CLIMATE OF THE KARROO. 73 



Colony IS the woi'st-governed country in the world, 

 which indeed — with the exception, perhaps, of Turkey 

 and Morocco — it undoubtedly is; the grievance of 

 another is that the country in general, and ostrich- 

 farming in particular, is played out, that no more for- 

 tunes are to be made, and that life on the farms offers 

 nothing to compensate sufficiently for the numerous 

 discomforts and privations which have to be endured ; 

 the heavy import duties and consequent ruinous prices 

 of all the necessaries of life, with the exception of meat, 

 depriving the colonist of even that small consolation of 

 knowing that, though uncomfortable, he is at least 

 economizing. Sybarites accustomed to home comforts 

 make constant comparisons between English and colonial 

 houses, greatly to the disparagement of the latter; 

 epicures complain bitterly of the wearying sameness of 

 the food, resenting most deeply the perpetual recurrence 

 on the table, morning, noon, and night, of the ubiquitous 

 though delicious Angora goat ; while ladies are eloquent 

 on the never-ending topics of the bad servants — cer- 

 tainly the worst that can be found anywhere — the 

 difficulties of housekeeping, the rough roads, the incon- 

 venient distance from everywhere, the trouble and 

 delay of getting provisions, etc., sent up to the farms, 

 and, saddest of all, the want of society and the intoler- 

 able dulness. In fact, the general opinion seems to be 

 that of Mrs. Jellyby's daughter, that "Africa is a 

 Beast ! " You hear so much grumbling, see such bored, 

 dissatisfied faces, and are treated to so many gloomy 

 and desponding views of colonial life, that it is quite a 



