CHAPTEB XVII. 



ABOUT THE TRANSVAAL SOME NATIVE TRIBES. 



Hints to Those about to Emigrate to the Transvaal The True Source of its 

 Wealth The Crops that can best Grow there Difficulty of Obtaining 

 Labour Natives and Boers The Macalacas Shots on the Road Beltong 

 Tame Spring-bucks Mrs. Leask's Pet Tame Cranes Their Odd Ways 

 Biased Judges My Present Driver How he Does his Work My Personal 

 Interest in the Cattle Wisdom of Oxen Wildebeest The Prey of the 

 Martini-Henry Ant-hills The Dogs on the qui vive A Cobra di Capello 

 It Escapes. 



OUR next halting-place, about twenty miles beyond 

 Hartebeestfontein, was a large farm in the centre of an 

 open plain, well covered with grass, and about eighty 

 acres of mealies in the immediate vicinity of the dwell- 

 ings, which were more numerous, larger, and in better 

 repair than usually seen on a Boer estate. There was 

 also here an abundance of water, without which no 

 number of acres can be of the slightest value. 



At the present time many people talk, and, I be- 

 lieve, think seriously, of emigrating to the Transvaal, 

 and an agency has been appointed in London for the 

 sale of lands. Be warned in time do not part with a 

 single shilling till you have inspected your intended pur- 

 chase, and then on no account be induced to have it 

 unless you are guaranteed that the springs or water- 

 courses upon it are unfailing. You cannot have every- 

 thing perfect, and the want of water is what militates 

 against these upland plains. 



As I have said before, the Transvaal is essentially a 



