XVI 



IN THE KOWIE BUSH 

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THE Kowie bush extends from immediately below Grahams- 

 town in a direct line of about thirty miles to Port Alfred, 

 on the south coast of Cape Colony, the Kowie River winding 

 through it, and running its tortuous course to the sea in 

 lovely scenery, among mountains covered with the densest 

 bush of most infinitely variegated green. Here and there the 

 bush opening encircles narrow valleys and patches of high, 

 luxuriant grass, or small Kaffir fields of maize and melon ; 

 it closes thickly down to and overhangs the narrow river, 

 whose waters glide along in deepest shadow, silently some- 

 times, but more often murmuring, swirling, and splashing, 

 as they angrily force their way between rocks which attempt 

 to bar the way. Here the river spreads out into a reed-girt 

 pool, the home of wild duck and kingfisher; there it runs 

 past a high wall of rock, on whose face small bushes and 

 giant candelabra-like euphorbias find a most precarious foot- 

 hold. From the summit of one of the higher mountains the 

 Kowie bush is seen stretching away like a broad green riband 

 to the south as it follows the course of the river, the more 

 open grazing lands of various farms meeting it on either 

 side. There the bush grows only in patches set in a golden 

 frame of ripening grass, patches mainly of bright green 

 mimosa scrub, covered at the time of our visit with little 

 golden balls of fragrant flower. 



The greater part of this bush belongs to Government, who 

 preserve the one or two herds of buffalo whose home it is. 

 Once the noble Bos caffer roamed over the whole of South 



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