202 AN INGENIOUS SCARECROW. 



the birds from their corn-gardens. These were sometimes 

 of great extent, ten and twenty acres being in cultivation 

 together. Several descriptions of birds, in large flocks, 

 invaded them, and would have done great damage in 

 carrying off the corn, but for the precautions taken. In 

 the centre, or most elevated spot of the garden, a kind of 

 platform was erected, on which were two or three boys 

 and girls. From this stage three ropes (manufactured by 

 the Kaffirs) were tied to the extreme ends of the garden, 

 and sufficiently low to be amongst the thick stalks and 

 stems of the Indian corn. These long lines were con- 

 nected to each other on an enlarged plan of a spider's 

 web. When a flock of birds was seen to settle in any 

 part of the field, two or three of the youngsters caught 

 hold of the line that led over the spot, and shook it 

 violently, shouting at the same time : the noise made by 

 the rope frightened them away on the wing at once. 



A white stranger was a very rare visitor in this part. 

 As I had turned off the high road to the Zulu country, 

 I could hear the great fact of an " Umlungo " arriving, 

 shouted from hill to hill, and kraal to kraal ; the 

 Kaffirs generally all turned out to see me, passing 

 remarks on myself, gun, and horses, in the coolest 

 manner. When they found that I could speak to them in 

 their own tongue, and was on a shooting trip, they had 

 a much higher opinion of me than if I had been a trader. 

 On the next night I took up my quarters at the kraal 

 of a sporting Kaffir, who was called Inkau ; he had a 

 gun and was a mighty Nimrod, having shot elephants, 

 buffaloes, hippopotami, and nearly all the large game. 



