230 LODGES IN THE WILDERNESS 



Winter is the season during which rain falls 

 among the mountains lying between Bushman- 

 land and the coast desert. Then for a few 

 short weeks the mountain range covers itself 

 with verdure and flowers. Therefore the trek. 

 However, of late years the mountain tract has 

 been largely taken up by farmers, so the 

 springbuck, as a rule, invade only its eastern 

 margin. The western fringe of the plains 

 usually get a slight sprinkling from the moun- 

 tain rains. The exception happens when the 

 trek, instead of being distributed over a wide 

 extent, concentrates. Then the springbuck, in 

 their myriads, over-run hundreds of square 

 miles of the mountain tract, and clear the face 

 of the country of vegetation as completely as 

 would a swarm of locusts. 



The term " springbuck " is not a satisfying 

 one for this ethereal creature this most lovely 

 and graceful of the animals whose home is in 

 the desert. The name is too obvious ; why not 

 call it what it really is, a " gazelle?" But the 

 early Dutch inhabitants of South Africa not 

 alone lacked imagination, but shewed positive 

 ineptitude in the names they bestowed on the 

 various wild animals. Take for instance the 

 term " gemsbok," as applied to the oryx; 

 what could be more inappropriate? "Gems- 



