how a species may disappear*. In South Africa more
than one species of Buck and Antelope is rapidly approaching
the same fate ; and if it would be exaggeration
to say the days, we may safely affirm that the years
of the African Lion are numbered.
There are now five routes for reaching the Transvaal
from South Africa. The first is from Cape Town direct:
m miles. Cape lown to Kimberley (rail) . . . . 647
fKimberley to Fourteen Streams (coach) . 47
Fourteen Streams to Klerksdorp „ . 110
Klerksdorp to Potchefstroom „ . 31
Potchefstroom to Johannesburg „ . 80
Total miles . . 915
This is the quickest and favourite passenger route
from England, and with it we may describe what is
usually a heavy-goods route, and by way of Port
Elizabeth:
inilos
Port Elizabeth to Kimberley (rail). . . 485*
Coach journey as detailed in Cape route .268
Total miles . .753
The next route via Bloemfontein from Port Elizabeth,
recently opened, is now being pushed to the Vaal River
to meet the connection from Johannesburg; but before
this can be done nearly a dozen either large rivers or
spruits^] have to be bridged over :
miles. Port Elizabeth to Colesberg (rail) . . . 305
Colesberg to Norval’s Pont (Orange River) 23
Norval’s Pont to Bloemfontein (rail) . . 1 2 1
Bloemfontein to Johannesburg (coach) . 250
Total miles . .699
* In ‘Nature/ vol. xlii. p. 520, Dr. Sclater has written on this matter and
figured both the heads of R. simus and the common species It. bicomis.
r.a'^ .n0A. ex^ell(ts to Vryburg, by which the amount of coash-
travelling is diminished.
t A “ spruit ” is a small stream or rivulet.
The East London line via Aliwal North to Johannesburg
is the least used :
miles.
East London to Aliwal North (rail) . . 280
Aliwal North to Johannesburg (coach) . 320
Total miles . . 600
The Natal, and the most pleasant, route is by way of
Durban :
miles.
Durban (Point) to Charlestown (rail) . .304
Charlestown to Johannesburg (coach) say 130
Total miles . . 434
The last way the Transvaal may be approached is viâ
Delagoa Bay:
miles.
Delagoa Bay to Moveni (rail) . . . . 62
Moveni to Barberton (coach) . . . . 98
Barberton to Pretoria (coach) . . . . 167
Pretoria to Johannesburg (coach) . . . 32
Total miles . . 359*
I had business to transact at both Cape Town and
Durban, so necessarily approached the Transvaal through
Natal. The voyage between Cape Town and Durban,
calling at MosselBay, Port Elizabeth, and East London,
occupied a week. -We reached Mossel Bay on Sunday
morning, and the church service, which on previous
Sundays had seemed to have been of very strict observance,
was now suspended for the important operation
of discharging cargo. Port Elizabeth has no claim
to beauty, but possesses an exceedingly healthy climate,
is renowned for having the most genial and hospitable
community in South Africa, can justly be proud of its
* The accuracy of these figures can be relied upon, and they are extracted
statistics specially prepared for the ‘ Johannesburg Standard and
Digger s News/ by D. C. Stevens.