ARRIVAL AT COLESBEEG. « 85 



we had come to this resolution, he fell violently to the 

 ground, raising a cloud of dust. On riding up to him 

 we found him dead. 



Paterson and I then made for the vley, and had not 

 proceeded two hundred yards when, on looking back, I 

 saw about thirty large vultures standing on the wilde- 

 beest, which in a very short space of time they would 

 have devoured. On the morrow Paterson left me and 

 rode back for Colesberg, having first extracted a prom- 

 ise that I would follow him within three days. I ac- 

 cordingly hunted until that time had expired, when I 

 reluctantly inspanned and marched upon Colesberg. 

 Three long marches brought us to the farm of a Boer 

 named Penar, who had been recommended to me as 

 having a good stamp of horses, and as being reasonable 

 in his prices. I was, however, ^appointed with his 

 stud, and, finding hini exorbitant in his prices, no busi- 

 ness was transacted. The country continued much 

 the same — ^wide Karroo plains,' bounded by abrupt roclsy 

 mountains. One more long march brought us within 

 five miles of Colesberg, whgre I halted for the night. 



On the 27th, having taken an early breakfast^we 

 trekked into Colesberg, where, having bhosen a position 

 for my camp, I outspanned and took up my quarters 

 with Paterson. The village of Colesberg is so called 

 from a conspicuous, lofty table-movmtain in its imme- 

 diate vicinity, which takes its name from a former gov- 

 ernor of the colony. The tovra is situated in a confin- 

 ed hoEow, surrounded on all sides by low rocky hills. 

 The formation of these rocks is igneous, and the way 

 in which they are distributed is very remarkable. 

 Large and shapeless masses are heaped together and 

 piled one above another, as if by the hand of some 

 mighty giant of the olden times. The tovm is well 



