BlODE OF CATCHING PINTADOS. 181 



our waggon was standing ; and pointing to a gloomy 

 hollow in the mountain close to us, said, " There 

 are plenty of them there." 



After having allowed the oxen to graze for several 

 hours, Ave quitted the place, and passing through a 

 long narrow kloof or poort, entered an extensive dale 

 covered with herbaceous shrubs, and enriched by a 

 variety of bulbous plants, the amaryllis, iris, gla- 

 diolus, and many others being profusely scattered 

 everywhere around us ; while the broad stream of 

 the Fish River appeared at intervals through the 

 bright foliage of the mimosa and willow trees, as it 

 wound its silent course along the valley. Few 

 scenes which we had hitherto witnessed presented a 

 more interesting picture, and its beauty was natu- 

 rally heightened in our estimation from the circum- 

 stance of our having unexpectedly emerged into this 

 vernal prospect from the dreary wastes of a barren 

 and unproductive district. 



Descending by a gentle declivity to the ford of the 

 river, it almost seemed as if we had entered a pre- 

 serve ; bustards, partridges, pheasants, and guinea- 

 fowls were rising constantly around us as we ad- 

 vanced. On gaining the opposite side of the stream, 

 as we journeyed along its bank, our attention was 

 attracted by the pintados which had collected 

 roost in some of the adjacent trees. The Hott 

 in order to obtain these birds, set fire to th 

 round the trunk of those trees on which t T 



