The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-02-27
WATER is PRECIOUS
The Story Of a Transit Across the
Desert of KarroO.

1865 W~NN 49,
the vineyards and maize fields, and had
now reached the edge of the desert known
as the Karroo. The site Is marked on
the map Of South Africa as beginning
beyond the range Of the great Zwarte
BLACK mountains).
The entrance to the Karroo is through
q small gorge about a quarter of a mile
long and twenty yards wide, with abrupt
walls Of stone on either side, which seems
to indicate that at some former period a
stream of water had passed out through
this gorge from q lake whose bed is now
an arid desert. The distance across the
desert to the point we wished to reach
was 100 miles, which we wished to ao-
complish in three days. 1t was neces-
sary to be careful of our horses, know
ing there was no water on the journey
for them. We hoped to do forty miles
the first day, and thirty miles each day
of the two following. We entered the
Karroo Poort (Karroo Gate at sunrise,
and set out on our hazardous journey.
I should state that we had stopped over
night at q last farmhouse near the Poort,
to give our horses rest and a good feed,
and to supply ourselves with forage for
them and water for ourselves, filing
every available vessel with the precious
fluid. Our conveyance was a light
though strongly built cape cart, ON oc-
casion covered with a canvas hood 10
protect us from the suns rays, and there
were four Of us. No one can set out
upon a desert journey without mingled
emotions OF hope and fear, there are so
many contingencies lying along those
weary roads, and roads rendered more
desolate by the bleaching bones of dead
animals-for often the willing beasts,
the horses and oxen, fall with fatigue,
and see with dying gaze the keen eyed
vultures swooping from afar.
AS we entered the desert it spread be-
fore us on every side like a boundless
brown sea, silent, solitary and vast. AS
the sun rose into the sky the warmth be-
came intense, and when by midday we
halted we could see the heat rising from
the scorched plains in the wavy columns
like golden flames. There is no greater
alleviator Of thirst than cold tea, and no
safer stimulant in a torrid land. While
the horses were being Embarrassed and
fed Meadows and I prepared our midday
meal. In three hours we broke up camp,
and went on again until the day was
Ill
There was neither t,aa nor mountain
IN s;obt. notbing a. h,.a.k tha lavol mo-
notonv that stretched as far as tba ave
conld see We enoamned for + ~n;cbt
in the midst Of this swelling loneliness
and hen narbans for the frsf time haoan
t. fool lis mower. We snert tl,e last hon.
before shutdown IN c%,,tting and aat,erina
4 quantity az br1shwood 1Kar,oo sbr,,b
tba onIv tb;ng tbot oro,vs ,,,o, tbosa
nla;ns1 70 fea6 . pocassarv fro - nrotaot
ia from tba wolves and ;achaIs which
sco,, tba desart a nacks
Ate, s,pnar we mt away o,r tin
a;sbas ranlan;shed o,,r hi, Arc pvrannad
ourselves s. ~, mos and Law down vitl,
orr weapon bv our sides and orr feet to
tbe Are
Adolph and Wilhelm AIoritz. hannv
Dutchmen. were soon asleep: Meadows
and T Law chatting for some time then
relanse6 into u,,istness. The deer, ana
strange silence that surrounded lis bro
ken only by the stir Of the horses tied to
the wagonpole. The singular sensation
Of living in this noiseless desert drove
sleep from nav ewes. and / Law awake q
long time after George Meadows had
fallen asleep. suddenly there came into
the dead silence a long. sharp piercing
cry. answered by another in the onnosite
direction. Equally distant: these we're
the cries Of iackals.
Then camethe hark Of q vole answered.
by 4 chorus. ana Meadows suddenly rose
into 4 sitting nosition. srh br,1tes are
eoming,n he exclaimed. Instantly . HIM.
dred throats seemed 70 be baving info
the darl,ness dragino nearer and nearer
until we conl,l see. surrounding IA like !
circle of Are. the sointillation Of red eves
The scene was now become one Of start
limo realitv-all about rs the dense dark-
ness. lighted only. and IN 4 manner made
more n~ercentibie. by the ravs Of tbe
GLOWING hr,,shwood e,nhers. in oil d;rac-
tions about MS the glare Of shining ewes
and now the brutes came so near that we
could hear the angry snarls and the
Swapping Of their laws.
GEORGE Meadows rose and threw fresh
fuel on the FIRE: the fame that crackled
and flashed up brought into view he
shaggy forms Of the gray wolves. the