ury. The Kaffirs take some fine fish by spearing. When the tide is
half out, there is a long level sand on the left of the bay, with about
three feet of water on it. The Kaffirs form themselves into a half-moon
shaped line, each with two or three barbed assagies; they keep about ten
yards apart and walk slowly along. Should a fish of any size be seen a
signal is given, and the outsiders rush round so as to enclose the
victim, the others showering their spears at him. He seldom escapes
them, as these fellows make capital shots at forty yards. I often
bought a heavy cargo of fish from these fishermen, as much as I could
carry, for sixpence, or, what they much prefer, a couple of sticks of
tobacco.

There is a great excitement in the sea-fishing, a title that may be
given to the sport in this bay, for one never knows what is coming up
when there is a bite--fish of the most ridiculous shapes, and beautiful
colours, and all sizes,--now a small rock-cod, then a large parrot-fish;
again a tremendous tug at your thick line, and away it flies, with no
chance of holding or staying it--some monster has carried off
everything. A gallant friend of mine, who was not very careful in the
arrangement of his tackle, was near meeting with an accident here. A
bite and tug, such as I have mentioned, pulled the line out of his hand,
and it flew over the side at the rate of twenty miles an hour. I saw
that he had a coil of the line round his body, and had just time, by
snatching up a knife, to cut the line, when the whole piece was carried
overboard. It must have been a ground-shark or some such monster. My
friend would in another instant have been dragged overboard or cut in
two, as the line was nearly as thick as my finger, therefore too strong
to break before it would have seriously damaged him.

Shoals of porpoises frequently played about in the surf, close to the
shore, and good bullet practice might be had at them.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

STEEPLE-CHASE AT D'URBAN--THE LAST DAY'S SPORT--THE BAR AT NATAL--REACH
TABLE BAY--IMPERTINENT "PIKE"-KEEPER--CHASED BY A POLICEMAN--DISHONEST
AUCTIONEER--SAINT HELENA--TURTLE-CATCHING--WATERSPOUTS--CINTRA--LISBON--
BEST WEAPONS FOR THE BUSH--EXTRA GUN-STOCKS NECESSARY--RECOMMENDATION TO
"USED-UP" INDIVIDUALS.

A short time before I left D'Urban we had some races on the flat. The
horses were not quite equal to those seen at Newmarket; but still, where
time is not much noted by the watc