1 62 DEL A GO A BAY. 



girls pelting at poor birds tied to the branch of a 

 tree till they were dead. ' I always interfere, and 

 endeavour to make the parents understand how 

 cruel it is, but only get stares of astonishment for 

 my pains. Once I caught two young fiends calmly 

 picking the feathers from living birds; luckily I 

 did catch them, and administered punishment. 



The Kafirs eat these poor mites, whose bodies 

 are sometimes not much larger than a thimble, 

 often making a fire close by the bushes, waiting 

 for their victims to be captured, and then roast- 

 ing and eating them on the spot, and, I hope, 

 killing them first. 



I always dread the advent of the flower season 

 on this account, as I know how many cruel scenes 

 I shall daily have to witness. 



The boys try to place the bunches of flowers 

 where I cannot reach them, but unless they are 

 put on high trees I always manage to get them 

 down, though often at the cost of severe scratches 

 and torn dresses, and visit the most frequented 

 haunts three times a day, capturing birds and 

 rubber alike, and burying both in the wood. 



