A JOURNEY TO DURBAN. 129 



coaches and wagons across an endless veld, the way 

 becomes stopped and communication almost ceases. 

 On reaching Volksrust in the rain and dark after a 

 terrible journey across the flooded heights, we found 

 no coach had been able to pass for three days, and the 

 passengers had thus accumulated in the small wayside 

 rest that passes by the name of hotel. The cause of 

 the delay was the swollen and impassable condition of 

 the spruit we had to cross a short distance further on, 

 which had been daily approached but never attempted. 

 We retired to rest four beds in the room, the latch 

 of the door out of order and the rain pouring outside, 

 and rose again at 3 A.M. to once more try and force the 

 passage of the stream. When we reached it daylight 

 had well broken, but there were ominous murmurs that 

 the water was as " high as ever." A Kafir was sent 

 across as a preliminary plummet : the stream reached his 

 shoulders at the deepest part and carried him off his 

 feet where the current ran strongest. It was, however, 

 decided to risk the passage, by unharnessing the 

 horses and letting the coach be pulled through by our 

 Kafir friends, who now mustered somewhat strongly. 

 Several of the passengers undressed and preferred 

 swimming the stream to the danger of being overturned 

 and washed away in the coach ; but I chose the latter 

 alternative with a prospect of being able to keep 

 warm and comfortable ; nor was I mistaken, for the 

 coach, after threatening for about sixty seconds in the 

 rush of the stream to end its present career of use- 

 fulness, eventually passed soberly through and gained 

 the other side. Our passengers now again dressed, the 

 horses were swam through, and after having chased a 

 runaway, that broke loose and enjoyed his liberty for 

 half an hour, we resumed our journey. 



The Waterfal river was reached about sunset, and 

 in place of the small and fordable stream we had 

 crossed without difficulty some twelve days previously, 

 there now flowed a wide and, in the centre, deep 

 current not to be ventured by coach or horse. We 

 crossed in a punt, and leaving our coach, transferred 



K 



