f the bloom, and the sight of the green
and golden fruit--in Durban you will see all three on the tree
together--I daresay it is a pleasant place enough, for we have few
mosquitos here on the Berea, unless there happens to come an unusually
heavy rain.

Well, to get on--for if I do not, Harry, you will be tired of my story
before ever we fetch up at Suliman's Mountains--having once made up my
mind to go I set about making the necessary preparations. First I
secured the deed from Sir Henry, providing for you, my boy, in case of
accidents. There was some difficulty about its legal execution, as Sir
Henry was a stranger here, and the property to be charged is over the
water; but it was ultimately got over with the help of a lawyer, who
charged L20 for the job--a price that I thought outrageous. Then I
pocketed my cheque for L500.

Having paid this tribute to my bump of caution, I purchased a wagon and
a span of oxen on Sir Henry's behalf, and beauties they were. It was a
twenty-two-foot wagon with iron axles, very strong, very light, and
built throughout of stink wood; not quite a new one, having been to the
Diamond Fields and back, but, in my opinion, all the better for that,
for I could see that the wood was well seasoned. If anything is going
to give in a wagon, or if there is green wood in it, it will show out
on the first trip. This particular vehicle was what we call a
"half-tented" wagon, that is to say, only covered in over the after
twelve feet, leaving all the front part free for the necessaries we had
to carry with us. In this after part were a hide "cartle," or bed, on
which two people could sleep, also racks for rifles, and many other
little conveniences. I gave L125 for it, and think that it was cheap at
the price.

Then I bought a beautiful team of twenty Zulu oxen, which I had kept my
eye on for a year or two. Sixteen oxen is the usual number for a team,
but I took four extra to allow for casualties. These Zulu cattle are
small and light, not more than half the size of the Africander oxen,
which are generally used for transport purposes; but they will live
where the Africanders would starve, and with a moderate load can make
five miles a day better going, being quicker and not so liable to
become footsore. What is more, this lot were thoroughly "salted," that
is, they had worked all over South Africa, and so had become proof,
comparatively speaking, against red water, which so frequently destroys
whole