s.
Great lumps of ice, all of the same shape, but of various sizes, began
to rain out of the sky. The shape was that of a full-blown rose; it
suggested that each had been formed in a tiny vortex-mould. Some of the
lumps measured four inches across. Dr. Egan, at the Grey Hospital,
secured one monster which weighed a pound and three-quarters.

The throbbing roar heralding the approaching hail cataract was a thing
never to be forgotten. I heard of no fatalities among human beings, but
a flock of sheep was wiped out at a spot where the storm concentrated.
This happened on a high, abrupt hill about twenty miles away.

In those days streams such as the Kat, the Koonap, the Buffalo, and the
Keiskamma were really rivers; often they foamed down in mighty brown
torrents. As there were no bridges, except the occasional military,
ones, post carts would often be delayed for days at a time, and one's
letters would sometimes arrive more or less in a state of pulp. The
whole country was covered with rank vegetation up to June, when nearly
all the grass would be burnt off. It is to the cessation of this
immemorial practice one noted by, all the voyagers along the south-east
coast that I attribute the enormous increase of the tick pest.

One of my favorite diversions, when the Buffalo was in flood, was to
ride to a spot near the upper end of the town and there strip. I would
tie my clothes into a bundle and entrust them, with my pony, to another
boy. Then I would jump into the river and allow myself to be carried
down by the torrent. All one had to do was to keep well in the middle
of the stream and avoid contact with occasional uprooted trees.

Once or twice I found myself, when thus swimming, unpleasantly close to
puff-adders and other snakes which had been washed by the flood out of
their hiding-places in the holes piercing the river-banks. But such
reptiles were always too much stiffened by the cold water to be capable
of doing any injury.

Meanwhile the boy, with my clothes and the pony, would be waiting for
me at a stated spot some distance below the wool-washing yards to the
south-east of the town. I should not now care to venture on such an
excursion.

CHAPTER IV

Trip to the Transkei--Tiyo Soga and his family--Trip to the seaside--The
Fynns--Wild dogs--Start as a sheep farmer--My camp burnt out--First
commercial adventure--Chief Sandile--Discovery of diamonds--Start for
Golconda--Traveling companions--Manslaughter na