and without shame. Two of us shared the kartel ; the A WAGGOX JOURXEY 219 other fixed up his blanket underneath, and slept on a mattress on the floor of the waoo-on. It was a tioht squeeze. Init as it was for a short journey we put up with it. Besides ourselves, the waggon carried our saddles and bridles, a gun and rifle or two, a vatje and water cask, pots, a kettle and a frying pan, and a few stores, such as " ])ully beef," sardines, jam, meal, tinned milk, coflfee, tea, sugar, and tobacco, sufficing to carry us to Palachwe. We carried, of course, mealies for our good nags ; which latter, to save as much as possible, we rode very little. Day or night one of the horses was saddled, mounted by one of the boys or ourselves, and the rest were driven in front. At night this was cold and irksome work, especially in bushy or forest country, where the steeds easily strayed. We sold ofi" the donkeys l)efore the start and hired ten oxen, which were to be changed at Mochudi. This was a scratch and rather a short span, even for our light, empty half-tent waggon, ])ut the oxen behaved excellently, and were well handled by Jonas, our Basuto driver. For leader and horseboy we had two rather indifierent servants, who afterwards left us in the lurch. The cooking we undertook our- selves, as we had no room for a cook until we oot to Khama's, and had another waggon at our disposal. Having completed all business here and said good- l)ye to a host of friends, we rode out on the 3otli of May at 1 2 o'clock, and after fifteen miles picked up the waggon at Ramathlabama, where the oxen had been outspanned. Here were some score or so of Chartered Company waggons on their way to Mash- onaland ; and what with recruits, natives, oxen, and a quantity of horses, the place looked lively enough, 2 20 (iUX AND CAMERA IN SOUTHERN AFRICA and the little store (at that time the last from jMafeking to Eamoutsa) was doing a good trade. At 6 P.M. we inspanned again and trekked till I0.20, from which time we rested till 4 a.m., when we pushed on till 7.30 — breakfast. This evening w^e passed the telegraph expedition on its way to the north. The chain of telegraphic communication has long since been extended to Palachwe and thence to Mashonaland — a great and important undertaking. On the morning of May 31, we moved across some big flats on which were a few springbok, the poor remnant of former crowds of game. We had for amusement a few long shots from the waggon at 700 or 800 yards, but did no execution. In the evening we trekked from 6 till II, when we outspanned for a supper of "bully beef," sardines, and coff'ee. From 3.30 a.m. till 7 a.m. we again pushed on, and did a good trek. On Sunday the ist of June we found ourselves outspanned in semi-bushy country, near some water- pits which lie amid a collection of large, rounded l)Oulders, and are now well known as "Boulder Pits" on the up-country trek. At breakfast we were sur- rounded by a number of women and girls, who came laden with the large wooden Bechuana pitchers con- taining fresh milk, as well as pumpkins and melons. These people, who were of the Bangwaketse tribe, owing allegiance to Batoen, a powerful chief settled at Kanya to the westward, were extremely merry, and we had great fun with them over our purchases of milk, vegetables, and bangles. They pressed us much to stay, off"ering to undertake our washing, and were excessively curious over our outfits and clothes. A pair of well-cut breeches of Tautz's build, A WACiGOX JOURNEY 221 worn by Mackay, seemed to especially attract their notice ; they closely examined the texture, sewing, and cut, and vented their surprise and pleasure in expressive " Ous!" and exclamations. Indeed, their attentions were rather embarrassing to Mackay, although he is not naturally of a shy nature. These people were tall, well set-up, and well fed — in fact, pictures of health — and, as with all Bechuana women, who are used to carry their great water- vessels and other heavy weights balanced upon their heads, their firm and erect bearing was very admiral)le. Unlike many of the women of British Bechuanaland, they wore no European clothes, but Avalked al)0ut in blankets or their own native karosses and skin petticoats. Having extracted all they could from us, they sat down to watch our proceedings, and amused themselves by singing various Sechuana hymns to Moody and Sankey airs, which they did very prettily. The Bechuanas, indeed, have a natural aptitude for singing ; the only foult I have to find with them is that their delivery is apt to l^e slow and monotonous. At a later period some of our Bamangwato boys w^ere singing some hymn or other to the air of " Drink to me only with thine eyes." The music was taken at so slow a time as to make me feel inclined to hurry them up. I after- wards explained that the air really belonged to a secular song, and sang them a verse or two of it. They were intensely amused, but 1 fancy, after all, were inclined to think I was poking fun at them. Dove meanwhile, seated on his waggon, was roaring with laughter at my efforts in musical education. All these hymns and airs are, of course, in the first instance taught by the English missionaries ; the 222 GUN AND CAMERA IX SOUTHERN AFRICA natives soon pick uj) tlie tune, and learn without s. tea . 9 o 4 pots of jam s. ./. lO o 4 lljs. cofl'ee 8 o 3 cotton Kaffir liandker- 6 11)8. common sugar . 4 o cliiefs 3 o 4 tins condensed milk 8 o I small kettle . 7 6 3 tins corned beef 12 O I tin-oi)ener 4 6 I bottle Worcester sauce . 2 O I tinned tongue . lO o 3 lbs. of dates . 6 O 2 tins Danish butter lO o At these rates Mackay and I considered ourselves sufticiently "salted," and rode away grumbling and using language which may have been strong, but which under the circumstances was pardonable. I am afraid at such a tariff the unfortunate police troopers at Pallah Camp, who had no other available store at wdiich they could purchase little luxuries, had rather a bad time of it. At " September's Post," a cattle station just below the camp, we were able to arrange with " September," Messrs. Musson's head boy here, for a fresh span of oxen — a very welcome relief. Next afternoon, the loth, after w^e had passed a quiet morning at the camp, our waggon came in, the oxen were changed, a new forelouper was engaged, and so with renewed A WAGGON JOURXEY 237 spirits we were enabled to trek again at niglit, now certain of making Palacliwe in fair time. We travelled from 1.30 a.m. till 7.30 — a capital trek— and outspanned near a beautiful bend of the Croco- dile. After breakfast we had some rifle practice down the river, and afterwards Dove and Mackay each shot a Kiewitje plover at fifty and fifty -five yards respectively, with single bullets from the Marlin carl)ine — excellent shooting. This plover [Hoplopterus Coronatus), witli its noisy, chiding voice, is well known all over South Africa. At night, when it is particularly lively, its shrill melan- choly cry is one of the typical sounds of the African veldt. Common though it is, this handsome plover, by reason of its bright eye and red bill, its metallic grey-brown upper plumage, beautifully tinted with purple, its striking snow-white black-barred stomach, and the curious white wreath or crown which en- circles its head, is yet very remarkable. It may be found in flocks varying from ten to thirty, in the driest and most dreary spots, and I have remarked time after time that a particular Hock will haunt with unswerving devotion the sites of old huts and cattle kraals, which have l)een long since deserted. We shot some pheasants in the evening, and Dove secured also a most beautiful bee-eater (-Merop.s- Bidlockoides), whose brilliant crimson throat, green back, buff head, l)riglit blue rump, and deep electric- blue stomach, separated from the ruby throat by a handsome patch of l)uff-chestnut, presented a glorious bit of colouring. On the I2tli, after a good early morning trek from 3.15 to 7.45, we outspanned for tlie last time near the great river, and l)reakfasted. 238 Cl'X AND CAMERA IN SOUTHERN AFRICA Not far from liere we met the well-known Dutch Imnter, ^h: Van Rooyen, who, with liis family, waggon, Hocks and herds, was trekking out of ]\Tatabeleland, fearing war trouljles. We found Mr. Van Rooyen, who, next to Mr. Selous (of whom, by the way, he is an enthusiastic admirer), is perhajDS the greatest hunter now left to South Africa, a pleasant, well-informed man, and, strange to say, speaking good English. A\ e had coftee and a long- chat at his camp close by. In these days of railway travelling, a Boer trek and its (piaint and singularly ^picturesque surround- ings can hardly ])e realised, unless one has crossed the Equator and journeyed in the interior of South Africa. The long train of huge white-tented waggons, the toiling spans of eighteen oxen to each waggon, the pistol-like cracking of the long whips, and the shrill volleys of shrieks and curses levelled l)y native drivers at the straining teams ; the vrouw and her children Imddled in the waggon, all mingled wit!) furniture, pots, kettles, pans, poultry, and other necessary impedimenta ; tlie rifles always carefully slung ready to hand on the inner side of the waggon- tent ; and the throngs of cattle, sheep, and goats raising clouds of dust as they accompany the march of the trekkers— all these are things well fitted to strike upon the imagination. In this way, from small beginnings, and amid the inconceivable diffi- culties offered by a rude country, fierce savages, and fiercer wild beasts, have these rough farmers of the wilderness toiled, and fought, and struggled, and carved out their homes. Small wonder, then, that they are so tenacious of the land thus hardly won ! Van Eooyen's trek was on a small scale only, yet A WAGGON JOUENEY 239 was it .sufficiently pictures(|ue. He laughingly said to us as ^Ye sat at coffee, " Yes, I brought away everything, even the pigs. The vrouw could not leave the pigs behind, and so they are under the kartel (waggon-ljed) : " and so indeed they were, and some cocks and hens as well. Van Rooyen accompanied us a little way towards our waggon, which meanwhile was moving on. He rode his well-known shooting horse " Pony," the best trained and most sagacious horse in the 8outh African hunting veldt. At fourteen this Dutch Nimrod l)egan his campaign against big game, and during that season he slew eight elephants — a great record for a boy. Van Rooyen's admiration for Mr. Selous, with whom he had at times hunted, was immense. It is seldom a Boer can l)e found to speak well of an Englishman's skill in venery, or even of the not uncommon attribute of courage. But Van Rooyen spoke of Selous as a man in a thousand. " Ah ! " he said, " we shall never see anotlier like him in the veldt ; he is a man and three-quarters, with a heart of stone." It was refreshing, indeed, to hear one's countryman spoken of in this way — and by a Transvaal Dutchman. The hunter was now suti'ering much from fever, contracted in the Tati district during the recent summer. We were able to give him a l)ottle of Eno's Fruit Salt and some oranges, the former of which he thought might afford some temporary re- lief till he could obtain quinine. All our medicines were in front of us at Palachwe, or we would gladly have provided him with other and better drugs. We now pushed on through a flat, dry country, well bushed, and furnished with big trees here and 240 GUN AXD CAMERA IX SOUTHERX AFRICA there. Since entering Kliama's country — near Pallali Camp — we found ourselves (in strong contrast to the offhand, unfriendly Bakatla of Lentswe's country) among the pleasant, well-l)ehaved Bamangwato people, from whom we were always al)le to procure plenty of fresh milk. This evening we made a quantity of Boer-meal porridge for supper, which, with an un- limited supply of milk, was, as Mackay elegantly expressed it, " ripping." Next day, the 13th of June, after another capital early morning trek, we outspanned near a good pan of water lying in the Inish a little to the left of the road, to which we had Ijeen directed by Van Rooyen. We were now only five miles from a bold range of hills, known as Sofala — the first seen since we had quitted Lentswe's Town — which stretched across our front, and in the early light of morning looked magnificent. The rosy flush of sunrise crept over the crest, bathing it in a warm glow, and presently there lay before us a lovely mass of purplish-1>lue and brown hills, with the shadows of early morning for the present lying over on our side. We had trekked twenty-seven miles over heavy road, and with no water, in twenty-four hours, and we settled therefore to give the cattle a good rest. Meanwhile, a Mangwato boy having come up with a great wooden pitcher holding about a gallon of new milk, for which he was contented to take six copper caps, we baked some " cookies," and then fell to breakfast. After this performance we took our last remain- ing shot-cartridges — we had Ijrought Ijut a small quantity with us — our guns and the Marlin carljine, and hied us to the pool. Here we found a flight A WAGGON JOUEI^^EY 241 or two of the large red-billed teal, out of wliicli we accounted, with the two shot-guns, for four couple, all excessively plump and in high condition. Besides the teal, w^e secured a single dabchick, specifically identical with the little grebe of England (Podiceps Minor), and a couple of very curious diving ducks (furnished with singular cocked-up tails), which proved to be Erismatura Maccoa. One of these latter was shot by Dove with the little 44 Marlin carbine, after performing some extraordinary diving- feats. These Marlins, l)y the way, although cheap American weapons, costing only ^3, los. or £/\. ajjiece, gave us some extraordinary shooting ; their accuracy being equal almost to the costliest rook rifles. For small buck, paauw, and odd shooting, tliey cannot be too highly commended. The magazine carries thirteen cartridges if necessary, and the action is simple and w^ell secured from sand and dust. We gave one of these handy little weapons to Kliama, wdio w^as very pleased with it. The day was magnificent, clear, sunny, and bracing ; and, after the hot valley of the Crocodile, we felt pounds Ijetter men than for days past. As w^e had to retrieve some of the quarry, we indulged in a very w^elcome swim, during which we gathered some fine water-lilies of a lovely heliotrope colour, with yellow centres, the stamens being also tipped with heliotrope. These great lilies had a peculiar and most delicious scent of their own, reminding one strongly of Jockey Club Bouquet. Flocks of sand-grouse every now and again came to the pan to drink, offering, as they swooped down in a l)and, a very charming spectacle. At this pool we met with some young Mangwato boys, pleasant-faced, nude rascals, pictures of lissom Q 242 fJUX AND CAMERA IX SOUTHERN AFRICA activity, who were amusing themselves with a singu- lar pastime. They each carried a supply of short, peeled