Simon's town. ' 33 
brown sandy bays, render a temporary sojourn here 
very delightful. We remained at the Cape during 
the whole of the month of April, and found the 
weather, on the whole, fine, though occasionally 
somewhat stormy. 
One of the authors most lamentable failings is 
O 
a weakness for lieetles ; and, as some of mf lady 
readers may wish to know what attraction there 
is in the pursuit of creatures to them so very unin- 
viting, I will beg them to accompany me in a 
* • 
three-days' beetle hunt; 
On landing at Simon’s Town almost the first 
beetle you see in passing through the Dockyard, is 
a little brown, flat-backed stranger brought over in 
the sugar-bags from the Mauritius (Tragosita mau- 
ritiana). Passing through the town we just loitered 
. to purchase some huge buuches of luscious grapes 
from Pvachel, the pretty fruiterer, and sallied forth 
rejoicing, to plunge at once among the Proteas 
which clothed the sides of glorious old Simonsbero’ 
Here, following the example of the long-tailed, 
gaudy-hued honeysuckers (also partial to beetles), 
n 
