CONTENTS. 

 CHAPTER V. 



CLIMATE OF THE KARROO. PAGE 



Cape Colony much abused Healthy climate Wonderful cures of 

 consumption Karroo a good place for sanatorium Rarity of 

 illness and accidents The young colonist An independent 

 infant Long droughts Hot winds Dust storms Dams 

 Advantage of possessing good wells Partiality of thunder- 

 stormsDelights of a brack roof Washed out of bed After 

 the rain Our horses Effects of rain indoors Opslaag The 

 Cape winter What to wear on Karroo farms 72 



CHAPTER VI. 



OSTRICHES. 



An unwilling ride First sight of an ostrich farm Ridiculous 

 mistakes about ostriches Decreased value of birds and feathers 

 Chicks Plumage of ostriches A frightened ostrich The 

 plucking-box Sorting feathers Voice of the ostrich Savage 

 birds " Not afraid of a dicky-bird !" Quelling an ostrich 

 Birds killed by men in self-defence Nests An undutiful hen 

 Darby and Joan A disconsolate widower A hen-pecked 

 husband Too much zeal Jackie Cooling the eggs The 

 white-necked crow Poisoning jackals Ostrich eggs in the 

 kitchen A quaint old writer on ostriches A suppliant bird 

 Nest destroyed by enraged ostrich An old bachelor ... 98 



CHAPTER VII. 

 OSTRICHES (continued]. 



Vagaries of an incubator Hatching the chicks A bad egg 

 Human foster-mothers Chicks difficult to rear " Yellow- 

 liver" Cruel boys Chicks herded by hen ostrich Visit to 

 Boer's house A carriage full of ostriches" The melancholy 

 Jaques" Ostriches at sea A stampede Runaway birds 

 Branding Stupidity of ostriches Accidents Waltzing and 

 fighting Ostrich soup An expensive quince A feathered 

 Tantalus Strange things swallowed by ostriches A court- 

 martial The ostrich, or the diamond? A visit to the Zoo ... 130 