wands, smooth and slender. Taking one of these in his hand and holding it at the end, a lad would make a short, quick run forward, and ^^'ith great force cast it from him, as if tlirowing a cricket ball. The stick was hurled obliquely at the earth, which it struck some twenty or thirty paces off, thence ricochetting like an arrow far and swiftly away. The game was simple enough, Itut the shapely l)rown naked figures of these lads, the beautiful manner in which they discharged their missiles, and the swift flight of the wands after they struck the hard ground, were very remarkable. I never saw the pastime elsewhere ; on trying my hand, although I can throw a cricket Ijall well enough, I hopelessly failed to eff"ect the desired ricochet (which the boys never missed), and, amid much laughter all round, resigned the game. Having thoroughly enjoyed ourselves for an hour or two, we returned to the wago^on, meetino: as we went a hunter laden with a big; rooikat (African Ivnx) which he had snared somewhere in the Inish. Towards three o'clock, when we were thinking of inspanning again, Jonas informed us that the oxen had wandered and were lost, and might not be re- covered till next day. This was vexatious, but could not be mended. The fact was, Jonas had had very little rest for ten days past, and was tired out. He had lain under a shady bush for a long sleep ; the forelouper, who had less excuse, had probably done likewise, and the cattle had moved away, evidently orazinff towards some other water. It was settled, therefore, that Alackay and Dove should ride for- A WAGGOX JOUENEY 243 ward to Palachwe early next morning, leaving me to follow with the waggon. AVe had a sumptuous supper of teal, excellently roasted in a Kaffir pot, and turned in, after a smoke by the camp fire, for a long night's sleep, free from the usual joltings of a night trek, and by this time secure also against the hideous screech of that agonising alarum, which had succumbed to internal injuries. At sun-up (6.45) on the i4tli, therefore, my com- rades set off, after an early breakfast, leaving me to " boss up " and bring on the caravan. First I made and baked bread, plucked and prepared some teal for dinner, and roasted and ground coftee. Our l)read we always made very simply and effec- tually with coarse Boer meal, a little baking-powder, and water — sour milk is a capital thing, if it can be had, instead of all water. After kneading, the dough is placed in a common Kaffir pot, or leaking pot, over a slow fire of hot embers, the top of the pot being also covered with embers. With care and a little practice, good Ijread of a yellowish brown colour results. Coffee, which is always carried up-country in the raw Ijean state, is easily and well roasted by jDlacing in small (quantities in a clean frying-pan, in wliich is a little water to prevent burning. Stir the beans over an ember fire with a piece of stick, and delicious, well-roasted coffee is soon ready. A cofiee- mill is fixed to the l)uck rail of the waooron, and the grinding completed. Thus one has the daily luxury of cofiee in its virgin freshness and aroma, instead of the stale ground and chicoried stuff in tins — perhaps montlis or even years old. During the morning a boy came up to the waggon with a fine native sheep, which he wanted to trade 244 <^-'^'^ AXD CAMERA IX SOUTHERN AFRICA for a litle-caitridge l)aii(lolier of mine, upon wliich lie had set his lieart the evening ])efore. He had a rifle, now his aml)ition was to possess a cartridge-belt, and so make his eipiipment complete. 1 was sorry not to be a})le to accommodate the lad, but I really wanted the ]:)andolier myself, and he would trade nothing else. These indigenous African sheep would puzzle the eye of an English farmer. They are covered not with wool but with hair ; and, as a rule, their colouring is brown and white, or ])lack and white. The average up-country specimens are not remarkable as liesh producers ; l)ut then they are not very well cared for, and all their fat seems to be concentrated in the Ijroad tail, wliich will sometimes weigh as much as i 2 11 )S. — all pure fat. This provi- sion of nature, which is jjeculiar to all native South African sheep, is very extraordinary. If you take the tail in your hand, it reminds you of nothing so much as a skin l)ag full of soft jelly ; and the thin smooth skin underneath adds much to this resem- blance. The fat of these tails is much sought after for cooking purposes, and among the Boers often takes the place of butter. Where they are Avell fed and looked after, these sheep thrive rapidly, and readily command a good price for slaughter purposes. A friend of mine, formerly farming in Cape Colony, made some interesting experiments with ftit-tailed sheep. Instead of allowing the tails to grow, he cut them off when the lambs were quite young ; the results were interesting and valuable. As the animals grew to maturity the lower parts of their backs became clothed with fat — very much more so than is usual with tailed sheep — and the flock as a whole carried more flesh and sold for better prices A WAGCIOX JOURXEY 245 than a^'erage nati^'e sheep. Nature has apparently provided the indigenous African sheep with this curious supply of pure fat as a reserve of sustenance and strength in times of drought and scarcity. At such j)eriods the fat steadily decreases, and it is evident that the waste going forward in other parts of the body is thence supplied. It is remarkable that the two races of mankind, who, when Europeans discovered the Cape, were found to l)e dwelling on the parched karroos and deserts of South-West Africa, have l)een provided for l)y nature in much the same manner. The Bushmen and Hottentots, who undoul)tedly for loner asjes before the advent of the Dutch had l)een the sole inhabitants of this part of the conti- nent, are peculiarly distinguished (and especially the Hottentot) l)y the enormous fatty development of the lower parts of the back. This unsightly promi- nence seems l)y their own admission to have served these people as a reserve force in seasons of want and hunger, in much the same way as does the tail in the case of the fat-tailed sheep. As hunger and scarcity increase, so does the abnormal development decrease. An old friend of mine (the late Mr. J. B. Evans of Riet Foutein, near Graaff-Reinet), who farmed for many years in Cape Colony, and who was a close observer of nature, once particularly noticed this natural waste in the case of a Bushman who had endured great want and huno-er durinjy a lono- drouofht. o 0000 He taxed the Bushman with his loss, and the little aborioinal admitted with a orin that the drouoht had robbed him of all his fat supply. These are plain facts in anthropology ; whether they are singular instances among mankind in hot 246 GUX AND CAMERA IN SOUTHERX AFRICA climates, as I am inclined to think, or whether they can be supported and explained by reference to other native tribes, I am uncertain. In cold climates, as among the Esquimaux of Arctic regions, the in- cessant waste of material is supplied by a corre- sponding diet of fat and blubber. Here arises an obvious question. If the Hottentots and Bushmen and fat-tailed sheep have been thus partially insured against a waste of power in a hot zone, why should not the Esquimaux much more have Ijeen provided naturally with a fatty reserve against the dreadful cold of the regions they inhabit ? Probably the answer may be found in the fact that the Esquimaux can at all times provide themselves with supplies of fat and blubber, while the Bushmen and Hottentots, from the very occurrence of the devastating drought, could not. The pure strain of Hottentot has, by constant intermingling with other races, almost disappeared from Cape Colony (the present Cape Hottentot being a gentleman of very mixed bloodj, although still to be found plentifully among the inhaljitants of Great Namaqualand. The tiny aboriginal Bushman hunters are now very scarce ; they have l)een exterminated or driven by the ancient system of Boer commandos almost completely from the old colony ; and although here and there still to be found along the Orange River, or in the lower portions of the Kalahari, another hundred years will proljably witness their final extinction. The oxen having been found under the hills of Sofala, I dined sumptuously on a couple of teal, and we then inspanned at 3, and trekked steadily till 9 P.M. At Sofala, on the right hand of the road, A WAGGON JOURNEY 247 a stream issues from a bright green marshy spot on the hillside, and spreads out into quite a Log on the flat beneath — an unusual sight in these dry regions. There were numbers of active little red meerkats to be seen near the road this afternoon, as well as a few hares, and the dogs were extremely busy. Before leaving the last outspan two Boer waggons came by, with which I was glad to find my pointer, Don, who had been missing for some days. The Boers, who w^ere from Waterberg going up to Khama's with oranges and tobacco, hoping to ol)tain hides, handed the dog over without ado, and having had some coffee with me, passed on. Next day, after passing a rather miserable post station lying under a C[uartz kopje, I picked the Boers up again by a pan of w^ater, and w^e had a long afternoon together. Having smoked and chatted for some time, I produced the Marlin carl)ine, which they much admired. They appeared to be particu- larly struck l)y the convenience of the magazine, holding thirteen cartridges. We had a few^ shots each at a piece of paper stuck on a "stompje" seventy yards off, at which I was surprised and secretly delighted to find myself their superior. Fired by this display, and hearing that I and my friends were on a shooting trip towards Lake Ngami, the Dutchmen oflered to buy all the skins w^e shot ; "kameels" (giraffe) at £2, los. each, elands at 15s., and so on. I explained that we were shooting for sport and not for skins, at which they seemed dis- appointed. They were astounded when they heard tliat all the best heads we got wc wanted to take liome as trophies. A Boer is not yet educated to tlie idea of decorating his house in this way. He 248 OUX AND CAjMEPvA IX SOUTHERX AFRICA usually lias a pile of horns rotting somewhere near his door, if there is game ahout — horns that an Englishman would often jump at. Up-eountiy hunters are, how^ever, beginning to find out that good horns have nowadays a value of their own, and are thus induced to bring them down with the skins. AYe trekked together at 5 p.m., and so much were the Dutchmen in love with my company that they sat on my waggon, smoked my tobacco with great zest (T had some Transvaal tobacco which they highly approved of), and spat very freely all over the waggon floor. I am afraid Mackay's velschoens, which were unfortunately lying about, suffered in this process, though I did not discover it till after- wards. The Boer is an immense, but, unlike the Yankee, an inartistic expectorator, and the habit is not one that commends itself, especially wdien per- formed on a decently kept waggon. However, barring this nasty hal)it, which I could hardly expect to eradicate during an afternoon call, the Boers w^ere decent fellows enough, rough and uncouth it is true, but friendly and inclined for an exchange of ideas. They had discovered that I was married and had " kinder," and this, I think, rather won their hearts. The discovery brought with it, how^ever, a long description of their own large and to me uninteresting families, with which I was duly inflicted — especially as my Dutch conversational powers are not of the best. These men had some excellent tobacco, grown on their farms in Water- berg, as good as any Transvaal tobacco (which is usually very good indeed) I have ever tasted. The grand Chapong Hills, among which lies A WAGGOX JOURXEY 249 Kliama's Town, were now in front of us, and I was anxious to push on. I quitted the Dutchmen, there- fore, at sundown, and making a long and steady evening trek through deep sand till 9.30, inspanned again early next morning, and drew up just outside Palachwe at 7 a.m. It was Sunday, and as I knew that Khama has an objection to waggon traffic in his town on that day, I left the w^aggon and rode forward to the Bechuanaland Trading Association Store,^ where I found Dove and Mackay l)illeted. Mr. Gifford, who was in charge, was good enough to make me free of the mess also till our waggon came in, and o^ave me a shake-down in his own hut for the night. 1 An offshoot of the Bechuanaland Exploration Company. CHAPTER XL KHAMA AND HIS COUNTRY Sunday at Palachwe — Mr. Hepburn's waterfall — Fine views — Meet Khama — His kindness and courtesy — Palachwe — A great native town — Khama's history and character — Progress of his people — His activity — Suppression of liquor traffic — Move from Shoshong to Palachwe — A wonderful exodus — Trade with the Bamangwato — Police and edu- cation — Bamangwato history — Khari, Sekhome, and Macheng — Khama's reign — Extent of territorj- — Productions — Minerals — Game — Fighting force— How armed — Khama's offer of countrj^ in 1885 — His letter — Not accepted — Present unsatisfactory aspect of affairs — Unfair treatment by British Government. Sunday the 1 6tli June was a pleasant day at Palachwe. After lunch we went up the hill to afternoon service at Mr. Hepburn's, the resident missionary here. Then we had tea with Mrs. Hepburn and her family, and afterwards strolled up a most beautiful kloof at the back of the station, where, amid a dense vegeta- tion of trees, shrubs, and ferns, a lovely waterfall — rare sight in South Africa — reminding one some- what of the falls of Acliarn near Loch Tay, descends plashing in ever cool and luxuriant shade amid the rocks, and, presently issuing on lower ground. Hows through a romantic gorge, shut in by beetling cliffs and clad with every kind of greenery, into the plain and town beneath. From the plateau, half-way up the mountain -side, upon which is situated Mr. Hepburn's manse (at tlie time I write of only in a temporary stage), magnificent views over the sur- rounding country lie spread. To the westward the KHAMA AXD HIS COUNTRY 251 hills of Serue, Letloclie, and others, billowing blue and distant upon the horizon, shut off the dry wastes of the Kalahari thirstland. Northward, beyond the Serule Hills, we look right away to the Matabele- land border, seventy good miles distant. Beneath us, spread out in a broad, Hat valley, and thickly embushed in trees and shrubbery, lies the great native town of Palachw^e itself. Behind and flanking us tower, close at hand, the rocky masses of the Chapong range. There are few places in South Africa where a more beautiful landscape can be seen. " But pleasures are like poppies spread, You seize the flower, its bloom is shed." Peaceful as looks the scene, all is not peace beyond. Even as one looks over the fair champaign and the sweet blue hills northward and westward, one re- members that there in Matabeleland is