FRONTIER OF THE COLONY.. 17 



I joined two friends, and started for Fort Beaufort, a 

 day's ride distant. I was much amused at the cool 

 manner in which our dinner was provided at the inn on 

 the road. " What will you have, gentlemen ?" was asked : 

 " beef, a turkey, or " " Turkey roast I vote," said one, 

 in answer to the landlord's question. " Piet !" cried the 

 landlord, " knock over that turkey in the corner." " Ja has," 

 answered a Hottentot servant. A log of wood flew at the 

 turkey's head indicated, and, with unerring aim, he was 

 knocked over, plucked, drawn, and roasted in about an 

 hour and a half, and was very good and tender. 



The frontier of the Cape colony is a very wild and 

 rather barren district, and in many parts there is a 

 scarcity of water and verdure. At certain seasons of the 

 year quail come in abundance, thirty or forty brace for 

 one pair of barrels being by no means an uncommon bag. 

 One or two of the bustard tribe are also found here, and 

 are called the diccop, coran, and pouw. I saw but little 

 game besides those creatures which I have just mentioned, 

 as we were at war with the Amakosa tribes, and it was 

 not prudent to venture far from our forts. I employed 

 my time in making portraits of the friendly Kaffirs who 

 came in to see us, and also in acquiring their language, 

 which struck me as particularly harmonious and expres- 

 sive. Frequently thirty or forty men would come in of 

 a day under some pretence or other, and I had good 

 opportunities of watching their manners and attire, the 

 latter, by the bye, being particularly simple. 



