. A naturalist in the Transvaal. rched for the orthopterous insectswhich now almost daily became more plentiful, whilstthe Widow-bird (Chera proyne) had now again deve-loped its long tail-feathers for the breeding-season, andfrequented the long sedgy grasses that grew on themarshy portions of the veld. These long tail-feathersappear to offer a direct hindrance to flight, and thebirds always seemed to proceed with difficulty and greatencumbrance, like a Court Lady dragging a heavytrain. Nature frequently reminds mankind of her forces, andshe did so with these heavy rains : small spruits becamet
. A naturalist in the Transvaal. rched for the orthopterous insectswhich now almost daily became more plentiful, whilstthe Widow-bird (Chera proyne) had now again deve-loped its long tail-feathers for the breeding-season, andfrequented the long sedgy grasses that grew on themarshy portions of the veld. These long tail-feathersappear to offer a direct hindrance to flight, and thebirds always seemed to proceed with difficulty and greatencumbrance, like a Court Lady dragging a heavytrain. Nature frequently reminds mankind of her forces, andshe did so with these heavy rains : small spruits becametorrents, and insignificant rivers raging floods. As usual,accounts slowly came into Pretoria—-for it is the presswhich allows civilized man to rise above tradition andhearsay, and newspapers give to prosaic life the romanceof current history. The Six-mile Spruit, a streamthrough which the coaches drive, and at a distance fromPretoria which its name specifies, came down with asuddenness that has made it famous among the streams. PHASES OF NATURE ABOUND PRETORIA. 53 of the Transvaal. It came down with such force, witha quantity of water so enormous, and so swiftly, thatupwards of a hundred oxen that were feeding on thebanks of the river were swept aw^ay and , which were estimated at about 150, werefound when the waters subsided, either washed out onthe banks or stuck in trees at the turns of the river,so that the Kafirs and vultures had an opportunity forhigh banquet. But besides oxen numerous Kafirs, mostlycattle-herds, were swept away by the flood ; bodies wereseen floating down the stream, and others were foundon the banks. A buck-wagon with a span of eightmules and two horses arrived at the spruit towardsevening. No sooner did the wagon reach the middleof the stream than it was completely turned upsidedown and swept away, and the bodies of the mules andhorses were found the following day entangled in theharness. A heavy hailstorm passed along the valley oft
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