The satisfaction with which I am enabled to record these two principal results of my journey more than repay all the risk and trouble with which it was accompanied.
In conclusion, in order not to make the book too dry for the general reader, I have put into an appendix description of the fauna and flora of the Kalahari, together with a key to the accompanying map.
G. A. FARINI.
March, 1886.
CONTENTS.
PAGE
Introduction..................................................................................v
CHAPTER I.
By rail from Cape Town —Over the hills—Drought in the Great Karroo—No rain for three years—An ostrich farm—A well-built railway—The Orange River terminus—Close packing—Crossing the Orange River—Team-driving in South Africa—”Det es nie hotel nie”—Froude’s “Honest Boer”—An oasis—Disappointing “mine host”—Fording the Mud River—Tin-can houses—”Tin Town,” alias Kim-
| berley ................................................................................................1 |
CHAPTER II.
Laying in stock—The story of the first diamond—How the mine was discovered—Shady customers—Cheating the revenue—”Diamond cut diamond”—Welcoming the ladies—The “I.D.B.”—Bubble companies—Evils of the detective sys-
| tem—Martyrs to civilization……………………..…………………………..……..17 |
CHAPTER III.
The blasting of the blue—Down the crater—Searching the blacks—The washing-grounds—How the diamonds are un- earthed—The sorting-tables—Judging the weight of a stone—Who are the diamond thieves?—Life in Kimber- ley—Its climate and its moral atmosphere—The mining
| pioneer………………………….……………………………………………………..…30 |
Contents.
PAGE
CHAPTER IV.
A dangerous experiment—A mimic volcano in eruption—Pack- ing up—Starting for the Kalahari—A Bastard encamp- ment—A big bag of partridges—Making friends with the Boers—A good investment—A South African Crusoe—
| “Lots of trees”—A massacre of the innocents………………………………….42 |
CHAPTER V.
Something like a hot day—How it rains in South Africa—Our first antelope—At Campbell—An aged Griqua chieftainess —Mr. Bartlett’s garden—”Born Tired”—A talk with Mr. Virtue—Farmers’ troubles in South Africa—Shooting a koran—After the spring-bok—Sunday morning at Griqua Town—A Boer’s homestead—Interviewing the Commis- sioner—The ex-Chief of the Griquas—We visit the “oldest
| inhabitant “ —The country drying up…………………………….………………55 |
CHAPTER VI.
Killing two stein-bok at one shot—The “Honest Boer “ again —Reinforcements—Dining à la Bastard—Watering at Abram’s Dam—Jan is lost—Stuck fast in the sand—A terrible road—Water at last—A “creamery” at Kheis— How to harness an ox-team—Police duty in Korannaland On the verge of the Kalahari—Oxen v. mules—An ungrate-
| ful mule—Kert among his relations.....………….………………………..……..79 |
CHAPTER VII.
A Bastard’s family—A Bushman’s tent—Jan returns half dead —The story of his adventure—Botanizing in the desert— The sama, or wild water-melon—Bushman’s rice—A bonne- bouche—Collecting insects—Stuck in a sandhill—A dream of Golconda—Searching for diamonds—Shooting pheasants and wild geese—Latest Paris fashions—Nature’s dress-im- prover—A Mantalini of the desert—A primitive pumping-
| engine—A parti-coloured family………………….………………………………..99 |
Contents.
PAGE
CHAPTER VIII.
Jan gets into trouble—My best horse is drowned—Hurrah for life on the desert!—Stuck again!—Swapping mules for oxen—News from Khartoum—A “clever” trader—Riding on Ox-back—A visit from the Hill Bushmen—A sculptured cave—A native dance and concert—Hunting and eating the hyena—A day among the wild fowl—A floral “desert” —Digging for water—We organize a big hunt—Chasing an ostrich I lose my way—A supper of ostrich-meat—A
| night in the desert with Death for a bed fellow………………..…………….117 |
CHAPTER IX.
Lost on the desert—Death from starvation and fatigue—Eating a poisonous root—The agonies of death—A prey to wild beasts—I am given up for dead—A funeral procession—A runaway knock at death’s door—Milk-and-water—Cafe à la Kalahari—Delicious water—Grass and sama in plenty —Kuis—The chief “Make Haste”—An extortionate chief —Adventures of a desert trader—I enter into partnership
| with two Bastard hunters—How to cook sama…….………………………..137 |
CHAPTER X.
Lion’s spoor—Kert astonishes the natives—Making a night kraal—A novel manger—A grass- covered “desert”—Col- lecting grass-seeds—A herd of gems-bok attacked by lions —Dirk and Klas run away—In pursuit of Leo—A narrow escape—We find the lion impaled on the gems-bok’s horns —Skinning our booty—A lonely night-watch—A strange
| intruder—I am called on a mysterious errand………….……………………153 |
CHAPTER XI.
Rescuing a dying man—The sick German tells his story—Trea- cherous Hottentots—Left to die on the desert—The ever- lasting sama—A wilderness of beautiful flowers—Spring-
Contents.
PAGE
bok bewitched—Taking stock—A sea of grass—A night alarm—A visit from a party of Bechuana traders—A fan-
