92 BIVOUACK. 



so extremely heavy ; and here for the first time we 

 bivouacked in what is called the Veld. The moon 

 shone at intervals through a passing cloud, enabling 

 us to enjoy the novelty of the surrounding scene: on 

 our right hand rose the mountains of Tiger-bay, and 

 on our left was seen Table-bay, whose billows might 

 still be heard, as they broke impetuously on the 

 beach. The Hottentots soon collected a quantity of 

 dry bushes, and made a cheerful fire, around which 

 we partook of our Karaminatze, enjoying it not 

 the less for having been cooked in this rural style. 



On the following morning we left this place, and 

 proceeded to the drift of the Berg River ; but finding 

 on our arrival that it was impassable, we pitched 

 our tent, and halted for the night ; bending our 

 course early on the next day to the Pont, a raft con- 

 structed for the purpose of conveying waggons across 

 the river, and continuing our journey until past 

 midnight, we again uitspanned in a fine open coun- 

 try, where we shot on the ensuing day several head 

 of game, very plentiful in this neighbourhood, par- 

 ticularly the delicate little steinbok (antelope troga- 

 lus), and the duiker-bok (antelope mergens), which 

 is called duiker, or diver, by the colonists, on account 

 of its peculiar mode of plunging among the bushes 

 when startled or pursued : — 



" And the duiker, at my tread, 

 Sudden lifts his startled head : 

 Then dives affrighted in the hrake, 

 Like wild-duck in the reedy lake," 



