76 VEGETATION. Chap, VI. 



labour for months at deep cuttings, which, having once begun, 

 they feel bound in honour to persevere in, though told by a 

 missionary that they can never force water to run up hill. 



The Boers in this region make long and deep canals from 

 lower levels up to spots which afford no other indication that 

 water exists beneath than a few rushes and a coarse reddish- 

 coloured grass. These grow in a hollow, which anciently 

 must have been the eye of a fountain, but is now filled up 

 with soft tufa. In other instances rushes growing on a long 

 sandy ridge a foot or two in height, instead of in a furrow, is 

 the sign of the water which lurks below. A deep transverse 

 cutting made through the ridge is rewarded by a running 

 stream. The ground over the water is raised above the sur- 

 rounding level by the dust and sand which get blown against 

 the rushes. The moisture which rises at night fixes the 

 particles securely among the roots, and a height instead of a 

 hollow is the result. 



The aspect of this part of the country during most of the 

 year is of a light yellow colour; but for some months during 

 the rainy season a pleasant green predominates over the yellow. 

 Eanges of hills appear in the west, but east of them we find 

 hundreds of miles of grass-covered plains. Large patches of 

 these flats are covered with white calcareous tufa, and the vege- 

 tation upon it consists of fine grass growing in tufts among 

 low bushes of the " wait-a-bit" thorn (Acacia detinens), with its 

 annoying fish-hook-like spines. Where the soil consists of 

 yellow sand tall coarse grasses grow among berry-yielding 

 bushes, named moretloa (Grewia fiava) and mohatla (Tarcho- 

 nanthus), the last of which has sufficient aromatic resinous 

 matter to burn brightly, though perfectly green. In more 

 sheltered spots we come on clumps of the white-thorned 

 mimosa (Acacia horrida, and A. atomiphylla), great abundance of 

 wild sage (Salvia Africand), and various leguininosse, ixias, 

 and large-flowering bulbs. The Amaryllis toxicaria and A. 

 Brunsvigia multiflora (the former a poisonous bulb) yield in the 

 decayed lamellae a soft silky down, which is a good material 

 for stuffing mattresses. 



In some few parts of the country the remains of ancient 

 forests of wild olive-trees (Oka similis), and of the camel-thorn 

 (Acacia giraffe), are still to be met with ; but when the camel 



