422 



customary for the "Hawk" month^ i.e.^ from 

 middle ol September to middle of Oetober_, this^ 

 \\ itli a view to avoid, it possible, the probable 

 ravages of locusts. block has done remark- 

 ably well, and happily lungdickiiess has not 

 found Its way hither yet. A remarkable 

 incident of a two-year-old heifer — presenited by 

 Uovenuueiit on tilie 15th ultimo to a native 

 employee — niay be considered worthy of record. 

 A day or two after its receipt by the native 

 it laii aw.:y and prtucei'ded tu the thorn veld 

 to tihe east of tlie Magistracy, and near to the 

 -\lku/.i. Another na-tne detailed to lind it 

 and drive it back was chased by it, and had 

 to lind lefuge, as he states, from it, in a tree. 

 A few days later it was reported to have joined 

 a herd of wildebeeste. The owner wished it 

 sliot, nuking an olfer of a leg to anyone sue- 

 ce^sful in bagging it. This act was offiicially 

 forbidden, and order.s fonthwith issued that 

 anyone shooting it would be punished, the 

 owner being informed that the sum of £10, at 

 least, would be paid him by tlie Magistrate, 

 personally, in the event of a "cross" with the 

 •wildebeeste being obtained. In spite of lions, 

 ■wild dogs, &c., tlie heifer still llourislies. It 

 was seen on the lOth instant 8 to 10 miles 

 nortih of where it was first seen with the 

 wihlobceste, much nearer the Pongola than 

 Mku/;i. It -was staniliiig alone some little 

 distance fron: a drove of its lately made friends, 

 r.nd on the natue infoniiaut going to look at 

 it, it ran off towards tliem, thus giving the 

 alann, and clearing with tliciii. Again it was 

 reported alive a.nd well on the 23rd instant, 

 ami finally, yesterday (30tli inst.), as having 

 letraced its s'tejis with a herd of wildebeeste 

 to the .base of tlie mountain near the Mkuzi, 

 to a'bout the exact spot where it first entered 

 tlie 'I'iiorni. The natives in tliis nciglibourfiood 

 are, like others, greatly interested in its wel- 

 fare, and several haxc jocurarlv remarked that 

 tliere's no knowing v.liether it ma,v not ulti- 

 mately entice a herd of the "government 

 Cattle" (i.e., wildelbeasite) , on to the moun- 



tain, and thus give them an opportunity ol 

 domesticating them ! 



A. li. K. TuENBULL, Magistrate. 



UiUSlNUA, 28 th August. — Spring is now 

 rapidly making its appearance since the wel- 

 come rain on the 24th and 25tli, on which 

 date fully two inches were registered. It was 

 sadly needed, as the wliole of the district had 

 become completely dried up, and streams were 

 hardly running. Natives lare now commencing 

 to prepare gardens prior to planting, w hicn 

 should (.ommence in real earnest very shortly. 

 Last sexson crops were very fair, as this dis- 

 trict does not sutler from the ravages of locusts 

 so severely as do the coast districts. This is 

 a matter for congratulation. On the whole 

 the winter has been very mild indeed, and 

 irosts few and far between. The cold rain 

 above meiDtioned was the cause of the death 

 of a great many laiulbs and kids, one farmer 

 alone losing close upon one Jiuiidred kids in a 

 day. Lungsiekne.ss is, it is to be regretted, 

 very rife in this Division, and one cannot turn 

 but for it. A great many herds of cattle are 

 under license by the Stock Inspector. Native 

 cattle have been more fortunat' th.n those 

 ol Europeans. It is a noticeable fact that in 

 this district natives own a great many cattle 

 as compared to natives on the coast. This is 

 especially noticeable south of the Biggarsberg 

 and along the Wasdlrbank and Sunday's Kiver,s. 

 In some instances herds of fifty or si.vty can 

 be seen. They ow n large herds also of goats, 

 which appear to thrive in this part of Natal. 

 Uoats of the Angora species are seen in many 

 herds of nativ&s. It is to be regretted that 

 the crime of cattle stealing or killing is on the 

 increase amongst natives, notwithstanding the 

 stringent measures taken by the authorities 

 in tiieir endeavours to stamp it out. The 

 recent disturbed state of this part of the Col- 

 ony has possibly influenced natives in the com- 

 mitting of this crime. 



Pkbcy V. Es.sEKY, Acting Magistrate. 



The Mealie Market, 



MR. T. HYSLOP, Chairman, Farmers' 

 Association, Howick, in his annual 

 report said : — 



The general opinion is that the mealie 

 crop this year is a record one for the 

 Colony. It is true that, owing to the 

 exceptionally dry season, many farmers 

 in this district have very poor crops, and 

 other districts have not as heavy crojjs as 

 was at one time expected ; on the other 

 hand, the yield both on the coast and 

 up-country has been very good indeed. 

 There seems little doubt but what there 

 are far more mealies in the Colony than 

 are required for local consumption. 



Even last year when the area under 

 cultivation was less, and the crops not so 

 good, the prodiiction was in excess of 

 local requirements. From 1st January 

 to 30th June last, the only part of the 

 year when mealies are ever in short 

 supply, there was exported to the Cape 

 Colony, 4,(;.54,G()'J lbs. ; to the Transvaal, 

 4,373,240 lbs.— total, 9,027,849 lbs. 



As against this there was entered for 

 local consumption during the same period 

 2,780,559 lbs. of imported grain, leaving a 

 balance in favour of exports of 6,247,290 

 lbs. This being so, I may be asked, what 

 became of the large quantities of mealies 