the home of the fiercest, most savage, and most bloodthirsty tribe that ever desolated Africa ; while to the north-west, before we can reach our happy hunting-grounds on the Lake River and return safely, we have to cross and recross one of the dreariest and most waterless stretches of the Kalahari desert — that grim thirst- land, in which the trek Boers suffered so terribly thirteen years before. The presence at Mr. Hepburn's of two MataV)eleland missionaries, Messrs. Elliott and Carnegie, with their families, waggons, and belong- ings, reminded us forcibly of the critical aspect of affairs at this juncture. The expedition to Maslionaland was just prepar- ing to start, every one predicted war, and nearly every white man had cleared from the Matabele 252 C;rX AND CAMERA IX 80UTHERX AFRICA country l.tefore the troubles should Ijegiii. The Bamangwato themselves, as next-door neiglibours and old adversaries of the Matabele, were in a state of preparation ; for, if Lobengula's men once got out of hand and tasted blood, it seemed much more than probable that they would attack Khama, the con- stant friend and ally of the British. Early next morning we found the waggon out- spanned by a big tree near Mr. Clarke's store, where we had arranged to camp and complete our outfit. We now set to work in earnest to finish our prepara- tions. The tent was pitched for use during our sojourn, and early in the morning Khama came to pay us a visit and bid us welcome to his town. I had for years heard so often and so much of this great chief, that it seemed to be perfectly natural to be shaking hands with the tall, slim gentleman with the refined face, friendly smile, and shy yet self-possessed manner, to whom Mr. Clarke now pre- sented us. The chief, as he had promised our friend Mr. Frank Whiteley, was finding us a waggon, a span and a half of oxen, and servants ; and he now informed us that the whole would l)e ready for us in a day or two. He was sending us to his best hunting veldt, and providing us with his most trusted hunters, drivers, and servants, and in short doing everything in the kindest and most generous manner. We had expected, and were prepared, as had been arranged for us Vjy Mr. Whiteley, to pay a consideral)le sum for the hire of a good hunting waggon and twenty-eight oxen for three or four months, and before we left we asked Khama what we were to pay him. His reply fairly staggered us. " No," he said, " I will take nothino; for the KHAMA AND HIS COUNTRY 253 hire of these things. You are the friends of my friend, and I am pleased to do whatever I can to show you my country, and the game (poloholo), and oblige you ; I will only ask you to be good to the men I am finding for you, and to pay them fair wages." We had a long argument Avith the chief about this matter ; but it was of no avail, and we could not move him. This was handsome treatment indeed, and the whole thing was done in so quiet and modest a way as to make Khama's generous kindness doul)ly magnificent. We were utter strangers to the man ; purely private individuals coming into his country for sport and traA'el ; and he had no ulterior motive or reason for going out of his way to render obligations to us. I don't think a more disinterested offer could be made by any person, Ijlack or white. No doubt we owed much to our introductions. Mr. Frank Whiteley is an old and trusted friend of Khama, and tlie name of John Mackenzie (whom I had known in England) is a potent one to conjure with, wlien deal- ing with his ancient pupil and lifelong friend, Khama of Bamangwato. But Khama's conduct to us is of a piece with his unceasing friendliness to the English throughout his career. Only a short time later ^Ir. Lochner, who had been detained for many months in the deadly Barutse valley, negotiating a treaty with the Trans-Zambesiau chief Lewanika on behalf of the Chartered Company, came down from the Zambesi half dead with fever, and with his oxen in a sorry plight. Khama heard of his distress, and at once sent off fresh teams of oxen to bring him tlirough the ])ad country between the Zambesi and Palachwe, and aided not a little in saving a precarious life. 254 Gl^^^^ AXD CAMERA IX SOUTHERX^ AFRICA Many a time and oft has Kliama helped the white man in these and other ways. And while upon this topic let me say a few words here concerning Palachwe and its ruler. Palachwe itself, unlike every other native town in South Africa — where the huts lie huddled together (often upon some strong, inaccessible kopje) for defensive purposes — is scattered over a huge area of ground. The plain on which the " stadt " is set is thickly covered with trees ; graceful acacias, Kaffir orange, mopani, and others; these have heen wisely suffered to remain, and, even as you look from the hills aljove over the town below, it seems impossil)le — so hidden are the huts amid the vegetation — that a population of 20,000 people, representing the largest native town in South Africa, finds shelter here. Khama's old capital of Shoshong, some fifty or sixty miles away to the south-west, although a safer retreat from the ]\Iatabele, was l)ut ill suf)plied with water. Palachwe, furuislied as it is with pleasant streams, flowing from waterfalls that spring in kloofs of quite romantic beauty, now boasts an exceptional water supply. Each hut or small cluster of huts has around it a good space of land for garden ground, the whole being enclosed within a smooth clay wall or a neat fence or " scherm" of bush and thorns. The ant-clay walls, which are soon burnt l)y the sun into a kind of brick-work, are usually loop-holed and the exteriors variegated, mostly in l)lack, in quaint arabesques and patterns. The Bechuana huts are, as I have before remarked, quite the best in South Africa — probably in all Africa — and the interiors are in nearly every case kept scrupulously neat. Kliama himself lives in a good -sized hut having two chambers or compart- KHA:\rA AXD HIS COUXTRY 255 ments, and clifFering but little from those of the rest of his people, save that it is furnished with a l)ed- stead, chairs, tahle, and a few other European articles. In the middle of the town is a large open com- monao^e, where as a rule all incomino; wao-oons stand, unless, for convenience sake, the traveller outspans near one of the three trading stores, where goods and necessaries for the far interior may be more easil}' loaded uj). Probably, as I have shown, you will not have been very long outspanned before Khama in his ubiquitous way has ridden up to pay you a visit and exchange friendly greeting. As you look at this tall, lithe, thoughtful -looking man, with his keen yet kindly eye, and pleasant smile, you realise that before you stands the chief by whom all white men in the South African interior (if they are not Transvaal Boers) swear, a chief probably in his way quite as powerful as that renowned savage Lobengula. Khama has long worn European clothing, and held close intercourse with refined and educated European men, and he has acquired quite English manners. As a rule, the black man cuts but a poor figure in the white man's clothes ; Khama may be cited as a remarkable instance to the contrary. The chief stands about six feet in height, is of a slim, wiry habit, and although now verging on sixty years of age, might be taken for at least twelve or fifteen years younger. And yet this man, so quiet, so unobtrusive, yet withal so self-possessed, has seen a life of much stress and many dangers. His activity has been, as all men are agreed, phenomenal. He never rests. In his younger days his father and brothers, hating him for his ideas of reform and his friendship to white men and missionaries, conspired 256 GUX AND CAMERA IX SOUTHERN AFRICA against liim ; lie passed some years in a self-imposed exile (across tlie Kalahari in the Malmbe and Botletli Eiver country), and his life was often in danger. Since he became paramount chief of the Bamangwato KHAMA, CHIEF OF BAMANGWATO, NORTH BECHUANALAND. he has had much trouljle on his hands and occasional warfare, and even the fierce Matabele warriors have been repulsed in attacks upon his strongholds. In one attack Ijy the Matabele, indeed, Khama himself wounded his great rival Lobengula, wdio carries to KHAMA AND HIS COUXTRY 257 this (lay tlie mark of the l)iillet at the back of his neck. There is no l)i'aver man south of the Zambesi. Over and over again has Khama proved his mettle against the lion, the elephant, the buffalo, rhinoceros, and all that wonderful variety of game with which his country formerly swarmed, and still in parts abounds. The chief can as a youth renieml)er Gordon Cumming in the old days when elephants roamed in undisturljed profusion al)Out the Shoshong hills and valleys, when tusks were worthless and rotted upon the veldt, and when firearms were almost unknown among- the Bamano'wato. Times have changed since those glorious hunting days ! The chief is a capital rider, dearly loves horseflesh, is a judge of a rifle, and took the greatest interest in our hunting studs and equipment as we sojourned at his town. We had many a friendly chat together (conducted through an interpreter), and the chief once or twice l)reakfasted at our camp. When I returned from our hunting expedition I told him as we sat at breakfast of our success with oriraffes, at which he was highly delighted. His keen eye liglited up as he said, in reply to a remark of mine, " Yes, it is good hunting. I hope to hunt ' tutla ' (giraffe) again some day soon ; but for the last three years, what with fear of Matabele troubles, the moving of my town, and other matters, I have not had a moment's time." Khama, as I have said, has had much intercourse with clever and enlightened wliite men. In the missionaries resident with him for many years past he has been singuhirly fortunate, and the names of Mackenzie and Ilepl>urn will be long remembered 258 GUN AND CAMEKA IX SOUTHERN AERICA among the Bamaiigwato for the wonderful progress, peace, and enlightenment which have attended their efforts. On the other hand, few missionaries have been more blessed in their material. It is seldom indeed that such a man as Khama can be found to second missionary effort. The chief himself exercises (complete toleration among his jDeople. There is no forcinof into relig-ion, but at the same time the old l)ar]jarous customs and rites have been gradually put aside. It is an excellent trait in this man's char- acter, and one very rare among native Christians, tliat lie never ol)trudes his piety upon you. Good man and pious tliough he is, he would be tlie last to make pharisaical display of it. There is no l)usier man in the world than the Bamangwato chief. From earliest dawn he is up and riding about, here directing native labour in the cornfields outside the town, there selling grain and oxen to the passing expedition, helping the hunter, traveller, and explorer in every possible way, administering justice in his " kotla," holding- prayers for a short space in the afternoon for such as like to attend, buying and inspecting ploughs and other implements for his people, or seeing that they are fairly dealt })y in their negotiations with the up-country traders. We ourselves owed much of the success of our expedition to his efforts. Khama busied himself in the most unwearying manner in procuring servants, hunters, grain, and cattle for us, not with any hope of reward, which he would be the last to expect, but for the plain reason that for an Englishman he will do anything in his power. From time immemorial native chiefs have looked u])on the white man as a calf to be l)led. a cow to be KHAMA AND HIS COUNTRY 259 milked, and the first question asked on tlie arrival at a powerful chiefs kraal is, " What presents has the white man brouQ-ht ? " Khania has ehanoed all this. He discourages and usually declines presents, having very good reason to know that the old-time trader too often took out his change in the shape of a roaring liquor traffic among the tribes-people. There is only one thing the chief will not tolerate from the white man. Liquor traffic, or the running of liquor into his country, he will not permit ; and the offender in this respect, after due warning, is quickly shown to the l>order. Such offenders Khama never forgets. They may present themselves at his town years afterwards, but the chief has a wonderful memory for foces, and they are soon known. When one sees the shocking demoralisation among C^ape Kaffirs and other native races in territories where liquor has been freely introduced, and compares the wonderful method, peace, content, and order now obtaining throughout Khama's country, one can realise the inestimable benefits that his restrictions in this respect have wrought among his people. It is to be noted tliat tlie chief makes no ol)jection to Englishmen taking in their waggons liquor for their private use, but it is assumed, as a point of honour, that they will not offer drink to his subjects. For years Khama had been longing to move his chief place to some more desirable and better watered locality than the old town of Shoshong ; for years his wishful thoughts had wandered to the fair streams, the wooded flats, and encircling liills of Palachwe ; but Palachwe lay scarce seventy miles from the Matabele border, and the IVratabele had been always dangerous foes to the Bamangwato. 