86 » ADVENTURES IN SOUTH AFRICA. 



supplied with water from a strong fountain which 

 bursts from the base of one of these rocky hillocks above 

 the level of the town, and by which the small gardens 

 adjoining the houses are irrigated. Abundance of. 

 water is the only advantage that the situation can 

 boast of. In the town are several large stores, from 

 which the Boers of the surrounding districts can obtain 

 fevery necessary article in their domestic economy. 

 Numbers of these farmers attend the market weekly 

 with their wagons, bringing in the produce of their 

 farms and gardens; and, on sacramental occasions, 

 which happen four times every year, the town is inun- 

 dated with Soers, who bring in their families in horse- 

 wagons. Owing to the unsettled state of the country, 

 troops were then stationed at Colesberg. The garrison 

 consisted of about two hundred men of the 91st, under 

 command of my cousin, Colonel Campbell, and one com- 

 pany of the Cape Mounted Rifles, commanded by Cap^ 

 tain Donovan. Colesberg was in those days a pleasant 

 quarter, as there was not much pipe-clay, and very good 

 shooting could be obtained, within a few hours of can- 

 tonment. 



In the forenoon we had some rifle practice at a large 

 granite stone above the town, which the privates of the 

 91st were wont to pepper on ball-practice days. On 

 this occasion I saw some very good shooting by Camp- 

 bell, Yarborough, Bailey, and Paterson, all oflioers of 

 the 91st, and about the four best shots on the frontier. 

 These four Nimrods had a short time previously boldly 

 challenged any four Dutchmen of the Graaf Reinet or 

 Colesberg districts to shoot against them. The chal- 

 lenge was accepted by four Dutchmen, who, of course, 

 got "jolly well licked." 



A.fter spending a few dayg very pleasantly with the 



