HOUW HOEK AND STANFORD 95 



killed as many as twenty or thirty sheep, carrying 

 away but one into the bush. There were few leopards 

 about Houw Hoek now, and it was almost useless 

 to organise a raid against them, for they would take 

 refuge in some steep mountain cleft, whence it was 

 impossible to dislodge them. Should one appear now- 

 adays and be specially destructive, Bond and Progres- 

 sive would for the time being sink their differences, as 

 do so many of us, in the soothing by-play of harassing a 

 common enemy. 



Mr. W. had many irons in the fire, one of his indus- 

 tries being the exportation to England of "everlasting" 

 flowers, which grew in profusion on the veldt round about 

 his farm. These flowers, of which the white only are 

 exported, are used in many ways ; among others for 

 making mourning wreaths. The coloured ones are also 

 picked to a limited extent, but kept in the district for 

 stuffing mattresses with, making a very comfortable and 

 beautifully dry bedding. In September the veldt 

 between Houw Hoek and Caledon is ablaze with colour, 

 and besides the " everlasting " flowers, heaths of varying 

 shades are to be found growing, from white to very 

 dark purple. The protect, or sugar bush, is also in 

 bloom, and On the nectar contained in these flowers the 

 different kinds of Sugar-birds feed. These birds, of 

 which there are many different kinds, are largely repre- 

 sented in Cape Colony, different species frequenting the 

 various districts. Two of these were abundant at Houw 

 Hoek, the one most frequently met with perhaps being 

 the Malachite Sugar-bird or Sun-bird. The colour of 

 the plumage of the male of this species is almost 

 entirely a dark metallic green, much the same colour as 



