THE RAINY SEASON 



is more common and frequents the banks of streams, 

 with a more sombrely-coloured skin. The skins of 

 both these kinds of lizards are employed in ornamental 

 leather- work. 



Birds-of-prey were also captured without difficulty 

 during this period ; but I will not record the names 

 of the seventeen different kinds of which I preserved 

 the skins. It will suffice to refer to the kite, the eagle 

 with red feet, to whom the absence of a tail gives such 

 a curious appearance when soaring, and the hand- 

 some fishing-eagle, a solemn personage with a brown 

 coat, white waistcoat, and powdered head, who from 

 time to time utters on river-banks his two piercing 

 and mournful notes. I also procured a species of green 

 parrot, and a pretty grey-and-rose paroquet which 

 seemed to be a migrant here. 



Finally, I made a number of interesting observa- 

 tions upon the plants and insects of the district, as 

 well as in regard to the manners of the natives, whose 

 language we now speak passably well. Among the 

 most common labours to which the Kafirs habitually 

 devote themselves, the tanning of hides is one of the 

 most curious ; the following being their manner of 

 procedure : — 



The skin, partially dried in the sun, is very carefully 

 scraped dry by means of an old knife, and cleaned 

 from any fragments of flesh which may be adhering 

 to it j next they dress it with grease, and the tanner 

 with a well-polished pebble rubs the skin in order 



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