112 ELECTRICITY. — FEOCKS OF SWIFTS. 



causes the movement of a native in his kaross to produce 

 therein a stream of small sparks. The first time I noticed 

 this appearance was while a chief was travelling with me 

 in my waggon. Seeing part of the fur of his mantle, 

 which was exposed to slight friction by the movement 

 of the waggon, assumed quite a luminous appearance, 

 I rubbed it smartly with the hand, and found it readily 

 gave out bright sparks, accompanied with distinct cracks. 

 *' Don't you see this ? " said I. " The white men did 

 not show us this," he replied ; " we had it long before white 

 men came into the country, we and our forefathers of old." 

 Unfortunately I never inquired the name which they 

 gave to this appearance, but I have no doubt there is one 

 for it in the language. Otto von Guerrike is said, by 

 Baron Humboldt, to have been the first that ever observed 

 this effect in Europe, but the phenomenon had been 

 familiar to the Bechuanas for ages. Nothing came of 

 that, however, for they viewed the sight as if with the eyes 

 of an ox. The human mind has remained here as stagnant 

 to the present day, in reference to the physical operations 

 of the universe, as it once did in England. No science 

 has been developed, and few questions are ever discussed 

 except those which have an intimate connexion with the 

 wants of the stomach. 



Very large flocks of swifts [Cypselus a pus) were observed 

 flying over the plains north of Kuruman. I counted a 

 stream of them, which, by the time it took to pass towards 

 the reeds of that valley, must have numbered upwards 

 of four thousand. Only a few of these birds breed at 

 any time in this country. I have often observed them, 

 anal noticed that there was no appearance of their having 

 paired ; there was no chasing of each other, nor any- 

 playing together. There are several other birds which 

 continue in flocks, and move about like wandering gipsies, 

 even during the breeding season, which in this country 

 happens in the intervals bet - een the cold and hot seasons, 

 cold acting somewhat in the same way here as the genial 

 warmth of spring does in Europe. Are these the migra- 

 tory birds of Europe, which return there to breed and 

 rear their young ? 



On the 31st December, 1852, we reached the town of 

 Sechele, called, from the part of the range on which it is 

 situated, Litubaruba. Near the village there exists a 

 cave named Lepelole ; it is an interesting evidence of the 



