BELIEF IN GHOSTS. 339 



such a crime as has never previously been heard of 

 for brutality, and reckless disregard for human life, 

 is generally believed to be the cause of the spirit 

 of the victim refusing to be pacified, and thus 

 haunting the scene of outrage, to wreak vengeance 

 upon the murderer, his children, or relatives. 



Such being the case in "Caledonia stern and 

 wild," a hundredfold more should it be accepted as 

 the reason for ghosts being abundant in South Africa ; 

 for find me a Kloof, or Vley, a Kopje, or Krantz 

 that has not been the silent witness to Bushman 

 or Bechuana, Kaffir or Hottentot being done to 

 death, by the unerring rifle of the early Boer invaders 

 of that land. 



It was in the month of April, approaching the 

 end of the South African autumn, that I outspanned 

 in that extensive district of bush that lies to the 

 westward of Monkoroanes country, Southern Bechu- 

 ana Land. 



Our journey had been slow and tedious from the 

 heavy sand that we had passed over, and, as the 

 bullocks in consequence were more than weary — 

 dead beat in fact — and as heavy, massive, ink- 

 coloured clouds were rising rapidly to windward, 

 indicating either rain or wind, or both combined, I 

 gave orders for the canvas sail of my waggon to be 

 drawn over the tilt, secured by double lashings, and 

 everything, in fact, made tight and ship-shape for a 

 dirty night. 



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