138 BAMANGWATO Hllyl^S. 



latest series of, volcanic rocks in South Africa. At the 

 eastern end these hills have curious fungoid or cup-shape 

 hollows, of a size which suggests the idea of craters. With- 

 in these are masses of the rock crystallized in the columnar 

 form of this formation. The tops of the columns are quite 

 distinct, of the hexagonal form, like the bottom of the cells 

 of a honeycomb, but they are not parted from each other 

 as in the Cave of Fingal. In many parts the lava-streams 

 may be recognised, for there the rock is rent and split in 

 every direction, but no soil is yet found in the interstices. 

 When we were sitting in the evening, after a hot day, 

 it was quite common to hear these masses of basalt split 

 and fall among each other with the peculiar ringing sound 

 which makes people believe that this rock contains much 

 iron. Several large masses, in splitting thus by the cold 

 acting suddenly on parts expanded by the heat of the 

 day, have slipped down the sides of the hills, and, imping- 

 ing against each other, have formed cavities in which the 

 Bakaa took refuge against their enemies. The numerous 

 chinks and crannies left by these huge fragments made 

 it quite impossible for their enemies to smoke them out, 

 as was done by the Boers to the people of Mankopane. 



This mass of basalt, about six miles long, has tilted up 

 the rocks on both the east and west ; these upheaved 

 rocks are the ancient silurian schists which formed the 

 bottom of the great primaeval valley, and like all the 

 recent volcanic rocks of this country, have a hot fountain 

 in their vicinity, namely, that of Serinane. 



In passing through these hills on our way north we 

 enter a pass named Manakalongwe, or Unicorn's Pass. 

 The unicorn here is a large edible caterpillar, with an 

 erect horn-like tail. The pass was also called Porapora 

 (or gurgling of water), from a stream having run through 

 it. The scene must have been very different in former 

 times from what it is now. This is part of the river Ma- 

 halapi, which so-called river scarcely merits the name, 

 any more than the meadows of Edinburgh deserve the 

 title of North Loch. These hills are the last we shall see 

 for months. The country beyond consisted of large 

 patches of trap-covered tufa, having little soil or vegeta- 

 tion except tufts of grass and wait-a-bit thorns, in the 

 midst of extensive sandy grass-covered plains. These 

 yellow-coloured grassy plains, with moretloa and mahatla 

 bushes, form quite a characteristic feature of the 



