144 KLOOF AND KARROO. 



abundance of sport at very little expense. They 

 will behold a magnificent country, as yet scarcely 

 touched by agriculture — a country still in many parts 

 as primitive and as little known as when the Dutch 

 first landed on its shores — and they will find a 

 climate unsurpassed, even if viewed from the 

 stand-point of health alone. 



But since the passing of stricter game 

 preservation laws by the Cape Parliament a 

 year or so back, the close time for antelope shooting 

 is extended to the months between July and January 

 in some districts, and between August and 

 March in others ; and further, in some divisions 

 certain antelopes are protected from the gunner 

 altogether for periods ranging from one year to 

 three. I have referred to this with more particularity 

 at the end of the chapter on the antelopes and larger 

 game of Cape Colony. 



Coming homewards by the river, I disturb some 

 blue cranes, which rise and fly off to some quieter 

 resort ; these dark-hued birds are not uncommon 

 hereabouts. The great wattled crane is also met 

 with, but only very occasionally. Sometimes 

 wandering down the river very quietly, we happen 

 upon these blue or Stanley cranes in a small band. 

 When undisturbed and completely at their ease, for 

 they are shy creatures, their pacings, dancings, 

 marchings, counter-marchings, and other playful 

 manoeuvres (I suppose these movements are playful, 

 although they are often gone through with awful 

 solemnity) are indescribably ludicrous. Watching a 

 group of cranes pursuing their pastime on a smooth 

 spit of river-sand, I have sat for nearly half-an- 

 hour, with one of my companions, in fits of smothered 



