Page:Seven Years in South Africa v1.djvu/490

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412
Seven Years in South Africa.

the chain of the Dwars hills. To the pass by which we crossed these heights, I gave the name of “Schweinfurth’s Pass,” whilst the next one, further to the west, I called “Rohlf’s Pass.” From the top of the hills we could see the first of the farms on the plain; on reaching the bottom, we met a Boer migrating into the Damara country.

It was satisfactory, on arriving at Brackfontein Farm, to find that its owner was a smith, and able to repair our broken waggon. His two sons asked me to join them on a hunting excursion, but I did not feel myself sufficiently convalescent to accept their invitation, although the abundance of game in the locality made it very enticing. In the densely-wooded parts of the Dwars mountains there were gazelles and koodoo-antelopes, and in the more open parts at the base, and on the eastern and southern grass-plains were both kinds of gnus, zebras, and springbocks; other antelopes and ostriches were likewise occasionally to be seen.

When I left Brackfontein on the 12th, I turned to the south, crossing the Bushveldt, in order to reach Linokana, the native town in the Marico highlands.

Without entering into a minute description of the Bushveldt, I may here simply mention that it is a wooded hill-country, consisting of low ridges, sandy eminences, and isolated peaks, the soil being covered with rich grass.

I left the district by the Buisport or Buispass, passing the Markfontein, Sandfontem, and Witfontein farms. Zwart, the owner of the first of these,