Account of the Fish Bluer Bush, South Africa. 73 



and expressed himself in very strong terms of disbelief that 

 a nation of savages could be concealed in it so as to defy 

 observation, and render themselves nearly impregnable in 

 it. It was only on viewing the expansive scene presented 

 of the Bush country from Driver's Hill on the road to 

 Fort Peddie, that he began to have some idea of the diffi- 

 culties attendant on a warfare with a people possessing such 

 a natural fastness. He at first exclaimed, when he was told, 

 that was the Bush he disbelieved in, " It cannot be ; what, 

 all that greenish covering of the hills and valleys, bush ! no, it 

 must be only grass." Such was the deception given of its 

 nature by distance. Conviction to the full extent, however, 

 overcame him on descending into the Fish River Valley ; and 

 on traversing for miles through its tangled thickets, his 

 idea of the obstacles he had to contend with in the war un- 

 derwent, of course, considerable modification. 



The Great Fish River Bush begins principally about Junc- 

 tion Drift, where the Little Fish River enters, and covers 

 the valley thence to the sea. It traverses all the numerous 

 tributary valleys that pass into the Great Valley, as those 

 of the Botha's River, Kowie, Ecca River, and Blaauwe Kran's 

 River, Sheshago, Clusie, and Kap Rivers, to a certain distance 

 up the course of the Koonap river, and a considerable way up 

 the Kat River, nearly as far as Howse's Post. To the south- 

 west, it may be said to cover a large triangle of country — 

 formed by the Fish River, north and east, and the course of 

 the Kap River, along the summit of Governor's Kop, Botha's 

 Hills, and the Fish River Berg on the south-west. The Kat 

 River Bush is connected with the Great Fish River Bush, lying- 

 south of Graham's Town, which last covers the passage of Caflfre 

 commandos into Lower Albany and Oliphant's Hoeck. About 

 Junction Drift it becomes connected with the Bushman's River 

 Bush and the fastnesses of the Zuureberg, across the Com- 

 madaga — another covered way for Caifresinto the Uitenhage 

 district. Both these routes have been much used by CaflPres 

 this war, and act the part of covered ways and sally-ports 

 from the citadel of the Great Fish River Bush. By various 

 large kloofs east between Trumpeter's and Victoria Post, as 

 Foonah's and Doda's Kloofs, it becomes connected with the 