26o GUN AND CA:\rEKA IX SOUTHERN AFRICA At last, when British interests lieeanie stronger and more defined in these regions, and wlien two years before a force of the Bechuanaland Border Police was stationed at Elel)e on his frontier, near the del)atable oTound l)etweeu the Matahele and Bamanowato, a move was decided on. But the Bamangwato were extremely loth to leave their old town, and the exodus of 20,000 souls with all their worldly gear was no easy matter to arrange. Khama went among his people telling them they must pack up and trek, and still they dallied and stirred not. At last the chief saw nothing for it l)Ut to transport himself and his chattels to Palachwe, and leave the tribe to follow him. The device proved successful, and then for many days was to be witnessed an extraordinary flittino". Wao-oons, Scotch carts, and old tumble- down vehicles of all kinds were pressed into service. Many carried their gear about them, and tramped it ; many others used the old Bechuana sled, formed of l)ranches of trees and drawn by an ox or two : others again resorted to that yet more ancient Bechuana conveyance, the pack-ox. Within a wonderfully short space Shoshong was deserted, and Palachwe had sprung, as if by a stroke of magic, into a great town. AAHien I was first there in June of 1890, less than twelve months had elapsed since the flitting, and yet the new town seemed complete and settled, the huts were well built, roofed and thatched against the summer rains, crops had been sown and gathered, all was flourishing. C)nly the genius and the in- cessant toil of Khama could have made these thinos possible. The moving from Shoshong of so large a popula- tion, and the building and settlement of Palachwe KHAMA AND HIS COUNTRY 261 in so .short a period, are things unique in South African history. The year 1890 was a profitable one for the Bamangwato. The sale of corn and cattle to the Chartered Company's expeditionary forces, as well as to the Border Police, and the hire of wag^eons (numbers of wliich are now ow^ned by natives), l)rought quite a sudden accession of wealth. Prices rose rapidly, and at the end of May it was hard to obtain Kafiir corn or mealies for love or money. It has been computed that Khama's people were paid in hard money ^20,000 during the six months of traffic. This may ])e a slight over-estimate, ))ut it is not far from tlie truth. As a consequence, the stores were crammed day after day with eager pur- chasers, and as fast as fresh stocks came in hy waggon, they were sold out. I saw in the com- pound of the Bechuanaland Trading Association 300 American j^loughs ready for sale. After Khama had chosen the two or three required for his own use, his tribesmen were allowed to buy, and in one day tlie whole stock was bought, paid for, and taken away. Not bad business this, when it is remembered that each plough sold for the price of £^ cash, or the up-country ecpiivalent of a good ox. The Bamangwato are now as a whole well armed ; many of them are fine shots and much attention has l)een paid to drill, and it is j)rol)able that their reoiments would make a far better fioht of it witli the Matabele than many people suppose. Khama's systems of police intelligence and educa- tion are for a native state wonderfully complete. Few are the incidents in the remotest corners of his vast domain that are not speedily reported to him. 262 (lUN AND CAMERA IX SOUTHERN AFRICA At distant cattle-posts, far away on the edge of the desert, native schohirs may be found teaching the people to read and write. The traveller and hunter will meet with nothing })ut civility throughout the land, whether he treks to the Victoria Falls to the north or in the direction of Lake Ngami to the west. And yet in the old days, in Gordon Cumming's time, and much later, the Bamangwato were a troublesome people to pass through. The wise, firm, yet kindly rule of one strong man has effected in less than twenty years this wonderful change. Although Khama is now getting into years, his spirits are as keen, his habits as active as ever ; and for the sake of his people, and of the Englisli, and of civilisation generally, it is to l)e hoped sincerely that he may long reign and prosper. No one can have come in contact with this remark- able man and great reformer, the staunchest friend and firmest admirer that England has ever yet had among native chiefs, without wishing him still many years of life. South Africa can ill spare him ; and it is scarcely too much to say that, as in the past she has never yet produced his like, so in the future it will be long ere she may see his like again. It is a pleasant sight to see Khama moving about among his people. He passes an aged woman — one of the old-fashioned sort of Mangwato — clad in the hanging leather skirt, the heavy bead and metal anklets, and liarte])eest-skin cloak. She is old, so old that her face is nothing but a mass of WTinkles. " Dumela ! Khama" (Greeting! Khama) she says, as she passes him. " Eh-heh-ra ^ dumela" (Thanks! 1 It is a difficult matter to translate this expression. " Eh-heh " means with the Bechnana very much what " Aye " or " Yes " means KHAMA AND HIS COUNTRY 263 greeting) replies Khama, with a kindly smile. It is the same with the little brown smiling piccaninnies as they pass and salute the great chief. The history of the Bamangwato has Ijeen an interesting one. In the earlier part of the last century the present Bangwaketse, Bakwena, and Bamanowato tril)es were one. Later on in the cen- tury the portion now called Bangwaketse seceded ; and afterwards the remainder of the tribe l)roke into two segments, which l)ecame known as the Bakwena and Bamangwato respectively. Still later, during the chieftainship of Matipi, the great-great-grand- father of the present Khama, another portion of the original tribe fell away from the Mangwato, and, settling themselves at Lake Ngami, l)ecame known as the Batauana, or "people of the little Lion." Matipi aforesaid had tw^o sons, Tauane (the little Lion), whom he loved, and Khama^ (another Khama), whom he hated. The sons fell out, and Matipi and Tauane, taking half the tribe, moved to the lake, leaving Khama, the elder son, to rule in Bamangwato proper. But presently Tauane in his turn broke with his father and drove him forth. Matipi l)etook himself to the once despised Khama, and, being- repulsed by him, slew himself in despair, somewhere in the Bamangwato Hills. Quite a touching piece of liistorieal romance this ! In the first quarter of the present century there reigned a chief named Khari (grandfather of the present Khama), who seems l)y all accounts to have with us. "Ra" is a sort of affectionate diminutive signifying little father. "Eh-heh-ra," freely translated, answers very much to our attirmative, with a dash of thanks thrown in. ' Khama is a well-known Bechuana name signifying Hartebeest, one of the fleetest of all the large antelopes. 2 64 t^UN AND CAMERA IX SOUTHERN AFRICA been greatly loved uiul revered l)y the Bamangwato. Kliari, however, was slain in l)attle, and the tribe fell upon evil days. Khari left tw^o sons, Sekhome and Macheng. Sekhome was captured as a l)oy l)y Sebituane, the Makololo chief, as he passed through towards the Zambesi ; and was kept some time in exile in the Lake and Chobe River country. At length, being suffered to return, he set to work to reorganise the 1)roken tribe, a task in which he seems to have fairly succeeded. Meanwhile, the l)oy brother, Macheng, finding himself in a position of danger and difficulty, fied away and took refuge with Sechele, chief of the Bakwena. From this time — probaljly al)out 1 840 till 1 8 70 — succeeded a period of incessant intrigue l)etween the l)rothers, Sechele always acting as king-maker, and, curiously enough, affording comfort and aid to the deposed king between times. For a long while — until after (ilordon Cumming's last visit, 1 848 — 8ekhome ruled ; then Macheng had an inning ; then Sekhome wriggled Imck to power, to be again de- posed. Petty skirmishes and a constant state of unrest characterised this long period. Meanwhile the vouno' Khama — son of Sekhome — although his life was often threatened and even attempted by his unnatural father and uncle, played a wise part and remained in the background. In 1870, however, during the lifetime of Sekhome and Macheng, he was chosen chief for a short period, only to retire, in consequence of incessant intrigues, to the Botletli River country two years later. In 1875 Khama was again called by the unanimous voice of the tribe to the head of affairs, since which time the Bamangwato have enjoyed perfect internal KHAMA AXD HIS COUNTEY 265 peace, and have progressed materially and morally in an astonishing degree. Kliama himself has not always had a thornless pillow during his long and memorable reign. His late uncle, Macheng, his l)rother, Khamane, and other relatives, have plotted against his power. Khamane, who lives at the present time under Boer protection on Transvaal soil, not far from Pallah Camp on the Limpopo, still makes what mischief he can. Kliama, who hates shedding blood, has a successful method of dealing with traitors and disturbers. Instead of putting them to death, as in the old days, he fines them of their cattle, puts them across his border, and reso- lutely declines to allow them to enter his country again. C*ases of murder are, however, punished liy the death penalty. And, in the rare instances of insurrection and civil war. very short and summary measures are taken. Selika, a chief sitting under Khama on his eastern border, beneath the furthest range of the Chapong mountains, repeatedly and with insults defied his over-lord. There was a short battle, Selika and his recalcitrant tribe were ex- terminated or driven from the locality, and the bones of the offenders lie to this day, speaking- monuments of Khama's righteous wrath and power. Roughly sj)eaking Khama's country, which is an enormous one, extends from the junction of the Notwani and TJm])0[)o rivers in the south to the Zambesi in the north, and includes the great Victoria Falls. His eastern ])order is formed by the Mata])ele country, while the Lim^Dopo girds him in on liis south-east fiank, and sejjarates him from the Trans- vaal Republic. Between the Sliashi and IMacloutsi rivers there is a patch of debatable country, separating 266 GUN AND CAMERA IX SOUTHERN AFRICA the Bamaiigwato and Mata])ele, the title to which lies in abeyance. Why the title to this debatable land — which has been referred to in Blue Books for years past— has not l)een settled Ijy agreement l)etween the British authorities, Khama, and Lol)engula, it is difficult to say. Probably the Colonial Office has had the fear of Matabele troul)les before its ken, in case of the award going against Lobengula. And so the matter drifts on from year to year. The south and south-west portion of Khama's country runs far into the Kalahari close to the tropic of Capricorn, and includes the shallow temporary waters known as Andersson Vlei, and Makapolo Vlei. Thence the line of western boundary runs northward, cutting the Botletli River nearly in twain at the Letter Boom (letter tree) near Seljituane's Drift, which, by the way, on nearly all modern maps is wrongly marked as upon the Okavango instead of the Botletli River. North of the Botletli Khama's western boundary seems to run wdth the Tamalakan and Mababe rivers ; thence, going due north, it ends at a point on the Chobe River not very far west of its junction with the Zambesi. Much of this great domain is undoubtedly at the present day — whatever it may be in the future- sheer desert, rendered almost useless by scarcity of water. Along the spreading flats of the Botletli River there is of course much rich alluvial land, upon which fine crops are raised, while there is good grazing, and cattle-posts are fairly numerous. Here, too, tobacco has long been grown by the river tribes for the purposes of snuff-making. And over much of the whole country — even at places in the desert, where waterpits will allow of it — cattle- KHAMA AND HIS COUNTRY 267 posts are to be found. Along tlie Zamliesi also there are rich lands, which some day, when the fever is conquered, will yield great results. Cotton, to])aeco, grapes, and other fruit might be raised freely in many places. But unquestionably the best and richest portion of Khama's land lies in the south- east corner, in the neighbourhood of Palachwe and Shoshong, and along the northern banks of the Limpopo. Here are splendid grazing districts and broad corn lands, and water is upon the whole plenti- ful. Over much of Bamangwato large areas of timber, giraffe acacia, mopani, and upon the rivers, great forest trees, such as the motj eerie and others, are to be found. Kliama has done much to extend the area of cultivation, and his tribe now^ raises sufficient Kaffir corn and mealies to be able to sell largely, as in 1890, to strangers. In the future, it cannot l)e doubted that in addition to the natural occupations of the Bamangwato — • cattle raising, corn growing, transport riding, kaross making, and the export of skins — fruit growing, the production of tobacco, cotton, indigo (which already grows wild throughout Bechuanaland), coffee, sugar, and other crops will add largely to the wealth of the state. As a cattle country Bamangwato, in common with the other parts of Bechuanaland, cannot be surpassed. Some mineral wealth will, too, undoubtedly be found in the little-explored hills of the country. In and about the Chapong range for generations there has flourished an ancient aborigi- nal tribe known as the Bachapong, who were expert workers in iron, and sold axes, knives, and assegais to surrounding and even far distant tribes. A few years since Khama granted certain concessions (now 268 aUX AND CAMERA IN SOUTHERN AFRICA ]ield ])}• the Becliuanaland Exploration Company) to exploit minerals in liis country. I believe that valnal)le gold reefs, continuations to the westward of tlie well-known Tati fields, have been already dis- covered ; and it seems more than probable that paying minerals will be found in the In-oken, rocky country near the Zambesi. When the railway is continued from Vryburg and ]\Iafeking — as undoubtedly it is to be — the country will become better known and explored, trade will be greatly augmented, and distant tribes, which now have little intercourse with the white man, will be supplied, and valuable sources of w^ealth w411 be opened up even among the teeming ^^opulation north of the Zambesi. There is still much game left in the western and northern portions of Khama's country, and it is to the chiefs credit that he has set limits upon the wanton destruction which for fifty years has l)een going forward. Boer hunters are not permitted ; even Englishmen, visiting the veldt, have to obtain permission ; and the hunting parties of the trilje, which annually go forth to collect skins, are regulated by the chief himself. Oi late years, owing to fear of Matabele disturbance, the tribal hunting expeditions to the Botletli, Mababe, and Chobe districts have been few, and the game has consequently increased. Elephants have almost vanished, and the rhinoceros has gone, or all but gone, even in Khama's vast hunting veldt ; but all the other game is there — lions, leopards, giraffes, hippopotami, Burchell zebra, ostrich, eland, roan and sable antelope, koodoo, wilde- beest, lechwe, waterlmck, and almost all the rest of the great South African antelope tribe are to be found. KHAMA AXD HIS COUNTRY 269 The Bamangwato are great hunters, and many of them fine shots. It is the ambition of all to possess a gun, and Khama is well pleased, having in view his dangerous proximity to the INIatabele, that this should be the case. I have no doul)t that Khama could muster in time of war without difficulty from 8000 to 10,000 fighting men, mostly armed with guns. Of these, pro- bably some 2000 to 3000 would be found to be good shots armed with Martini, Snider, or Westley Richards rifles (mostly Martinis) ; the rest would be indifferently provided with muzzle-loading smooth-bores carrying- spherical bullets, Enfields, old ToAver muskets, and suchlike weapons. It is to be remembered, however, that poorly armed as are the bulk of these men, they can, even with their old muskets, manage to knock over a buck now and again, and are therefore as shots not wholly despicable. But it is also to l)e borne in mind that the Bamangwato are by far the bravest, most united, and most intelligent of the Bechuanas ; that they have successfully repelled the Matabele in pitched battles ; and that they are led by perhaps the most heroic and high-minded chief South Africa has ever seen. Among his forces Khama can reckon some 400 mounted men, all good rough-riders and accustomed to the chase of big game. Tliese hunters would give a very good account of themselves if required. It is a misfortune that horse-sickness is very severe in Bamanowato, and that each season a o^reat drain upon horseflesh lias to be made good. A good deal of drilling was going on while we were at Palachwe. There are regular native regi- ments who are accustomed to exercise together. 