They would prefer being under the British Government direct, in spite of all its terrible mistakes and mishaps, from which they have so cruelly suffered.  My informant’s opinion was, that the present policy of the administration in Bechuanaland is not conducive to encourage emigration, as it puts artificial impediments in the way of farmers with small means settling there, which, he thought, they would do in crowds from the Colony, if they were allowed to do so on paying a quit rent, say of L10 or L15 per annum, instead of the high terms of L40 demanded at present.  He had a very high opinion of Bechuanaland as a cattle-grazing country.

The Waterburg warm sulphur baths—­to which I paid a visit, taking a hot bath myself, which was certainly much too hot for me, but which was otherwise refreshing, after nearly a fortnight’s residence on the veldt, where there is a decided scarcity of water, both for drinking and washing purposes—­are situated about seventy miles north of Pretoria.  They are extensively patronised by the Boers, and are said to be most efficacious in every variety of rheumatic and gouty complaints.  They are strongly impregnated with sulphur, and might be made very attractive in the hands of anyone of enterprise, who would construct a suitable establishment of baths, fit for patients who would be quite ready to pay handsomely for them, instead of the miserably primitive and wretched receptacles, called baths, into which the highly excellent natural sulphur water is conveyed, and used by the motley crowd of invalids I saw there.

From the Waterburg warm baths our route lay to the southward, across the Springbok Flats, to the Nylstroom road, along which, in two days more, we accomplished the intervening distance of about seventy miles back to Pretoria, thus concluding a most interesting and instructive journey into the northern part of the Transvaal.  During all this time, with the exception of the first night, I lived entirely in our wagon, sleeping in it every night, and having every meal (which consisted principally of the game we shot on the way), cooked at the various camp fires kindled on the veldt, and drinking nothing but tea.  I saw much, of course, of the Kafirs in their kraals, as well as of the Boers in their tents and wagons, in my trek through this wilderness.

[Illustration:  Decorative]

[Illustration:  Decorative]

PRETORIA TO NATAL.

After reaching Pretoria, I stayed only two days there, engaged in bidding farewell to my numerous friends, and making preparations for my next long journey into Natal.  I left Pretoria for Johannesburg by coach, on the 1st of August, and started from the latter town at five o’clock in the morning of the 3rd, in very cold weather and pitch dark, by the post cart.  This most uncomfortable vehicle is a kind of wagonette, with somewhat dilapidated canvas curtains, through which the wind whistled most unpleasantly, being utterly