THE TRANSVAAL IN SUMMER. 39 



" The country is much prettier now than it was 

 when we went up. The grass has sprung up and 

 is quite green, and all the trees are in leaf. The 

 Transvaal, from the Crocodile River here, is beau- 

 tiful. All along the banks of the river are farms, 

 belonging to the Dutch Boers, surrounded with 

 orange and peach trees. At most of these you can 

 now get milk, butter, and eggs. We have had 

 heavy thunderstorms, which, seen at night, are most 

 gorgeous ; lightning all round, all colours, and darting 

 in all directions at the same moment. It is just like 

 a display of fireworks. It is much cooler now than 

 we have lately had it, the thermometer seldom being 

 above 90 in the shade, and the last few days there 

 has been a nice breeze. 



" My Kaffir driver, who came up with me from 

 Maritzburg, ran away when we were staying at the 

 Meriko, and Bell and I had to drive the waggon 

 down here. Fortunately they are very good oxen, 

 so there has been no difficulty, and I have managed 

 to get another driver here. Bullock-driving is quite 

 a business in itself, and a very difficult thing in the 

 bush with refractory beasts. This fellow, Solomon, 

 stole a horse which we had found straying. It be- 

 longed to the old chief at Mungwato, and when I 

 was going to hand the horse over to a Dutchman, 

 whom Sekhomi had authorized to take charge of the 

 horse if he found him, Solomon went to the waggon 

 where he was tied up, jumped on him and galloped 

 away. He will probably be caught, as the horse is 

 well known. 



