CHAP. VIII. 
FLOCKS OF BEAUTIFUL ANTELOPES. 
211 
the acquaintance of the esteemed clergyman of the Dutch 
Deformed Church, Mr. Murray, and his excellent family. 
During the remainder of the week we travelled through 
the rocky passes of the Sneuwberg mountains, and over a suc¬ 
cession of plains descending towards the boundary of the 
colony. The roads during the first part of the journey were 
unusually bad, lying along mountain gorges, and loose, broken, 
rocky ground, often intersected by deep gullies or water¬ 
courses, in one of which we passed a loaded waggon set fast 
and broken. The weather was also exceedingly cold, with 
occasional storms of thunder, lightning, and rain amongst the 
mountains, which, though they appeared to us of consider¬ 
able size and height, were only the peaks and summits of the 
Sneuwberg as seen from the plains below. On the second 
day we passed through a flight of locusts of considerable 
extent, and so numerous, that, except in colour, they resem¬ 
bled a thickly falling snow-storm. At first our horses were 
much excited, and disposed to wheel about, but afterwards, 
though uneasy, they were kept on their way. We succeeded 
in obtaining provender at the few farm-houses which we 
passed, and generally halted for the night where water was 
to be obtained, cooking our evening meal by starlight on 
the roadside, and sleeping in the waggon. Our plan was to 
start by daylight, to halt during the heat of the day, and to 
journey late in the evening. 
On the morning of the third day, having descended from 
the mountain heights, we saw, as the morning mist cleared 
away, vast herds of spring-boks. Antilope euchore, a species 
of antelope, beautifully formed, and graceful in all its move¬ 
ments. Besides these, there were herds of gnus. Antilope 
gnu , feeding in the plains on either side of us; with numbers 
of tall birds, the Anthropoides Stanley anus, or Caffre crane. 
The gnus were not a quarter of a mile before us, and con¬ 
tinued quietly grazing until we were within two or three hun- 
