The Conquest of the Desert 



Council. Limestone outcrops recall what 

 Hilgard says : "A lime-country is a rich 

 country." Now journeying through heavy 

 sand. Sir Walter Hely-Hutchinson used to 

 remark when travelling in the north-west : 

 " Bad roads, good farms ; good roads, bad 

 farms." Here we traverse a vast stretch of 

 waving Bushman grass like corn white unto 

 the harvest. This must be the finest drought- 

 resistant grass in the world. Think of it ! 

 Found extensively all over Namaqualand, 

 Kenhardt and Gordonia, the driest districts 

 in Africa. M. Celliers, a French priest of the 

 Pella Mission, told me that he had registered 

 2 J in. of rain one year at that station. We may 

 say that this grass thrives on a 3 in. to 10 in. 

 rainfall. Bushman grass grows in tufts, and 

 seems to be easily injured by too close graz- 

 ing or overstocking. There are two sorts one 

 with a long, lank growth ; the other with a short, 

 slender stem. Every dry farmer should procure 

 some seed from the desert and test the carrying 

 capacity of this wonderful grass. At sunset it 

 is a sea of silver in a crown of gold. 



Our next outspan was at Areachap, where 

 there was water, and our last at Geluck, at 

 5.45 p.m. Many travellers make the mistake 



26 