270 (irx AND CAMERA IX 80UTHERX AFRICA Since the advent of the Border Police the l)ugle has become an institution, and the familiar calls were to be heard at morning and night. The little brown piccannins were delighted with these martial sounds, and might be heard at all hours of the day imitating very successfully, with their tiny fists to their mouths, tlic slnill and inspiring notes of the various Imgle calls. In 1885, when Sir Charles Warren drove out the filibusters and settled Bechuanaland, he travelled to Khama's country, and M^as cordially received l)y the chief, who expressed liimself ready in every possible way to welcome and assist British interests through- out the country. In the same year a Protectorate was declared as far north as parallel 22 of south latitude, a halting measure, which included only the half of Khama's country, and to a native chief must have seemed an incomprehensible piece of states- manship. Khama's letter written to the authorities at this time is clear, generous, and well reasoned ; I have thought it well to reproduce a portion of it : — " I Khama, Chief of the Bamangwato, with my younger brothers and heads of my town, express my gratitude at the coming of the messengers of the (^)ueen of England, and for the announcement to me of the Protectorate wdiich has been established by the desire of the Queen, and which has come to help the law of the Bamangwato also. I give thanks for the words of the Queen which I have heard, and 1 accept of (receive) the friendshij) and protection of the Government of England within the Bamangwato country. Further, I give to the Queen to make laws and to change them in the country of the Bamang- KHAMA AND HIS COUNTRY 271 Wiito, with reference to both hhick and white. Nevertheless 1 am not l)atile(l in the government of my own town, or in deciding cases among my own people according to custom ; but again I do not refuse help in these offices. Although this is so, I have to say that there are certain laws of my country which the Queen of England finds in operation, and which are advantageous to my people, and T wish that these laws should l)e estal)lished and not taken away by the (xovernment of England, I refer to our law concerning intoxicating drinks, that they should not enter the countrv of the Bamang-wato, whether among black people or white people. T refer further to our law, which declares that the lands of the Bamangwato are not saleable, I say this law also is good ; let it Ije upheld and continue to be law among black people and white people." Khama then proceeds to point out his l)Oundaries. and referring to the absurd Protectorate line, cutting in half his country, he says : — •' 'IMie word which I hear speaks about 22 as shown in maps ought to l)e taken away. I do not express thanks for it. It speaks of nothing wliicli has existence. Boundary line there is none at 22°, It is to cut my country into two. But I say, is not this a word spoken l)efore my Ijoundaries were known ? On account of matters of this description, and to make known to the Queen the largeness of the country which is under lier protection, I put in a map in which it is tried to show with correct- ness tlie Ijoundaries of the Bamangwato. jMv ])eople enjoy three things in our country ; they enjoy their cultivated lands, and their cattle stations, and theii- hunting grounds. We have lived through these 272 GUX AND CAMERA TX SOUTHERX AFRICA three things. Certainly the game will come to an end in the future, but at present it is in my country, and while it is still there I hold that it ought to be hunted l)y my people, I know that the lielp and protection of the Queen requires money, and I agree that that money should be paid by the country protected. I have thought how this can be done ; I mean plans which can be thought out at the beginning so that the Queen's people may all l)e pleased — the black people and the white people. I propose that a certain country of known dimension should be mine and my people's for our cultivated fields and our cattle stations, as I have shown in the map. Then I say with reference to all the country that remains, I wisli that the English people should come and live in it, that they should turn it into their cultivated fields and cattle stations. What I wish to explain is, that my people must not be prevented from hunting in all the country, except where the English shall have come to dwell. My people shall be stopped hy cultivated lands and the cattle stations of the EnoHsli inliabitants of the country. I speak this in effect inviting the English because it is a nation with which we have become acquainted, and witli whose ways we have had j)leasure. Then I request that the Queen's Govern- ment appoint a man to take charge of this matter, and let the protection of this country come from the English who will settle in it, I am of opinion that the countr}' which I give over will exceed in value the cost of the Protectorate among the Bamangwato. But I feel that I am speaking to the gentlemen of the C4overnment of England. Shall I be afraid that they will requite me with witchcraft (deception KHAMA AXD HIS COUXTRY 273 leading to ruin) ? Rather may I not hope that they may see both sides of the question of to-day, that they will regard the protection, and then regard also the country which I now say is theirs ? That which I am also willing to contribute is to make due arrangements for the country of the lands and cattle stations of the Bamangwato, whether as to roads, or bridges, or schools, or other 8uital)le objects, xlnd further, I shall 1)e ready along with my people to go out, all of us, to fight for the country alongside the English ; to stop those wlio attack, or to go after them on the spoor of stolen stock. Further, I expect that the English people who come into the country shall protect it and fight for it, having provided themselves with horse and gun for this purpose. Having done this, with- out dou]jt, if there came a great difficulty, we would appeal for the help of our Queen in England. The right kind of English settler in the country will ])e seen by his doings on his place. Some may make themselves out to be settlers for a time only, while they are killing game, after which they would take their departure with what they had collected, having done nothing with their place. Therefore, I propose that it be enacted that the English settler who newly arrives should build his liouse and cultivate his lands, and show himself to be a true settler and worker, and not a travelling trader. Those who shall he received in the country, to become settlers in it, ought to be approved by the officer of the Queen appointed to this work ; and I add, let us work together, let me also approve of tliose who are received." It is to be remembered that the ideas and diction 2 74 (ilN AM) ("A.MKKA IN 80UTHERX AFRICA are those of Kluinici, who is very careful that no letters shall be written in his name except from his own dictation. At this time, although Khama thus offered the British Government a great portion of his country, the colonial authorities declined the offer, and were content to let matters rest without seeking to throw open the country to European settlers. Khama w^as undoubtedly disappointed at this decision, the more so that the formation of the new Protectorate was manifestly an act of diplomacy at once inchoate and unsatisfactory. For seven years matters in the Pro- tectorate have drifted — there is no other expression for it — and now quite recently, Khama is startled to find an Assistant-Commissioner (Mr. J. S. Moffat) settled at his town with power to levy taxes, issue licenses, hold courts, and perform other formal acts of government. As Khama feels and complains, this is hardly the right way of doing things. He says, and very forcibly, " Years ago I offered to the British Government much of my country ; I offered to throw it open to the English on certain conditions ; in fact, I gave them a free hand. I believed in the English and their justice and good government. They de- clined my offer, and I heard no more of the matter. And now without formal conclave and agreement, when I should have the opportunity of consulting my headmen, and putting all important matters fairly before my people, they proceed to place a ruler in my town, so that I myself, before I can l)uy a bag of gunpowder, have to go and obtain a permit. This is not fair or openhanded ; it puts me in the wrong with my tribe, wdio say, ' How then, is Khama no longer chief in his own country ? ' and I feel deeply KHAMA AND HIS COUNTRY 275 tliat I am slighted and made small. All my life I have striven for the English, been the frietid of the English, have even ofiered to fight for the English, and I am at last to be treated thus ! " This is what Khama feels and says, and it certainly appears that he has been hardly used ; that he — of all native South African chiefs ! — has been treated with scant courtesy ; and it is scarcely surprising that his sentiments towards the British Government are not (and cannot be expected to be) quite what they were. I do not for one moment suppose that Khama could even now ever be induced to take a part against the English or do them an unfriendly act ; l)ut I believe that in future he will not be found so staunch or so keen an ally as of yore. It is a thousand pities ; it would have been a small, a very small matter to have so conducted this atfair as to have soothed Khama's susceptil)ilities, and kept him right with his people. The relations of a native chief with his tribesmen are of a peculiarly close and delicate nature, their interests are so very closely knit, and they surely ought to have l)een considered in this case. It ought not to be forgotten that our position in South Central Africa is not by any means too strong or too well assured at present. The Matabele are still unconquered, and the Protectorate chiefs are disaftected and unfriendly. Khama's influence and aid in time of disturbance would ])e immense ; and it seems unwise to jeopardise them. It is, too, to be remembered that Khama recently married as his second wife a sister of Batoen,^ chief of the Bano-- waketse, and that he and his triljc are nearly akin to the Bangwaketse and Bakwena, their nearest ' Kliaiiia lla!^ since lost this second Avifi*. 2 76 GUN AND CAMERA IN SOUTHERN AFRICA neigliliours, and live on terms of peace and friendliness with them. Kliama's influence in this quarter alone is worth paying a good deal for. It is sincerely to be hoped that, before it be too late, this matter may be adjusted, that Khama's wounded feelings may be soothed, himself set right in the eyes of his tribe, and the strong and enduring- friendship of this great and influential chieftain thus retained to us. CHAPTER XIL ACROSS THE KALAHARI DESERT TO THE BOTLETLI RIVER, NGAMILAND Troubles of equipment — Photograph Khama— Our outfit — Servants — "Pic- canin " — My waggon home — Its comforts and appurtenances — A dry trek — Bird shooting — Beautiful country — Koodoo — Mackay ill — He leaves us — Moqui River — A break-down — Double-banded sandgrouse — Reach Mesa — Zambesi wayfarers — Hartebeests — A Bushman's oracle — Sandgrouse at Maqua Pool — Masarwa Bushmen — Mode of life — Rollers and butterflies — First giraffe — T'lala Mabeli — Kalahari hard- ships — Routes through the Thirstland — T'Klakane Pits — Ride for the Lake River — Great saltpans — Mirage — Reach the Botletli — Its sights and scenes. It is no light matter to equip and start upon a shooting and exploring expedition into the wilder- ness, and it was not till June 19, after lingering for the best part of a week at Palachwe, that we were ready to trek. In waggon-travel there are so many things to be done at the last moment — servants to be collected ; corn procured for the horses ; oxen, slaughter-goats, and sheep got together, and such like. The Pioneer Column for Mashonaland liad just preceded us, creating a dearth quite unexampled in these regions, and we had the greatest difficulty to obtain sufficient Kaffir corn and mealies to feed our nags to the Lake River. Khama, as usual, came to the rescue, and exerted liimself in every possible w^ay to assist us, heljiing us in innumerable ways. Every morning- early his pleasant kindly face appeared at our camp, 2 7cS (;r>s- AXD ca:\ieka in southern Africa and the last thing in the evening he usually rode up to see how matters were progressing. The chief took the greatest interest in our expedition, sending us to his best hunting veldt, which, owing to the fear of MataV)ele troubles, had Ijeen little disturl)ed by his people for two years. Mr. Hepburn, the resident missionary, Mr. T. Fry, Mr. GitFord, and Mr. C. Clark, also rendered us much assistance. Before leaving, we photographed Khama, as well as several places of interest about his town. The chief is a l)ad sitter, and has a habit (as may l)e seen by his picture) of casting down Ins eyes just at the critical moment. Our outfit consisted of two waggons, drawn respectively l)y eighteen and sixteen oxen, nine hunting-ponies, including one knowing old veteran belonging to Khama, used by our princi2:)al hunter, two pointers, a greyhound and some useful waggon- dogs, and a couple of goats and a sheep to l)e used for slaughter purposes till the game was reached. Of these last, the sheej) refused to trek, and, being- carried on Dove's waoo-on, Ijroke its leoj the first CO - o night and had to be forthwith devoured. Thanks to the supply of game, one of the goats was never eaten, and found his way ])ack with us to Khama's, trekking merrily with the waggons, and often amus- ing us with his absurd ways and antics. For servants we had two of Khama's best hunters —David, a Batlaping, and Patshalaan, a Bamangwato — who also acted as drivers, two leaders, two horse- boys, a cook and hunter named Joseph, who spoke English, Dutch, and Sechuana, and acted as inter- preter, and a small fat Makalaka named Meti. This last, a boy of ten or eleven, interviewed Mackay and ACROSS THE KALAHARI DESERT 279 insisted upon accompanying us, and, having obtained Khama's consent, we took him. " Piccanin," as he was always called, acted as cook's help and bottle- washer, and being a ready, active little chap, became a most popular meml.)er of the trek. It was Pic- canin's black, good-humoured face that appeared to us at dawn, as he drew aside the canvas " foreclap " of the wao-o'on