SOUTHERN AFRICA. 257 



CHAPTER *XXXy, 



PLUNDERED BY BUSHMEN HORDES, AND LEFT A WRECK 

 IN THE DESERT. 



Resuming our pilgTimag*e on the morning' of the 1st January, 

 1837, our road wound among- sing-ular groups of detached 

 hills, which wore the appearance of having* accidentally fallen 

 there after the formation of the plain j blue peaks and moun- 

 tain ridg"es stretching- along- the horizon, and deepening- their 

 tints as we advanced. Ag-ain, the valleys were spread, as 

 with flocks of sheep, with countless herds of g-raceful spring-- 

 boks, displaying* the snow-white folds on their haunches 

 while they vaulted over each other's heads j and for the first 

 time since quitting* the colony, several ^secretary birds were 

 now observed strutting* about the plain. They were dressed, 

 as showmen in Exeter Chang*e had it, like so many charity 

 boys, in g'rey jackets and black knee-breeches j and with 

 their pens stuck behind their ears, were dilig-ently in search 

 of snakes, upon which reptiles they principally subsist. In 

 many places the ground was strewed with the blanched 

 skeletons of g*noos and other wild animals, which had evi- 

 dently been slaughtered by bushmen, and the traces of these 

 Troglodytes waxed hourly more apparent, as the country 

 became more inhabitable j the base of one hill in particular, 

 in which some of their caves were discovered, presenting* 

 the appearance of a Golg'otha— several hundred g*noos' and 

 bonte-boks' skulls being- collected in a sing-le heap. 



The bonte-bok is the twentieth and last known species of 



s 



