CHAPTER II 



A DAY IN KHAMA's COUNTRY 



Pleasures of the veldt—" Pheasant" shooting— The red-billed 

 Francolin— Pearl-spotted Owl — Pretty sport — Trekking in 

 the Thirst-land— Light v. heavy wagons — A handsome 

 Falcon — Various foes of feathered game — Eeach Seruey, 

 and outspan — Notes on Bechuanas — Barutse wayfarers — 

 Burchell's Courser and its habits — Parrots — Trekking 

 continued — Partridge-shooting at sunset — Night outspan. 



There are few greater pleasures in this world than 

 to wake up in a comfortable wagon as dawn begins 

 to steal upon the veldt, and find yourself free and 

 untrammelled in the heart of the remote wilderness, 

 with pure Nature spreading around you. How infin- 

 itely more preferable is it to listen to the sharp call 

 of the francolin, the crowing of the bustard, the soft 

 cry of sand-grouse as they come to water, than to hear 

 the dreary rattle of early wheels upon the street, the 

 yelp of the milkman, or the distressing clangour of 

 ill-conditioned bells. 



On June 22, 1890, we were two days out from 

 Khama's new town of Palachwe, North Bechuana- 

 land, heading for the Kalahari Thirst-land. We had 

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