FISH WILD-FOWL- 31 



Town, with cattle ; and had, in addition, a contract with the 

 British government for supplying St. Helena with live-stock. 

 The latter speculation proved exceedingly lucrative for a 

 time, and a profit of many hundi'ed per cent, was said to be 

 realized. From some mismanagement, however, the contract 

 for St. Helena was thrown up by the government, and the 

 parties in question were fined a large sum of money for its 

 non-fulfillment. Shortly afterward the establishment was 

 broken up, and for several years the house and store re- 

 mained unoccupied ; but they are now again tenanted by 

 people belonging to merchants from Cape-Town. 



Walfisch Bay affords an easy and speedy communication 

 with the interior. By the late explorations of Mr. Galton 

 and myself in that quarter, we have become acquainted with 

 many countries previously unknown, or only partially ex- 

 plored, to which British commerce might easily be extended. 

 Walfisch Bay and the neighborhood abounds with fish of 

 various kinds : at certain seasons, indeed, it is much frequent- 

 ed by a number of the smaller species of whale, known by 

 the name of " humpbacks," which come here to breed. Sev- 

 eral cargoes of oil, the produce of this fish, have been already 

 exported. 



At the inner part of the harbor, a piece of shallow water 

 extends nearly a mile into the interior, and is separated from 

 the sea, on the west side, by Pelican Point. This lagoon 

 teems with various kinds of fish, and at low water, many 

 that have lingered behind are left sprawling helplessly in the 

 mud. At such times, the natives are frequently seen ap- 

 proaching ; and, with a gemsbok's horn affixed to a slender 

 stick, they transfix their finny prey at leisure. Even hyasnas 

 and jackals seize such opportunities to satisfy their hunger. 



Walfisch Bay is frequented by immense numbers of water- 

 fowl, such as geese, ducks, different species of cormorants, 

 pelicans, flamingoes, and countless flocks of sandpipers. But, 

 as the surrounding country is every where open, they are dif ■ 



