ACROSS CAMDEBOO TO NAROEKAS POORT. 59 



rose in radiant magnificence sheer upon the plains, 

 which to the east stretched without a break to the 

 horizon. The range of mountains on our right flank, 

 which we quitted yesterday at mid-day, but which, 

 although forty miles away, appeared in the rarefied 

 atmosphere of this climate scarcely a fourth of 

 that distance from us, was tinted with hues of the 

 tenderest rose, fading here to warm brown, and there 

 to a soft purple. The air was bracing and exhilarating 

 to a degree, and for a time our coats and waistcoats 

 were still welcome. Presently, as the warmth 

 increased, we doffed these garments, rolled up our 

 sleeves, pulled forward our broad felt hats, and were 

 prepared for a hot day's travel. We had guns and 

 rifles ready, and after awhile, seeing a koorhaan not 

 far from the road, one of us jumped out and stalked 

 quietly up to the spot where it was last seen, while 

 we others in the cart moved quietly along. The 

 koorhaan is a wary and indeed a vexatious bird, but 

 on this occasion he was careless, and just as he rose 

 five and thirty yards away, with his harsh grating 

 cry, he was brought to earth again and quickly bagged. 

 The tedium of Cape travel is happily often relieved 

 by a little welcome sport on the way ; sometimes a 

 koorhaan, sometimes a brace of sand-grouse (Namaqua 

 partridge), or francolin, or guinea-fowl; occasionally 

 a springbok. 



Quickly we resumed our journey, nor drew rein 

 again till we outspanned for breakfast, two-and- 

 a-half hours from the farmhouse we had quitted. 



The horses were unharnessed and knee-haltered, 

 when, as is their invariable custom, they had a roll 

 in the dust, and then proceeded to graze quietly upon 

 the veldt and the oat-hay forage with which we 