and handed us our earlv mornino- coffee, and it was Piccanin who always picked out a hot eml)er from the fire for our pipe-lights, and performed innumerable acts of service for us. In a suljsequent chapter — " Waggon life and camp requisites " — I have dealt pretty fully with the matter of stores and provisions ; so that a fair idea of what is required on an expedition of this kind may Ije formed by intending travellers. It was not till we had been on the road for a da}' or two that we had shaken down and got things ship-shape in the waggons. Let me picture the interior of these desert-ships. At the bottom are disposed all the heavy goods-leases of ammunition, tinned vegetables, fruits, jams, baking-powder, and other necessary stores, as well as trading articles for barter, bags of meal, corn, coftee, sugar, &c. As these things disappear their places are taken Ijy hides, horns, heads, and other trophies of the chase. Above these stores is slung the kartel, a wooden framework laced crosswise with strips of hide so as to form a most comfortable bed. A mattress or blankets placed on the kartel and another blanket and sheepskin kaross as coverlet, provide one with as roomy and comfortable a Ijed as the traveller can desii-e. Round the sides of the waggon interior are nailed ample canvas-pockets, which contain field- 23o (rUX AND CAMERA IX SOUTHERN AFRICA glasses, pipes, tobacco, cigarettes, knives, sewing materials, matches, curios, books, candles, and in- numerable other odds and ends. Aljove the kartel is suspended from the waggon-roof a lantern, so that, if so minded, one may read in bed at night, when the w^aggons are outspanned. At one side rest in their skin or canvas cases, on carefully padded hooks, a rifle and shot-gun ; on the other side are other rifles, fastened to the framework of the waggon tilt by riems of hide. The skin gun-covers made l^y the natives are the best for waggon use. They are dust-proof, the gun slips easily in and out, and their wear is everlasting. The Bechuanas usually make these cases of leopard, lion, or otter skin ; a lion- skin cover, one of which I possess, is considered the thing. Cartridge-belts, a long stalking-glass, and other adjuncts hang here and there. Dove occupied the smaller half-tent waggon ; Mackay and I had two kartels fixed in the big hunting-waggon ; but as Mac had, most unfortunately, to leave us a few days later on account of illness, I had any quantity of room and could dispose of my camera-case, port- manteau, and books close to my head. Beyond, on the other kartel, are saddlery, cartridges and other personal effects, rolls of tobacco for the men ; and, later on, heads and horns of game, bird-skins, and other specimens reposed there. Comfortably en- sconced thus in a good roomy waggon, one cannot wish to be better housed, and with the foreclap (or curtain) fastened down on cold nights, or raised in warm weather, one is perfectly independent of the elements. A silk or woollen nightcap is a useful accessory, and renders one still further oblivious of draughts. Under the waggon, in a kind of hanging ACROSS THE KALAHARI DESERT 281 box, are our small Boer waggon-chairs, a tiny folding-table, pots, pans, and other cooking imple- ments. In boxes at the side near the buck-rail are plates, knives, forks, and so on. Along one of the buck-rails was lashed our small tent, which, however, we never once required to use. There is a wonderful charm about was^o-on-life far away on the veldt, and at early morn as you wake and hear the horses (always fastened to the wheels at night) contentedly crunching their mealies, and look out upon the dawn just paling the eastern sky, and hear the soft whistle of the pelicans and the honk of wild geese from the river, or the sharp call of the African partridge from the veldt ; or doze off at night with the loom of the dark blue, starry sky filling up the open front of the waggon — you realise that such a home has its pleasures, and very deep ones too. We had expected to find the remains of waterpools in the bed of the Lotsani River, but were dis- appointed, and after the first outspan, where we filled the Ijarrels from some very indifferent mud and water, we met with no water for two days — a long dry trek for the oxen and horses. On the 21st we passed the Manatookoo range, and the Cliapong Hills above Khama's Town began to fade ])eliind us. On the 22nd we reached water and a cattle- post, and here discovered, for the first time, tliat we were now l)eyond the region of money and of clothes, the Bamangwato hereabouts being innocent of the use of either. From this point milk, corn, and other articles had to be bartered for in kind — })ercussion-caps, powder, knives, and gaudy handker- chiefs always serving as current coin. This morning 282 GUX AND CAMERA IX .SOUTHERN AFRICA early we passed tlirough some picturesque grassy kopjes (small liills), where pheasants abounded in great plent}'. We had some very pretty shooting before breakfast, and got several brace of these and a small partridge. Except near the Lake river and Crocodile I never saw francolins more numerous. The pheasants shot on this occasion, and, indeed, commonly found near water throughout North Bechuanaland and the Lake Ngami country, are of a mottled, dark brownish drab colour, having red legs and Inlls. They are identical with the Francolinus adspersus of Water- house, first discovered in Sir James Alexander's Expedition to Great Namaqualand in 1836. They lie extremely close, and are hard even to kick up, and, when Hushed, will usually shelter in dense bush or fly into trees. The "partridge" shot this day, Francolinus suhtorquatus, or Coqui francolin, is, in my judgment, one of the most elegant little game birds in the world. The Inilliant golden tan of its head and neck, the curious hawk-like markings of its creamy breast, the black gorget upon the hen-bird's throat, and its diminutive size, serve to distinguish it readily from all other South African francolins. This bird we first found in the northern part of British Bechuanaland, and its range extends certainly as far as Lake Ngami, probably much beyond. A pretty little slender-legged courser [Ciirsorius Burchellii) was also shot during tlie day. Passing the rough and very precipitous bed of a dry, stony watercourse in the evening, we entered a beautiful park-like stretch of most game-like country towards sunset — a broad, open valley, well clothed with timber, and long, yellow grass reaching up to one's shoulders, the whole enclosed in a setting of picturesque mountains. ACROSS THE KALAHARI DP^SERT 283 At night we outspaimed under a big, flat-topped, rocky hill, near which was a small pool of water, the place being known as Seleba Samoutchana, Here Mackay, who had been suffering from fever, seemed much worse, and we decided to rest a day or so to sive him a chance of recovery, as he seemed too ill to proceed. Next morning, Dove and I rode out with Patshalaan to look for koodoo, word having come that tliese fine antelopes were to l)e found in the neighbourhood. Dove got away from us, and, shortly after, my hunter having hit upon the spoor, a grand bull, carrying his fine spiral horns witli majestic grace, and three cows, cantered across a glade to our right. We were quickly after them. The Ijull was too smart for us, however, and the bush too thick, and I only had a shot at the cows, one of which I hit hard, but rather too far back from the shoulder. We followed her blood-spoor all the afternoon into and through dense mopani forest, and then reluctantly had to give her up. Patsha- laan's spooring in the forest was a treat to watch ; no European and few natives could have followed the intricacies and windings of the track, in diffi- cult country, in so steady and persistent a manner. Some natives at a kraal near were told of the wounded koodoo, and T have no doubt afterwards secured her. Dove, whom I found at the waggons, had had no luck, althougli he had seen on a far-off kopje two or three of those graceful little mountain - antelopes, the klipspringer, the chamois of South Africa. Next morning Mackay, to our great dismay, was worse, and had made up his mind to turn l)ack for Palachwe. This was a most unfortunate Ineak in our 284 GUN AXD CAMERA IN SOUTHERN AFRICA expedition, and was keenly felt by all of us. How- ever, there was no help for it ; we were going into a country where the chances of a successful cure dimi- nished daily ; and so, taking with him two horses, and a boy to assist him, he bid a sorrowful farewell and left us. AVe took photographs of the camp and of our parting with Mackay, which resulted after- wards pretty successfully. It was a severe wrench parting thus with an old and tried comrade. We had now been together uninterruptedly since the 3rd January. Many a good day had we enjoyed together, many a mellow evening outside our huts, many a yarn and song by the camp fire's cheery blaze. " Comes jucundus in via pro vehiculo est"^ we might well say of our departing friend. Mackay subsequently got well at Khama's, and afterwards joined the Pioneers in their eventful march to Mashonaland. Trekking on, we came towards evening to a most beautiful stream of clear water — the Moqui Kiver — running over a clean, rocky bed, a most unusual thing in this part of South Africa. Here we had our last bathe for some time to come, and in the morn- ing obtained some capital shooting among the Coqui francolins. Among the thorn trees at this place, and, indeed, in most parts of North Bechuanaland where water is to be found, numbers of Rtippell's parrots (Psittacus Ru2?pellii), pretty little fellows clad in brilliant plumage of blue, green, and yellow, were to be seen, their shrill, squeaking cry and rapid flight instantly marking them out. These parrots are easily tamed and make gentle and affectionate pets. ' Freely translated — " A merry comrade uijoii the road is as good as a Avaggon." :; =5 ACROSS THE KALAHARI DESERT 285 Moving on through a fine, grassy, well-wooded country, among picturesque, broken. Hat-topped hills, we came upon our second trouble on the 25th, when the after-axle of the light waggon broke down. This necessitated a day's delay, during which David, our head-driver — the best native workman I ever saw, and a wonderful man with the adze — fashioned and fitted a false axle out of the hard wood of the camel-thorn tree. This operation had to ])e re- peated several times during the expedition, and our false axle was a constant fear and anxiety to us, especially in crossing the thirstland. After a fright- fully rough trek over stony declivities, we came at sundown of the 2 6tli to a small stream, where we had some very pretty flight-shooting at double- banded sandgrouse (Fterocles Bicinctus) as they came down to water. The flight of these beautiful birds is extremely swift, and after a few shots the}^ become exceedingly dodgy, unless in large numbers. Even Dove, who is an exceptionally fine shot, found himself firing behind his bird every now and again. Unless one could get them aoainst the lio-ht of the fading sunset, it was a case of hearing their curious whistle and then snapping at a dark form as it flashed ])y. On the evening of the 27th June we reached Mesa, the last of Khama's cattle-posts on this side of the thirstland lying between here and the Botletli. At Mesa there is a sharp descent, and thereafter, right away to Lake Ngami and beyond, the countr}- is perfectly flat. After some weeks of travel through this everlasting plain, our delight, on returning, at seeing the blue hills of Khama's more immediate country may be well imagined. For the first time 286 crx AND CA:\IERA in 80UTHERN AFRICA since leaving Eamatlilahania, fifteen miles north of Alafeking, we heard to-day the ^Yell-^emembered harsh, grating call of the black-and-white bustard {Eiqoodotis afroides). After so long a silence, it was (juite refreshing to hear the " craak-craak " of this old friend. At Mesa we met, as we often did till we quitted the Zambesi road, a l^and of natives from beyond the Zaml)esi, on their way down country to seek work at Kimberley or Johannesburg. These poor people make the long and fatiguing journey on foot, with Ijut scanty preparation. They carry, as a rule, a calal)ash or two of water, a piece or two of rough salt, a few handfuls of grain, their assegais and short skin-cloaks, and trust to luck and pluck to pull them throuo'h. It aro-ues well indeed for their faith in the British paymaster, distant so many a weary hundred leagues from their homes, that they will thus tempt fortune. As a rule they carried with them beautiful samples of native ironwork, in the shape of ])attle-axes and assegais, the latter very curiously barbed ; and, by giving them meat and meal in exchange, we purchased some very good specimens in this way. Strange, wild-looking fellows they are mostly, with skins of an intense black, and long-woolled hair, often fantastically decorated with feathers, heads of birds, and other strange fancies. These people differ greatly from the races south of the Zambesi. I noticed one l)oy among the pilgrims at Mesa with l^eautiful, almond-shaped eyes and even eyebrows — quite Egyptian in his type. His long, straight hair, each kink of wool twisted, oiled, and pulled down, added greatly to the resemblance. While outspanned this afternoon we shot, in some thick trees and shrul)berv near the water, one of the CROSS THE KALAHARI DESERT 287 curious lemur-like animals known to naturalists as the galago. This particular species {Galago Maholi), which belongs to the order Lemures, is well known to the Transvaal Boers, by whom it is called the night-ape. They are occasionally captured, and their soft furry skins and large l)rilliant eyes make them rather pleasing pets. They are, however, delicate and difficult to rear. At Mesa, Khama's hills end, and the true water- less Kalahari country stretches away westward to the Botletli River. This evening, after some more Hight-shooting, we met with four Masarwa Bushmen, who informed us that a day or two further on we should find oiraffe. We arranged for three of these men to spoor for us on the following day, and, having trekked beyond Mesa during the night, we rode on with Joseph, leaving the waggons to follow us to Maqua (or Makwe), a pool in the desert a little to the left hand of the Zambesi road. Our Masarwa friends took us left-handed until, after an hour through thin bush, we emerged upon a huge open plain, yellow with king winter grass. We had been following the s^joor of hartel^eests for some time, and surely enough, some way out on the flat, we could discern a good troop ; and, further on, yet another. We now spread out in line and walked quietly towards the nearest, which presently l)egan to l)e disturbed, and, an old ])ull sentinel having given the alarm, the game moved slowly ofl'. I succeeded eventually, l)y riding hard on the extreme right, in driving the troop left-handed. Dove's horse, however, |)ut his foot in a hole while