52 Men, Mines, and Animals in South Africa. 



is capable of being transformed into one vast 

 garden. 



Vryburg is an urban conimiuiity in its infancy, 

 whjcli may some day grow into a large and 

 f thriving town. At ]n'esent it consists of a number 

 of low buildings of somewhat mean and squalid 

 appearance, constructed of tlie inevitable corru- 

 gated iron, and sjDreading themselves out irregu- 

 larly o\'er a considerable extent of ground. Sir 

 Sidney Shij^pard, the British administrator, avIio 

 entertained us most kindly and hospitiibly, 

 occuj^ies a small cottage which many a J3ritish 

 mechanic would desi:)ise. It is to be hoped, 

 'considering the size aud importance of our 

 Bcchuanaland j)ossessions and the great powers 

 ^vielded l)y the administrator, tliat the British 

 Go^■ernment, who insist upon retaining their hold 

 over Bechuanaland, will ])ro\ide its ref)resentative 

 with a more suitable and honourable residence. 

 Three ho eels offer to the tra\-eller fail* Init rough 

 accommodation, and in one or more "well-iilled 

 stores the immigrant or the settler can obtain 

 most of the necessaries of lilr and such articles as 

 are requisite for the commerce of the interior. 

 From Vryburg branch oft' many routes north and 

 east and west : westward into Damaraland, or 

 into the great Kalahari desert towards Lake 

 Ngami : northward to ]\Iatabelel.and and the 

 Zambesi ; eastward, which route we ourselves 

 followed, to the Transvaal and Johannesburg. 

 Passenger coaches are for the jDresent conhned 

 to this latter route. As ^ve vrere a large 



