1 1 8 MA TABELE LAND. 



with large lilac clouds ; lower down, the blue was 

 streaked with pale yellow, and this again, as it ap- 

 proached the kopjes, became golden streaked with 

 lilac. We trekked on well through the changing 

 light, for it never became dark, and, ere the sunset 

 hues had faded from the sky, the moon was shedding 

 a clear light over the romantic scene. Fireflies were 

 flitting, and I felt the morning trek, when we entered 

 Pretoria, come back forcibly to my mind. That was 

 then to me a wonderful change, from high veldt to 

 bush veldt, and the time of seeing it — in the weird 

 light of early morning — added to the charm. The 

 road now, as then, was very rough and steep, over 

 stones, up hill and down ; and at about 8 p.m. we 

 crossed a steep-banked river. The water was deep, 

 and the bank on which we landed was so steep, that 

 the oxen, the moment before they scrambled up, were 

 up to their breasts in water, but we did it in gallant 

 style. 



" On we went, and at last were rising a hill, 

 through what in Rocky Mountain phraseology would 

 be called a ' park.' The word is an appropriate one, 

 and I know no other that would describe this lovely 

 spot, reminding me of similar scenes in the Rocky 

 Mountains. The ground was open and park -like, 

 with a fine sward and a few isolated trees, whilst all 

 around — forming a complete amphitheatre — rose 

 rugged kopjes in the distance. The moon shed a 

 bright light on the whole. Suddenly, smash went 

 the dissel-boom, away went the oxen with it, down 

 went John most ludicrously on to the ground from 



