KARROO BEASTS, BIRDS AND REPTILES. 245 



English country rectory, where, let us hope, no unfeel- 

 ing jokes at her expense embitter her declining years. 



Of a far less docile disposition than Sarah was a 



large baboon kept by T at the Diamond Fields. 



The incessant damage wrought by this creature among 

 his master's property and that of neighbours, and the 

 frequent doctors' bills of which he was the occasion, 

 made him rather an expensive pet. He was kept 

 chained up, but would now and then break loose, on 

 which occasions he never failed to make an excellent 

 use of his opportunities and enjoy as good a "time" 

 as possible before Nemesis overtook him in the form of 

 recapture and well-deserved chastisement. 



One day, for instance, T , on returning to his tent, 



was considerably surprised to find his bed occupied 

 by Mr. Adonis, who, after getting into the shower- 

 bath, pulling the string, and receiving the consequent 

 ducking, had retired in a drenched and dripping con- 

 dition to the blankets, within which he had comfortably 

 ensconced himself, and from whence he gazed im- 

 pudently at his master. He no doubt thought that 

 he had well earned the luxuries of bath and bed by 



his busy morning's work among the contents of T 's 



canvas house ; and indeed that once cosy little abode 

 now offered to the owner's eye a very good represen- 

 tation of chaos on a small scale. A bottle of acid, in 

 which were a number of diamonds, had been thrown 



outside and the contents scattered in the sand ; T 's 



watch had been pulled to pieces and flung through the 

 window ; and altogether every conceivable piece of 



