The Philipsburg mail. [volume] (Philipsburg, Mont.) 1887-current, 1894-03-22
FROM SOUYHAFR[CH
A Former Philipsburger's
Interesting Letter. Y
A TRIP TO THE MATABELELAND
An Entertaining Write-up of John
. jarvis Journey Toward the Heart
Of the dark Contipent"-In Sir
CELL Rhodes Domain-Many
Interesting, Occurrences.

LIE KoPJE, Salisbury, MashonAland
\ Oct. 4, 1893.--Jim Baker and I. arrived
here on Tuesday, the 10th Of September
1 after three months journey by wagor
and three days torture on the stage coach
We left Johannesburg on June 10Th; or
the 18th one OF the party had to be sent
| back as he had two fits. and we were
afraid he might die on the road. We
reached Pretoria on the 10Th. Pretoria
is nice town. Streams Of water run
down. each street and the town Is Aanked
with gums and weeping willows. They
have fine government building which
has been built since the gold; fields have
been discovered and paid for out of the
pockets Of the "nitlander" who has to
pay the most if not all of the taxes.
For several days we were continually
getting stuck in the streams, but were
helped out by some Dutchmen who were
travelling the same road as. far as
Petersburg. We did not have enough
oxen. The usual, span is 16y,while we
only had TO-
After we got clear away from the towns
we got small game, consisting Of part
ridges five kinds) pheasanta 1.-TWO kinds),
howron (two kinds), hares, lowrys, blue
pigeons, doves, dek kop (tbick head), a
sort OF marsh bird, plover, guinea fowl
and heron. We only got two buck a
reedbuck IN the Transvaal and stems
bork in Matabeleland. . A wildcat weighs
ling 18 pounds and wolf were killed in
| IMashonaland.
| We did not get any guinea fowl until
we were close to. the Limpopo or Croco-
dile river. So many people have, been
coming up that the game is scared away
from the road. You would not be sur
prised at it if you heard q driver yelling
in Dutch at the oxen leach of which has
name) and cracking a long rawh1de
whip. When they come tota bad drift
or ford several drivers come to drive one
team through. With the exception of
crossing rivers and smaller streams the
roads are fairly good in winter.
We only got enough game for dinner:
the other meals we had to do without
meat. When We came near Kaffir
village game would fail, but the Kaf1rs
would bring fowls mostly roosters or
very old hens. They also brought goats
but we did not buy any though others
did. Once we had as many as nine cocks
and they were continually fighting and
some Of the fellows would bet on the
result.
Between Johannesburg and Pretoria
there was no timber and none for three
days after leaving that town, then it
gradually got thicker until we got near
Smitsdorp and we did not get it again
until four days after leaving Petersburg.
I did not see any timber in, the Trans
vaal fit to make lumber. Very few ex-
ceeded eight inches through and they
were very crooked. In Matabeleland
and Mashonaland the timber is thicker
and straighter. The timber is subject
to attack from q fly that bores into it
and makes it decay fast, Mining tim
bers have to be replaced. about every
year. Strange TO say, the fly does not
attack imported pine. II am told that
there IS mahogany: and ebony here, but
as have not seen any yet I cannot say
anything about It.
The country we came through was
generally fertile. The grass was thicker
and taller than T have seen on. the
prairies OF Dakota and Montana, though
in some places flying locusts had cut it
down to the ground d Near Johannes
burg and Pretoria the soil was formed
from rotten sandstone and clay; after
that it was formed from red granite and
limestone, and late. gray granite and in
some places it was blue clay similar to
that OF Dakota. ThefWater was generally
good except along Brack river where it
tasted strongly Of soda and salt.
We bathed whenever we had chance,
but we had to look out for crocodiles in
the Oliphant and Limpopo rivers. Even
here close to Salisbury I have been
warned to be careful as several dogs
have been seized by the saurians. We
got about a hundred fish III the Oliphant
with two charges Of dynamite. 1t was
while we were in swimming to pick up
the fish that 9 Dutchman came down
the opposite bank and warned us about
crocodiles.
We passed several native villages
where children were herding mixed