84 A NATURALIST IN THE TRANSVAAL. 



the severity of its bite. I had previously sustained the 

 pincer-like grip of the beetle Manticora tuberculata, 

 which was much less painful than that of this Ortho- 

 pteron, the mark of which on my finger was carried for 

 several days. An hour's walk brought us to the first 

 cave, which the Kafirs visited before proceeding to the 

 second and larger one, where they sustained the 

 blockade and in which most of them perished. It 

 was very hot, and when we reached the abrupt rocky 

 side of the hill up which we had to climb, for the 

 cavern is situate some distance from the base *, we 

 were glad to quench our thirst at the small stream of 

 cold clear water that flows along the valley at its foot. 

 It was this stream that the thirst-maddened Kafirs 

 sought to reach at night, when, however, the Boer 

 bullet was usually received. Inside the gloomy pre- 

 cincts of the cavern skulls were strewn in profusion, but 

 generally without the lower jaws, and many have been 

 taken away by visitors : the dung of the sheep and 

 goats possessed by the imprisoned Kafirs was still 

 intact on the dry floor, and handles of axes, grinding- 

 stones for corn, baskets, &c., bore their witness to the 

 retributive slaughter of 1854. We could not penetrate 

 into the recesses of the cavern, as we had not brought 

 candles ; but it was an uncanny scene, and a large 

 dog that accompanied us seemed very ill at ease 

 and kept near the entrance. I was able to select six 

 very fair crania f, both juvenile and adult, which I 

 brought away, and we retraced our steps, glad to reach 

 the " hotel " once more and drink a bottle of English 

 ale, which, however, in this part is priced four shillings 

 and sixpence J. 



All the way, both coming and going, we saw the 



* Mr. Alford describes these caves, of which there are a number in the 

 neighbourhood, as " large water- worn cavities in the stratification of the 

 quartzites, formed by the removal of portions of the softer beds " (' Geolo- 

 gical Features of the Transvaal,' p. 40). 



t These crania are now incorporated in the fine craniological collection 

 belonging to the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons ; and are fully 

 described by Professor Stewart in the Appendix to this book (see p. 157). 



J In the Spelonken I once paid 5s. Qd., which may be taken as the high- 

 water price for our English beverage. 



