Author Description

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1881 Excerpt:...an elephant if disturbed, and that even a tiger is very loth to tackle one. They go straight ahead, which makes the riding all the more fun, and if they come to a big nullah, when pressed, they simply tumble down and up the other side, though it is wonderful how they can jump without any apparent exertion. The "squeakers" are funny little things, striped; I meant to have stuck one for the pot, but was too engrossed with their elders. We went down twice by trolly along the line, and Pietermaritzburg, Natal, February 12th. Dear Sir, Thinking a short account of our journey up country might interest some of the readers of the "Rossallian," I send you a short account. I had, unfortunately, to come out here for my health, with my brother, H. K. Bather. We started up country on the 14th of January, 1881, in our waggon, which is like a gipsy's van, drawn by six oxen. We had to go up the town hill, which is seven miles to the top. The first night we outspanned at Howich, a lot of troops encamped out close to us. As there are very few bridges over any of the rivers, if they are at all full they are impassable sometimes for more than a week. As I was not able to do any work, my brother had to do it. We had to do all the cooking and baking, ourselves; when we made bread in the Free State, we baked in an ant-heap, which makes a splendid oven. The best way of going about was with your trousers tucked up to your knees, and without shoes and stockings. When we had got as far as Harrismith, we turned back, as we heard it was dangerous on account of the Boers to go on; so we went over the Drackensberg again, which is the boundary between Natal and the Free State. We outspanned by a river, and caught a few fish, and killed a wild duck. We joined some trans...