MY ARRIVAL AT JAGOSSDAL. 207 



fence around this inclosure was a tall thick hedge of 

 quince, now covered with fine fruit. Previously I 

 had never seen this member of the vegetable kingdom 

 devoted to such a purpose. On the high ground in 

 front of the house, on the unenclosed velt, pastured a 

 large drove of splendid cattle, all as fat and sleek as the 

 most fastidious stockholder could desire. The owner 

 came out to see who the traveller was ; for it is not an 

 every-day occurrence here to have a wagon pass, so I 

 laid hold of the chance to try and trade away some of 

 my tired and travel- stained beasts for fresh ones ; but 

 the boot he asked was so preposterous that I could only 

 laugh at the man's impudence or his appreciation of my 

 sanity. 



My new friends here left me. The Knight of La 

 Mancha and his attendant they looked like, as they rode 

 off to the eastward over the undulating velt. 



Mounting the Basuto pony, I rode on, ordering the 

 driver, Jacob, to make the best of his way to Zeerust. 

 The road was very pretty, passing between the spurs of 

 two hills, well wooded, and the valley abundantly supplied 

 with water. Soon I passed two more farms, adj oining each 

 other, and much superior in every respect to the last I 

 have described. The treck now turned to the east ; in 

 the distance, under some high hills, Zeerust could be 

 seen, about ten miles off, while Jacobsdal was close at 

 hand a straggling village of twenty or more houses on 

 each side of the road, along the edge of which a stream 

 flowed, while large orchards were conspicuous for half a 

 mile deep on the left side of its bank. 



The appearance of the solitary horseman in their 

 midst made quite a commotion women rushed to doors 

 and windows, children out into the street to see the 



