ii8 MATABELE LAND. 
with large lilac clouds ; lower down, the blue was 
streaked with pale yellow, and this again, as it ap- 
proached the kopjes, became golden streaked with 
lilac. We trekked on well through the changing 
light, for it never became dark, and, ere the sunset 
hues had faded from the sky, the moon was shedding 
a clear light over the romantic scene. Fireflies were 
flitting, and I felt the morning trek, when we entered 
Pretoria, come back forcibly to my mind. That was 
then to me a wonderful change, from high veldt to 
bush veldt, and the time of seeing it — in the weird 
light of early morning — added to the charm. The 
road now, as then, was very rough and steep, over 
stones, up hill and down ; and at about 8 p.m. we 
crossed a steep-banked river. The water was deep, 
and the bank on which we landed was so steep, that 
the oxen, the moment before they scrambled up, were 
up to their breasts in water, but we did it in gallant 
style. 
" On we went, and at last were rising a hill, 
through what in Rocky Mountain phraseology would 
be called a ' park.' The word is an appropriate one, 
and I know no other that would describe this lovely 
spot, reminding me of similar scenes in the Rocky 
Mountains. The ground was open and park-like, 
with a fine sward and a few isolated trees, whilst all 
around — forming a complete amphitheatre — rose 
rugged kopjes in the distance. The moon shed a 
bright light on the whole. Suddenly, smash went 
the dissel-boom, away went the oxen with it, down 
went John most ludicrously on to the ground from 
