NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



Their caves and other mountain retreats on the 

 west had presumably been rendered untenable by 

 furious and continuous storms, there being torrential 

 rain and snow mixed, and a great gale blowing for 

 three consecutive days. Whilst the railway workers 

 were watching the subsidences at Varney's Corner, 

 a big black mass of jumping, barking, howling 

 baboons were seen coming down the mountains not 

 far away. They were fully 500 in number — a 

 moderate estimate — and, young and old, they came 

 leaping down across the railway and divisional road, 

 and were seen to make their way to the river bed, 

 just then filled with a very violent foaming torrent. 



They made their way to what was apparently 

 known to them to be a safe crossing, because here 

 the tops of some big rocks in the stream were just 

 clear above the boiling water, and then they called 

 a halt. One big Jack was seen to make the attempt, 

 and he evidently was aware of the risk even to that 

 class of animal, accustomed to flying leaps, and he 

 got safely across the river, which was now very wide 

 there. Then another and another of the males 

 made a successful attempt, not one missing its foot- 

 ing, although the leap at one or two points was 

 very wide. 



Now a remarkable scene was to follow : the 

 youngsters could not possibly make this leap un- 

 assisted, and the mothers took them up and carried 

 them with them in this formidable jump. Some 

 were held under their arms, some on their backs, 



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