152 THE GREAT THIRST LAND. 



bird about the size of a starling. It possesses a dark 

 back, with lighter colouring underneath, and is a true 

 lark. When the leading oxen would approach where it 

 rested, it would abruptly flush, fly about thirty yards, 

 then rise perpendicularly ten or fifteen feet, soar for 

 a few seconds, and drop suddenly with closed wings 

 into the velt. 



It had no carol like our home musician, still uttered 

 a pretty, musical, and lonely note, ptweet, ptweet, 

 ptweet. It has been described by the ornithologist 

 Smith, and is well known to the Boers. Some of 

 the birds of South Africa certainly are most brilliant 

 in plumage, particularly the bee-eater family, but, as 

 a rule, they are less so than the birds of Mexico and 

 South America. Another thing I would note, that 

 although few of the birds in Southern America sing, 

 many of those here do, and very sweetly ; but it 

 takes some time before the ear gets tuned to their 

 voice. 



Just before sunset we arrived at our halting-place : 

 game seemed to be very abundant about it. In fact, 

 some coran flew over the oxen while being unyoked, 

 so Morris and I went after them. The hour was too 

 late, and they were so wild we could not get within 

 gun-shot. 



About a hundred and fifty yards from the wagons 

 was a pond about an acre in extent ; a dozen ducks 

 dropped into it, so I crawled behind some bushes, and 

 caused William to go on the reverse side and flush them, 

 thus driving them down on me. Into them I fired both 

 barrels and knocked down five. Those that were shot 

 dead soon drifted ashore ; but the wounded gave William 

 a most amusing chase, for sometimes he was up to his 



