The Wayfaring Man in the Transvaal. 55 



scarce and for apart, and little animal life is to 

 ha perceived. Birds are fairly numerous ; the ' 

 " koran," the partridge, the plover, the " dikkop,"' 

 offer to the sportsman occasional shots. Skeletons 

 of horses and of oxen which have succumhed to 

 the labours and pri^'ations of the journey abound 

 [dong'side the track, all either having been jDicked 

 clean or in the process of being devoured by flocks 

 of vultures. At one place we perceived some 

 scores of these birds surrounding a carcase, so 

 gorged that they took no notice of our approach, 

 although we passed within a few feet of them. , 



The hotel accommodation in the Transvaal is of 

 the roughest description, the Dutch scarcely appre- 

 ciating either cleanliness or comfort. It is possible 

 that the sleeping rooms might in some cases be 

 condemned by an l^]ngiish magistrate or inspector. 

 An extraordinary profusion of food awaits the 

 liungry wayfarer, but, alas ! it is quantity and 

 not quality which is attained ; and it is easy for 

 the man who dines in a Dutch hotel at a table 

 covered with every variety of viand to rise from 

 his repast almost as liungry as he sat do^v^i. The 

 followins; is the menu of dinner which awaited our 

 party on our arrival at Pullen's " AYinkel " (store 

 and hotel), where we passed the first night of our 

 journey : — 



Oyster soup. 



Egg a la soupe. 



Saleme (x^c) curry and rice. 



Chicken pie. 



Saleme (dc) duck and olives. 



Roast leg mutton. 



Lamb and mint sauce. 



