IGG "PATCHES OF FLY." 



Monday we trekked again, a steady shuwer protecting us 

 as we laboured on through the infested district, and in 

 10 miles and 3 furlongs we reached the west bank of 

 the Maghaliquain or Fieroe Crocodile River, called by 

 the Boers the Nyl. . . . Our cattle would not eat the 

 poor and scanty grass,* but crossed the river to the better 

 pasturage they saw on the other side, but unfortunately 

 the ' fly ' was there aiad we had to drive them hack again. 

 . . . After sunset on the 9th we crossed the river and 

 trekked up its eastern bank for some distance, and passing 

 through the last patch of ' fly,' outspanned upon an open 

 plain 9]: miles from our last camp. . . ." (pp. 66-67). 



" We had now cleared the iiifested parts between the 

 Blauw Berg and the Hang Klip mountains, . . ." (p. 67). 



[Near Nylstroom]. — " I halted also at the farm of 

 Theunis de Klerk, who told me they now knew where to 

 ride their horses with safety between the patches of fly ; 

 they also have safe or inoculated oxen and even ride their 

 horses in ; they will not tell their medicine, but charge an 

 ox for making a horse safe ; they told me they thought 

 the fly was a curse that was being removed from the 

 land " (p. 68). 



"... I was obliged [end of January, 1871] to pro- 

 ceed without delay to Matabililand, where the King Lo 

 Bengula confirmed most fully the concession he had 

 already made me in the Northei-n Gold Fields, and gave 

 me liberty to come out of his country by a more direct 

 road, southward thi'ough the Tsetse-fly country into the 

 Transvaal. This might be considered no great boon, as 

 cattle once ' stuck ' by the fly are doomed to almost certain 

 death. But the Tsetse, though occupying large tracts of 

 country, does not completely ovei'spread it, but leaves 

 parts which are known to various hunters, and which 

 serve as channels by which a course may be steered with 

 some chance of escape from the deadly pest. Unfortu- 

 nately, I could not obtain a skilful pilot, and came in 

 contact with one patch of fly, by whose stings I lost nine 

 oxen, but having a pound of carbonate of ammonia I dis- 

 solved it in a bucket of warm water and washed all the 

 horses. I am not prepared to affirm that this was the 



♦ "Drift of Maghaliquain, lat. 23'^ 27' 20", long. 28" 54' 40", ninety 

 miles, one furlong, sixty-four yards from the Limpopo," 