galloping hard, and, throwing his rider heavily, l)olted ; while the after- rider, who liad a good chance at some of tlic buck 288 GUX AND CAMERA IX SOUTHERN AFRICA as they passed liim, missed clean and let tliem go unscathed. The rest of the far-distant liartebeests at the sound of firing took to their heels, and, lopping away with that wonderful untiring pace of theirs, soon left the plain tenantless. The Bushmen presently came up, and, I having caught Dove's horse, we off- saddled for a few minutes. While we sat down, one of the Masarwas took from his neck four curious-looking pieces of ivory, three triangular in shape, the fourth longer and rather pointed at either end. All four pieces were fiat and had a sort of pattern rudely worked upon them. Shaking the ivory pieces in the hollow of his hands, the Masarwa cast them on the ground, and, after gazing intently for a moment, all three burst into a torrent of their extraordinary clicking language, pointing at the same time earnestly at the dice, for such I may call them. Our after-rider, who partly understood the Bush- men, now explained to us that they were throwing their dice to ascertain what sport was in store for us. As the pieces of ivory fell, so should fortune favour one or other of us. After several castings, much gesticulation, and a perfect ocean of their singular speech, we were informed that Dove was shortly to kill two giraffe and I one. This prophecy was partially fulfilled within two days. The whole of the performance was conducted with the most perfect seriousness and intent, and the manifest scep- ticism of Dove and myself had no effect upon our prophets, although in their good-humoured way they lauo;hed with us. Proceeding across another typical South African plain, and through fine open camel-thorn forests, we ACKOSS THE KALAHARI DESERT 289 saw little or no game during tlie rest of that day, although we came across spoor of blue wildebeest. We met a miserable-lookino- Bushman durino- the afternoon collecting a meal of ground-nuts or small bulbs in a tortoise-shell. We tasted these bulbs ; they were sweet and nutty, but not much of a stand- by for a hungry man. In the e^'ening, the waggons having come on, we outspanned at Maqua Pool, a miserable water of most foul smell and consistency, now rapidly disappearing under a too ardent sun. Here enormous flights of doves [Turtur Senega- lensis) came down at sunset, and one of our boys, taking a shot-gun, secured sixteen in two shots, thus providing a good banquet for his fellows and the Bushmen. Curiously enough, no sand-grouse came to this pool at evening, although we had seen them at other waters at about sundown ; but on the two following mornings, wdiile we lay there, many hundreds came down. The lame waggon had again broken down this afternoon, and, the next day being Sunday, we arranged to stand at this water until repairs w^ere completed. We were awake next morning early, and after coffee, as I was writing up my diary on the kartel. Dove called out from his waggon that the sand-grouse were coming to water. During the next two hours, that is, from 8 to 10 a.m., enormous numbers of two species — the common Namaqua sand-grouse (Pterocles Namaqua), always called in South Africa the Nama(|ua partridge, and the largest and rarest of this family, the yellow- throated sand- grouse (Pterocles gutturalis), came sweeping and whirling round the pool, every now and again settling down in a pack with a swift rush to drink 290 GUX AXL> CA.MEKA IX 80UTHERX AFRICA at tlie water's edge. It was the prettiest sight in the workl. Our numbers had been recruited by the wives and children of our Masarwa hunters, who had arrived over-night. These poor people, who had been livinoj on nothino;. but bulbs and oround-nuts for some time, were in the most miserable condition, and Dove and I felt, therefore, small compunction in shooting them a number of sand-grouse, as they came whirrino- with shrill whistle, over our wao-orons. During the two hours of Hight we shot eighteen brace — often oettinor two at a shot — and could have killed with ease twice that number, and our Busliman friends were soon at work enjoying a solid Ineakfast. The yellow-throated sand-grouse, although not more beautiful than the exquisite double-banded variety, is in some ways more remarkable. We found it and the variegated sand-grouse rarer and more local, and it is consideraljly the largest of the four species in South Africa. It is, too, by far the most grouse- like of its genus, and approaches more nearly, in the deep chocolate-red colouring of the under part of the body, and in its cry, to the red grouse of Scotland. Dove, who is a Lowland Scot, compared its cry to that of the grouse as they fly among the corn-stooks in autumn, and his simile is apt enough. In the male bird the colourino- of the breast and upper part of the body is in life of a peculiar sulphur-green, the back and tail are greyish buff, the sides of the head and chin pale yellow, while a dark brown, crescent-like band crosses the breast. The hen is less remarkable, her U23i3er colouring- being buff-yellow thickly sprinkled with brown and black, while the under part is of a rich chestnut and black. We had our o-uns l)eside us as we sat ACROSS THE KALAHARI DESERT 291 at breakfast, every now and then jumping up at a tempting shot. I took some interesting photographs of the Mas- arwas at this place, and of their wives as they filled their ostrich eggs, calabashes, and miserable clay vessels at the water. These people are pure and simple aboriginal hunters ; they build no houses, a mere screen of l)ushes serving them for shelter, and wear but the scantiest suspicion of clothing, and ap- parently nothing will tempt them to give up their wild roving life and take to the more civilised habits of the Bechuanas. These latter call them dogs, and treat them very much as slaves. Their skin-cloaks are small and barely reach to their middles, and from lying close to the fire at night they burn their legs in a dreadful manner. I have seen a great many Masarwas, but I never yet saw one who had not his or her legs either scarred with sores or burnt perfectly raw from this cause. The old men and women are even more dreadful objects, their chests and stomachs being usually shockingly burnt. As a rule we found these people thin and poorly nourished, and their legs and arms were often mere sticks, and yet they will keep in front of a horse, walking fast or trotting all day under a hot sun. The three men who first showed us girafte, and whose photographs may be seen in the illustration, were, however, very well-nourished examples of their race. They had recently been feeding on flesh, and were in excellent condition. I took down their names, which were, Sinikwe, Ganakhow, and Siklish — phonetically rendered. It is one of the strictest axioms of Soutli African hunting etiquette that. 292 GUN AND CAMERA IN SOUTHERN AFRICA altliougli you are mounted, your Bushman shall carry your rille ; and thus encumbered with rifles, their rude choppers, assegais, skin-cloaks, and often a calabash of water, all day — day after day — they will toil manfully in front of you in the hope of finding and seeing game killed. True sportsmen are they, indeed, and the most wonderful trackers, perhaps, in the world. It is a fact that a Masarwa can, from the appearance of the spoor, tell you to wdthin a few minutes how long it is since game has passed. Their instinct in this respect, and the faculty of finding their way in the wildest veldt, is quite unerring. These Bushmen bear no sort of resemblance to the small Chinese-like Hottentot Bushmen of the old (Jape Colony. As a rule they stand from 5 feet 4 inches to 5 feet 6 inches in height, and their skins are of a deep red-brown. Their language is an extraordinary succession of clicks, often sounding- like a high, querulous grumble, and is apparently of a very primitive order. Their weapons are asse- gais, and small bows shooting tiny poisoned arrows. AVith these light reed arrows, tijDped with bone and smeared wdth the poison of the Ngwa caterpillar, or of snakes and euphorbia, they will bring down €ven the tall girafi"e. To do this, however, they have to steal up and pierce this animal beneath the legs in the thinnest part of its tough hide, and even then they often have to follow their quarry four or five days before the poison completes its work upon so huge a frame. Other animals die more speedily. These wild hunters are in no way akin to the Bechuanas, or apparently any other tribe of Central South Africa. Of their own origin they are ACROSS THE KALAHARI DESERT 293 perfectly ignorant. Probably the truth is they are aboriginal hunters settled in these regions during untold centuries. Unlike the fierce Bushmen of the Cape Colony, they are peaceal^le and harmless, and almost invariably friendly to the white man. The rest of the day was spent quietly cleaning- guns and rifles, skinning birds, and helping to fit a new axle to the crippled waggon. News came in during; the evenino; that nine o-iraffe had been seen not far away. The next morning at grey dawn we were up, and had breakfasted and saddled up by sunrise — about 6. 1 5 at this time of year, June. After riding three hours steadily in a north-westerly direction, during which time we only saw small buck and some enor- mous troops of guinea-fowl — sixty and eighty in a l)and — we came up to the sclierm of a. Masarwa living with his wife and child far out in the bush. This man, for a wonder, appeared or pretended to know little about the game we were after ; but his wife, a most voluble lady, volunteered all necessary information, and, with an astounding profusion of clicks, pointed out the direction in which we should find the giraffe. Her husband, before we came uj), had been setting fire to the long, over-ripe grass, and the wind shifting suddenly, the flames came our way, and we had to move further into the ])ush. My companions and I were intensely amused at the woman's desperate anxiety to save her household effects. These consisted literally of half-a-dozen dried guinea-fowls' crops, neatly skewered on a stick, and containing the bulbs or ground-nuts on which guinea-fowls and Masarwas alike feed, the feet of a dead eagle, a calal)ash or two, and a small 2 94 <'UX ANT) CAMERA IX SOUTHERN AFRICA and very dirty .skin-cloak or kaross. Two stein- bok skins completed the outfit, and yet this lady displayed as much anxiety over the safety of her lares and penates as \\"ould have done any English housewife over the contents of a well-furnished mansion. This particular family were better-looking than the average run of Masarwas, and were all singularly alike. AVe noticed a most curious sjoectacle as the flames sped, with a low crackling roar, through the long dry grass. Numbers of butterflies and insects, driven out by the fire and smoke, were flying aloft, and some scores of brilliant rollers were dartino; hither and thither, eagerly hawking at them. These rollers, erroneously called blue-jays throughout Bechuana- land, are marvels of an almost impossible colouring. Nature has painted them with a bewildering blending of dark greens, light greens, purples, light and dark blues, purjDlish-pink, and pale reddish-brown. And yet, as one handles this bird, one cannot quarrel with any part of its wonderful scheme of colour. It is in every respect perfect and beautiful. Naturalists know this particular roller as Coracias caudata. Up-country it is familiar as Moselikatse's bird, for the reason that this renowned Matabele chief con- stantly wore the two long tail-feathers in his hair and allowed no one else to do so. Within another hour from leaving these Masarwas, our hunters had taken us up to a troop of five camelopards, out of which Dove secured the first giraff"e scored during our trip. Details of this and other days among these animals w411 l)e found in the follo"wing chapter. There was great rejoicing at the camp that night, and for the next few days ACROSS THE KALAHARI DESERT 295 mucli feasting and a great making of sjamboks out of the thick hide. From Maqua we trekked for two days across hot, open grassy plains, and through dreary mopani forests, all alike waterless, until, on the evening of July 2, we reached T'lala Mabeli, a small limestone pit, which, however, held Init a bucket or two of water. There was nothing for it, therefore, but to outspan and send the oxen on early next morning to Dinokani, another water some miles further. The horses were sent on a little later, and were glad enough, poor brutes, to get a drink after forty- eight hours' thirst. At this place I lost my pointer Don, who had been run over by the waggon some days before, and had, poor beast, to l)e finally destroyed. These accidents are a constant source of anxiety to the traveller. Dogs, to escape the heat, will get under the waggon, and are run over, or injured, usually just as the waggon starts. I missed Don one morning, rode back three miles, and found him lying helpless by the road. I then put him in front of my saddle, and carried him to the waggon — no slight undertaking with a big pointer. We did all we could for him, but he was injured internally, and daily became worse. I was sorry to lose the poor old dog, although he was liy no means perfect. But he had a good nose, and up- country in South Africa a pointer, however indifferent, is priceless. Without one, bird-shooting is impossible. We had now only Dove's pointer, "Scotty" (who, poor old lady, was still half-lame from a crushed foot), to work for us when after game birds. At T'lala Mabeli we (juitted the Zambesi road and struck in a south-westerly direction for T'Klakane, a 296 GUX AND CA^IERA IX SOUTHERX AFRICA water on the old trek-Boer route to Lake Ngami. We had hoped to find a little water for the oxen at the limestone pits of Maruti, Tauane, or Soronyan between these points, but were disappointed. It was now orettino; well on into the season of drouo;ht, and the scant waters were drying up everywhere in the desert. At Maruti there were a few bucketsful of the vilest and foulest water imaginable, and among two spans of thirsty oxen a mere drop in the ocean. Few people, until they have witnessed it, can appre- ciate the enormous drinking capacity of a thirsty trek-ox, and even a good-sized pool diminishes very alarmingly when many oxen are watered there. Barring, therefore, the few mouthfuls of bad water our oxen and horses got at Maruti, they had no real drink from the afternoon of Thursday, July 3, until about the same hour on Sunday the 6th, practically three days and nights of thirst. Mr. John Strom- bom, the Lake Ngami trader, who followed us later upon this route with a large expedition, suffered more severely. The water at Maqua had given out, and between Mesa and T'Klakane he lost many oxen from thirst and exhaustion. There are two ways of crossing the thirstland lying l)etween Khama's and the Lake Eiver — one by the waters of Kanne, Likouane, and