artebeestes in
this neighbourhood, but I was not fortunate enough to come across them.
Our commissariat was occasionally supplemented by a delicious bird,
about the size of a pheasant, called the kooran, as well as by a few
pheasants, partridges, and guinea fowls.

One afternoon we were exposed to a thrilling adventure, which, but for
the merciful interposition of Providence, might have terminated in a
most disastrous way. Suddenly, as we were driving along the road,
through a dense wood, we discovered to the right of us the light of an
immense bush fire. It was careering wildly along, fiercely burning, and
sweeping everything before it. We saw it was coming swiftly towards the
road we were travelling. We pulled up the horses, and taking out lucifer
matches, jumped off the wagon, and tried to set alight to the grass,
which was about five or six feet high, and very dry, close by us, in
order to secure a clear open space around us. But it was too late. The
fierce fire, to the height of several feet, was rushing and crashing
through the wood furiously towards us. Another moment, and we should
have been within its terrible grasp, and wagon, horses, and ourselves
infallibly burnt. It was in truth an awful crisis. We jumped back into
the wagon and pushed frantically forward. Showers of sparks were already
in the road. But, fortunately, the fire, which for a full half mile was
burning behind us, was only a short distance in front of us, and, thank
God, we happily escaped.

One of the great advantages I have derived from my tour is, that I have
had many opportunities of communicating personally with so many men of
different races, and all classes--British, Dutch, and natives.

During my present journey I had a most interesting conversation one
morning with a transport driver, who was travelling by the northern
part of the Transvaal, with three hundred lean cattle from the Cape
Colony into Bechuanaland. He gave me some very valuable and important
information with regard to Colonial feeling in the country districts of
the Cape Colony. He was Colonial born, and a fine, handsome man of about
forty--a descendant of the Scotch farmers, who emigrated to the Cape in
1820. His conversation impressed me much. He told me that the Colonists
generally are loyal to the Queen to the backbone; but not to the British
Government, which they consider has not represented their feelings and
opinions, and has sacrificed their interests. They disli