That You May Duly Appreciate Such A Feat Of Valour
And Activity, I Will Inform You That Their English Name Is
'tortoise'.
On the strength of this effort, we drank a bottle of
beer, as it was very hot and sandy; and our Malay was a WET enough
Mussulman to take his full share in a modest way, though he
declined wine or 'Cape smoke Soopjes' (drams) with aversion.
No
sooner had we got under weigh again, than Sabaal pulled up and
said, 'There ARE the Baviaans Missis want to see!' and so they
were. At some distance by the river was a great brute, bigger than
a Newfoundland dog, stalking along with the hideous baboon walk,
and tail vehemently cocked up; a troop followed at a distance,
hiding and dodging among the palmiets. They were evidently en
route to rob a garden close to them, and had sent a great stout
fellow ahead to reconnoitre. 'He see Missis, and feel sure she not
got a gun; if man come on horseback, you see 'em run like devil.'
We had not that pleasure, and left them, on felonious thoughts
intent.
The road got more and more beautiful as we neared Worcester, and
the mountains grew higher and craggier. Presently, a huge bird,
like a stork on the wing, pounced down close by us. He was a
secretary-bird, and had caught sight of a snake. We passed 'Brant
Vley' (burnt or hot spring), where sulphur-water bubbles up in a
basin some thirty feet across and ten or twelve deep.
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