INTERIOR OF SOUTHERN AFRICA. 365 
they have no cattle or other flocks which require pasturage, they do 
not mind the smoke, but have the advantage of finding many eatable 
roasted animals, after the fire has run over the fields, to satisfy their 
hunger. The rocky hills near the village bore a few stunted trees, and 
gave some diversity to our eyes, not accustomed to the monotonous as- 
pect of a grass-like vegetation. 
It was interesting to behold the traces of industry everywhere about 
that newly-erected village, in an uninhabited country, surrounded for 
hundreds of miles by a vast wilderness. The Dutch emigrants have 
commenced their agricultural and horticultural operations during the last 
three years, and have chosen very judiciously this place for the culture 
of wheat, on account of a prevailing cool climate during the winter 
months, being the season for growing this useful vegetable, as a native 
of a colder climate. The permanent running stream of water is re- 
quired to moisten the acres of wheat during winter, when no rain falls 
to assist the growth of that plant. The village contains already many - —— 
houses, which are built on both sides of the little stream; but the — — 
quantity of its water however may suffice to moisten many additional 
fields and gardens. The latter were planted already with various kinds 
of fruit-trees, as peach-trees, fig-trees, vines, ete., so that the kind in- —— 
habitants could even supply us with several sorts of their garden pro- — — 
duce. We were glad, as soon as the corn was ground, to leave this - 
place, and to proceed towards the north, as our people showed serious _ 
symptoms already of becoming intoxicated: they had found out already 
that somebody in the village sold brandy, and began to introduce that- 
quarrel-causing medium, however secretly, into our camp; assurances 
of an everlasting friendship, and an undaunted aid in the hours of dan- 
ger, were the beginning of the scene, ending at last with quai 
and fighting. 
There were still, even in the neighbourhood of the village, many fine 
water-birds, as White Herons, Ducks, and a very fine Plover (Lobiva~ 
nellus melanocephalus), along the river, stalking over the —— in 
search for food. 2 
The street which we followed is the only principal one in that village, = 
and is of considerable length, bending in a serpentine line, nearly pa-- 
ralle] with the course of the river, and it lasted a good while before we - 
reached the end of that place. A well-trodden waggon route, joining - 
that-little stream for its greater length up towards its source, brought - 
