356 Mr, T. E. Buckley on Birds observed 
spanning” bullocks, we, with our white driver, an Englishman, 
pushed on by ourselves. At the foot of the Berg, as the 
Drakenberg is generally called, we found a small Kafir boy, 
who had run away from a Dutchman; him we pressed into 
our service, crossed the ridge, and soon after entered the 
Transvaal. Here we unfortunately lost our bullocks for 
eight days; and as we were out of the game-country, and there 
were very few birds indeed, our situation was by no means 
enviable; fuel, which consisted of dried bullock-dung, was 
scarce, and the nights piercingly cold, accompanied by frost 
and ice. During this time we had offered a reward for the 
oxen; and one evening, to our intense delight, they made their 
appearance, and we soon left the scene of our misfortunes be¬ 
hind. In two or three days, during which time we did a 
little shooting, we crossed the Vaai river at a place called 
Standees Drift, and at length, on the 28th of June, reached 
Pretoria, the capital of Transvaal, without further mishap 
than the loss of four bullocks, and one stick-fast, when we 
had to “ off-load” the waggon. 
The part of the Transvaal through which we had travelled, 
is what is called the High Veldt;” it is an undulating plain,, 
in the summer covered with grass, but no trees, except a few 
that have been planted round the farm-houses; but once having 
passed Pretoria you enter the bush. We left that town on 
the night of the 30th of June, crossed the Limpopo, or rather 
the Crocodile (as it does not rejoice in the name of Limpopo 
until after it is joined by the Marico), and took a north¬ 
westerly direction across the Pilansberg until we again 
joined the Crocodile river; we soon after crossed the Marico, 
a small river with very sloping banks, and altogether an ex¬ 
tremely bad drift for waggons, followed the Limpopo for 
about two more days, and then, leaving the river, steered for 
Bamangwato, which we reached towards the end of July.. 
Here we stayed for a few days, getting fresh bullocks and 
laying in some necessary stores, and again set out in the first 
week in August for the Matabili country. We had at first 
intended to go to Lake hPgami; but we found at Baman¬ 
gwato that, on account of the want of water, with our tired 
