A CAPE CART JOURNEY. 23 



spit of sand, and for a short time were in a watery 

 paradise, after our long journey. ^ 



The Sunday River here is broad, and, as is the 

 case with all South African streams, when the rains 

 come, exceedingly deep and rapid. It is a thousand 

 pities that something more has not been done 

 towards arresting the terrific torrents of water that, 

 during the rainfall in this country, either rush head- 

 long to the sea, or are dispersed and lost in sand 

 and soil. The series of plateaux that rise from the 

 littoral of the Colony into the interior in ever- 

 increasing altitudes are no doubt primarily the cause 

 of this waste of the all-precious element, byt 

 " damming and blasting," as someone has profanely 

 observed, would do much to prevent this loss. A 

 good bridge — one of the few in the Colony — spans the 

 river here. Jansenville is not such a rising commu- 

 nity as its position warrants. It seems that some 

 farmers named Fourie have the right to lead away 

 one-half of the water that flows by ; in this way 

 other farmers and villagers have been prevented 

 from irrigating their lands, and the growth of the 

 place has, in consequence, been greatly arrested ; 

 for without irrigation very little grain or vegetables 

 can be produced. 



After but a moderate repast of tough mutton 

 chops, and a feed to the horses, we proceeded, our 

 way lying for some time along the banks of the 

 river. Not far out of the village, on the other side 

 of the stream, grew some good-sized trees, and in 

 their branches we noticed four or five gray monkeys 

 gambolling. The opportunity was irresistible, so 

 we halted. Two of us snatched up our rifles, shoved 

 in cartridges, and took aim, the distance being some 



