and prevented my bodily feelings from giving way to the powers of
climate.
At this place my Ornithological collection received the addition
of several new birds, and I here met with, for the first time, an interesting
species of Reed Sparrow *, inhabiting the reeds by the river“
side; where, though its sweet warbling notes betrayed its haunt, it
was not always easy to get a sight of it.
I here obtained the only species of Plotus, found during my
travels. It was called by the Hottentots, Duyker (Diver), from a
wonderful faculty it possesses, of swimming beneath the water; and
this I was assured it can do for the space of fifty yards or more..
That beautiful bird the Lanins atro-coccineus was frequently seen
here, and the Turdm nitens was not rare. A new species of Finch,
with a scarlet beak, was first procured at this spot; but was afterwards
found within the colony. In the males, the four intermediate
feathers of the tail were very, long, and had their sides folded together,
so that one feather sheathed the other.
Lanins forjicatus? inhabits the woods ; and is altogether a remarkable
bird, and easily known by its forked tail and black color, f
I have several times witnessed instances of its boldness, which surprized
me. Whenever hawks, or ravens, approached its nest, this
bird flew out upon them with incredible fury; and, with a harsh
angry noise, drove them away, actually attacking in the rear, and
pursuing them to a considerable distance. That a bird of this size
should have the courage to attack another, so many times larger,
and that one even a hawk, the terror of the smaller race, was a singular
fact, but not more extraordinary than the evident fear and
precipitation with which its enemy hastened to get out of its reach.
\Qth. Since our arrival at this station, a party of Koras, attracted
by our provisions, had taken up their abode with us. This morning,
* Curruca (Sylvia) — XtlsabeUe, Ois. d’Afr. pi. 121. f. 2.
+ This seems to be the Drongo of Le Vaill. Oiseaux d’Afrique, pi. 166.; and there
would be little doubt of it, if in this bird there could have been found any appearance of
a crest: but nothing of the kind was here remarked in either sex.
one of them struck a Geelvisch, (Yellow fish)*: and I borrowed it of
him to finish the colouring of a drawing made at the Sack river. As.
soon as this was done, I called him to the waggon, to take his fish again;
when, catching a sight of the drawing, he was in an instant struck
with a most laughable degree of astbnishment, and for a minute
stood literally dumb with wonder ; gazing at it with mouth and eyes
wide open. At last, without taking off his eyes from the object, he
called aloud to his companions to come and see. The astonishment
now became general, a crowd gathered round, and their various
modes of expressing surprise were highly entertaining. None
having ever imagined the possibility that objects could be so imitated
by art as to exhibit the color and appearance of life, they
seemed to believe that it had been done by magic; while others,
supposing it to be the fish itself, fastened upon the paper, enquired
where was the wound where it had been struck. Nothing could be
more amusing than the curious look of incredulity and amazement
exhibited in their countenances, when they beheld the back of the
drawing, and felt the thinness of what they had thought to be a
solid fish. There was but one way in which the mystery could be
cleared up to them ; and but one mode of explanation which could
be rendered at all comprehensible to their simple minds: I showed
thein the colors and pencils; and in their presence laid some of
the same tint on a piece of paper. After this they all retired satisfied
and greatly pleased; and continued for a long while talking
with each other on the wonder they had just seen; and possibly in
such a manner, the acquisition of ideas perfectly new, might excite
in them for the time at least, an encreased activity in the faculty of
consideration, and reflection.
11th. By a trigonometrical measurement, I ascertained the
mean breadth of the Yellow River at this spot, which is just below the
mouth of the Maap, to be seven hundred and forty-five feet; being
* Oyprinus aeneiis.
3 L