254 An Eight Bays 3 Ramble in Cape Colony. 



"When we arrived on the spot we found that the chances of 

 sport were very far from being as great as we had been led to 

 believe. Our host informed us that there were plenty of geese 

 and ducks, but that they were most difficult of approach ; that 

 the lake was private property ; and, finally, that there was no 

 boat on it. Formidable as were these obstacles at first siofht, 

 they were eventually smoothed away without much difficulty. 

 The Retiefs declared they could get leave for us to try our guns 

 amongst the birds, and they offered to put their own punt into 

 a waggon and take it to the vlei for our especial benefit. No 

 sooner said than done ! Hendrick and I were not long in 

 deciding to follow out the plan suggested by our hosts, and 

 immediately after breakfast we proceeded in a body to the 

 farm-yard, where the punt was lying ; a waggon with four 

 horses was already inspanned, so that we had nothing to do 

 but lift the boat into it. Our own cart was also prepared for 

 us at the same time, and in about ten minutes wo had started, 

 Mr. Franz Retief, the younger of the two brothers, having 

 volunteered his services as guide for the occasion. The dis- 

 tance between the hotel and the lake, probably about three 

 miles, was accomplished without anything strange occurring, 

 and on our arrival there, the old Dutchman who was said to be 

 the owner of a portion of it, politely expressed his pleasure at 

 being able to meet our wishes, and begged to be allowed to 

 join the party. This was of course agreed to, and it was then 

 arranged that four of us should go in the punt, Franz Retief 

 to propel the vessel, and the rest of us to shoot. 



The lake, or vlei, lies close to the foot of the mountains, 

 and a good deal below the level of the surrounding country, 

 lb is totally devoid of beauty, and in point of fact, is simply an 

 enormous shallow pond, with muddy banks and dirty-looking 

 water. At the southern end, where we embarked, there is a 

 stretch of marshy land, with reeds and other aquatic plants 

 growing in it, which looked a likely place for snipe, and we 

 promised ourselves a tramp through it after we had disposed 

 of the wild fowl. There were numbers of ducks and geese on 

 the vlei, the latter in small parties of about seven or eight, but 

 we did not see any flamingoes, which we had been told were 

 plentiful at certain times. The mud was soft and tenacious at 

 the edges of the vlei, and the launching of the punt was a work 

 of greater difficulty than the lifting of it into the waggon had 

 been ; however, after some resolute pushing, and a fair quantity 

 of slipping, we got the little craft afloat, and then scrambled 

 on board. 



When we were- fairly under way, we began to wonder how 

 we were to get within range of such wary birds as geese and 

 ducks, in an open lake without cover or disguise of any kind : 