T'Klakane, along the old road whereon the trek Boers suffered so frightfully in 1877-78, on their memorable Promised- land Expedition ; the other and more northerly Ijy the route we were now taking. By the old road the " thirsts " are longer, especially in winter, and the sand more severe ; yet if your cattle are stout and in good heart, I think this road, l)eing the shorter, is the preferaljle of two evils. ACROSS THE KALAHARI DESERT 297 We took this route on the way home, and although from the Botletli to T'Klakane we had two days and nights without water, from T'Klakane to Inkouane (the middle of the desert) two days and three nights, and from Inkouane to Kanne three days and four nights without a drop of water for the cattle, we only lost one ox. Our oxen were, however, terribly enfeebled, and looked mere wrecks of their former stout selves, although many of them were notoriously the l)est cattle in Khama's country. The route we were now travelling is a long roundabout trek, and although, nominally, there are more waters along its course, they are not to be depended upon in the dry season, and are as likely to play you false as not. Between Maqua and T'Klakane we were too much engaged in pushing on to water, and in husbanding our nags, to look for game ; we occasionally saw small troops of ostriches in the hot distance, and the spoor of blue wildebeest (brindled gnu), but shot nothing larger than sand-grouse and a pheasant or two, until we reached the real hunting veldt at the Lake River. From T'lala Mabeli to T'Klakane we followed an old waggon-spoor of some two years before. How our foreloupers held the spoor through bush and long grass, trekking as we were night and day, was one of those things no Englishman can understand. It is very hard on these boys, leading the lagging oxen .through the thirsty sands ; trying work, too, for the drivers, who have to l)e hard at it with whip and voice, half their time running alongside the span, to keep their teams in motion. At the end of these " thirsts " the drivers are nearly voiceless, and the foreloupers, who guide the leading oxen, worn-out and footsore. A day's 298 (;UN AND CA:\IERA IX SOUTHERX AFRICA rest, however, soon pulls tliem together again. During these hot, weary clays, when the sun seemed to beat clow^n with tenfold intensity, we sometimes moved across mighty open plains which, stretching, apparently illimitable, to the vast horizon, almost persuade one that all the world is flat ; sometimes we moved slowly through forests of the pleasant giraffe acacia, amid tall yellow grass and tliorny bush ; anon through dreary w^astes of mopani forest, whose scorched and shrivelled leafage told eloquently enough the tale of the long months of drought of African winter. Yet almost everywhere, even in these wastes, grass is good, and capable of support- ing cattle, if only water could be found. All the game of this region thrive, even to fatness ; elands, gemsbok and giraffe, the duyker and the tiny steinbok, all flourish. The giraffe shot near Mac[ua, in quite waterless country, was fat ; and elands shot ])y us on the return journey in the very heart of the thirstland, Ijetween Inkouane and Kanne, were all in magnificent condition, quite equal, indeed, to well-fed cattle, which, in bulk and ap- pearance, they somewdiat resemble, true antelopes though they are. This portion of the Kalahari, known to Boer hunters as the " Doorst Land," is the most unpromis- ing and forbidding of the so-called desert, and here, from the apparent scarcity of water, it may reason- ably be doubted whether, even in the distant future, any use can ever be made of it, even as a ranching country. Lower down, however, the Kalahari, as it becomes opened up, is proving itself a really good cattle country. In places where water exists, scattered here and there in many parts of this little-known ACROSS THE KALAHARI DESERT 299 land, septs or clans of Bakalaliari, or Vaalpense, as tliey are colonially called, Bastards and other natives, make tlieir homes and run large numbers of stock. Moreover, the Bechuana tril^es periodically make use of much of the Kalahari near their borders as a grazing ground for their store cattle. At T'Klakane there are some good pits of water, but they are carelessly tended, and much fouled by cattle ; and, as noticed by Livingstone in his journey of discovery to Lake Ngami in 1849, the water has a peculiar purging action, especially upon horses. It should l)e mentioned that through the thirsts we carried just sufficient water for ourselves and servants, in barrels and vatjes, but it had to V)e very carefully husbanded, vile stuff though it was, and washing was quite out of the question. For three or four days at a time one small beaker of hot water l)etween us was as much as my companion and I could spare ourselves for al)lutions — a painful but necessary privation. We rested at this place for a day and a half before setting out to accomplish the further three days' and niohts' thirst to the Botletli. Here we first saw tall Palmyra palm-trees, and the graceful fan-palm, and here, too, we witnessed immense flights of sand- grouse. At the waterpits we also secured a few of our best specimens of Imtterflies. The altitude at T'Klakane is 2700 feet; at Chukutsa, between here and the Botletli, 2600 feet ; and, at the outspan, where one first strikes the Lake River, 2640 feet. Plaving tested these altitudes with my own aneroid, T found tliem substantially correct. From T'Klakane, in order to save our horses the long dragging trek at tlie pace of the waggons, we 300 GVN ANT) CA:MERA IX SOUTHERX AFRICA prepared to ride on for the sixty odd miles to the Botletli ; and on the afternoon of the 7th, each riding one horse and leading another, on which were strapped a kaross, food, water, kettle, &c., Dove and I set off, accompanied by Joseph, also riding, and leading two horses. We had ridden, perhaps, ten or fifteen miles, when we could see in the far-away distance dense columns of smoke rising far into the sky. Our boy Joseph, who had been this way several times before, assured us that the smoke rose from the reed-fires, l)urning on the banks of the Botletli. At this season of the year the natives are busily engaged in burning the dense reed-beds, and the smoke may l^e seen in this flat country for immense distances. We rode on through most of the night and all next day, occa- sionally off-saddling to rest the nags, until, after pass- ing the huge saltpans of Chukutsa and Machanning, we reached the Botletli River just at sundown. These saltpans ("karri-karri" of the natives) are a feature of this country ; some of them, such as Chukutsa, are of vast extent, and it is weary, suffocating work cantering; tired horses across the miles of their heated expanse. During the rains these pans are covered with water, in the dry season with an efflorescence of lime. The mirage to be witnessed on these salt- pans is something wonderful. I have seen good, dishonest, deceptive mirages on the Great Karroo, in CVape Colony, and in many parts of Bechuanaland ; but these were as nothing to the extraordinary illu- sions presented at Chukutsa and other pans. The water looked so limpid, the trees so natural, the islands so real, that one might swear there was no deception. ACROSS THE KALAHARI DESERT 301 We saw springbok and the spoor of a good deal of game hereabouts, and, late in the afternoon. Dove had a gallop after some l)liie wildeljeest, but to no purpose. As we ajjproached the river, the smoke-clouds grew to gigantic size, and after sunset, as we led our spent horses through the reeds to drink, the frightful roar and crackle of the reeds blazing around us, the heat and the smell of burning, and the vast sheets of flame formed a scene almost appalling, and never likely to l)e effaced from memory. The reed-beds at this end of the river stretch for miles over a kind of swamp, in which the Botletli loses itself, and as each reed stands some twelve or fifteen feet in height, and is highly inflanimal)le, some idea of the sight of acres upon acres in conflagration may be imagined. Some Makalakas at a kraal near informed us as we passed that a lion was prowling a) tout, troul)ling their flocks. We could find no wood that night, and only sufficient dung to make a small fire and cook some cofl'ee. Fastening our horses close to our heads, we covered ourselves in our karosses and slept till dawn, too tired to trouble ourselves about lions or other disturlters. Very early we were awake to hear the mournful whistle of many hundreds of pelicans, which, rising from the reed-]>eds, were stringing themselves in wavy lines of flight against the red sky. These great birds are a peculiar feature of Botletli scenery, and the recollection of their strange soft whistle, prolonged into five notes, never fails to remind one of dawn and sunset upon this noltle river. As we l)reakfasted, numbers of women, Makahikas, Moteti, and others appeared up the little rise on which we had camped, each one Ijearing on her head an enormous 302 GUX AND CAMERA IX SOUTHERX AFRICA pumpkin or a basket of mealies or Kaffir corn. As they arrived they scpiatted themselves at a little distance, waiting for their lords and masters to open negotiations. Very little clothing seemed to l)e in vogue amoncr the men and women here. The people at the kraal, hearing that our waggons were coming on (a great event in this region) Avere willing enough to supply us on credit with milk, corn for our horses, and other things. After Ijreakfast, leaving Joseph to look after the camp and horses. Dove and I strolled down to the river. At this time of year the Botletli, which rises so mysteriously in the middle of the dry season, was low at this end, and showed hut a comparatively small channel of water. As we trekked with the waggons up the river, however, we found the water rising, and a great stream overflowing its banks, flooding the country round, and forming vast lakes, channels, and lagoons in every direction. On this morning, though the water was low, we found a superabundance of aquatic life. Ducks and wigeon of many kinds, great gaudy geese, coots, kingfishers, pelicans, ibises, and fishing-eagles were everywhere to l)e seen. The curious Senegal spur- heeled cuckoo, which at first we mistook for a hawk, fluttered heavily from one reed-bed to another, and that rare and Vjeautiful waterfowl, the African jacana, ran with slender elongated feet in troops over the thinnest film of weed covering the water. It was a charmingly characteristic scene, and a welcome introduction after the weary waterless wastes we had recently traversed. At last, then, the game country was reached, and the dream of many years accomplished. During the next few weeks we ACKOSS THE KALAHARI DESERT 303 were to enjoy an al)undance of sport, as we moved slowly up the river, among giraffe, Burcliell's zebra, blue wildebeest, lecliwe (a rare local waterbuck), springbok, and other game, in addition to quite a plethora of wild-fowl shooting. But I must hiin leave the Botletli and its fauna and avi-fauna to subsequent chapters. CHAPTER XIII. GIRAFFE HUNTING Giraffes and their haunts — Our first troop — Bushman spooring — Siglit a gemsbok — A noble picture — Chase five giraffe — Lose my horse — Dove shoots a cow — Rifles for giraffe shooting — Notes on the chase — Marrow bones— Lake River flats— Camp near bush — In the forest — Dove slays a big bull — Immense measurement — A thorny gallop — Wild hunting dogs — Kalahari solitudes — Again cross the plains — Nine- teen giraffe — A wonderful spectacle —A glorious hunt — Four bagged in fifteen minutes — Taste giraffe milk — Weary ride to camp. Giraffes, which in the old days were to 1)6 found and hunted ju.st across the Orange River, upon its northern ])anks, have, decade after decade, been decimated or driven Zaml)esi-wards, until at the present time the hunter must penetrate into the remote thirstlands of tlie North Kalahari, or the most distant portions of Khama's country, Ijefore he may come up with them. And, even in their present habitats, these animals are so shy and so little ering the ground, and casting about like hounds at a check, they soon came on more spoor, and, very shortly, quite fresh indications of the whole troop, and then trotted forward on the spool' at a brisk pace. We had })een following for al)Out five minutes, when David, who was on the right, stopped and held up his hand. Dove and T joine«l him, and, looking through the bush, saw in an open glade, about seventy yards away, a magnificent old bull gems})ok {Oryx Cajiensis) standing staring at us. He was a heavy, portly Ijeast of most noble aspect, carrying long, straight, sharp horns which glinted in the sun- light, and was in wonderful condition. It was a most tempting sight, l)ut we were close on the heels of the oiraffe, and dared not fire. After starino- at us for nearly half a minute, the old fellow trotted very quietly away, and was lost to sight. I do not know that I ever saw a more beautiful picture of animal life than this unique and singularly marked antelope, fat as a good ox, standing swishing his long l)lack tail, and staring coolly at us that hot African morning. We quickly rejoined the Masarwas, who were now trotting eagerly upon the spoor of the giraff'e, i-eminding CIKAFFK lirXTIXd 307 one still more of hounds running mute on a good scent at home. They ran rather apart, and each man followed the footprints of one or more giraffe, the trooj) having e^'idently moved on together. Five minutes later Dove first saw, above some low trees and l)usli on which they were l)rowsing, the tall heads of five giraffe. David and I saw them almost immediately, the Bushmen not (juite so soon, prol)al)ly for the reason that they were on foot. There was some slight delay in getting our rifles from the Masarwas, and then the giraffe, catching sight of us, began to set themselves in motion, apparently not at all in a hurry. There was a singular waving to and fro of the tall heads and necks, and then the troop moved away, with a strange limping shuffle, at what seemed merely a fast walk. The pace of giraffe when first encountered is extraordinarily deceptive, and for some minutes, so leisurely appeared their movements, we could not at all realise how fast they were going. We set our horses (quickly into a fast canter, and dashed after them through some thickish l)ush, and then, emerging into more open ground, we could see the game very plainly 200 yards in front of us. The troop consisted of a dark chestnut bull, a young one ; a tall, fat cow ; two rather smaller cows, and a young half-grown calf. The first sight of any big game in South Africa is exciting enough, l)ut to have at lenoth in front of one such rare and singular game as these ))eautiful giants — creatures which in these modern days seem almost to belong- to another age — was enough to send the 1)lood thrill- ino; through one's veins. Finding we were not gaining, we now stuck in spurs an