The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1896-03-07
In COIDESI AFRICA.
Most People Think It's Always Torrid
There, Yet Natives Have Been Frozen.

Most People Think It's Always Torrid
There, Yet Natives Have Been Frozen.
"In spite of all hat has been written
lately about the Transvaal republic,
most people have an utterly mistaken
idea about it." said Albert-Gerard
Theirs, the tenor, who is well acquaint-
ed with it, the other day. Most people
that l find think that any spot in Afri-
"a is torrid and terrifically hot at all
times, whereas, in reality, many of the
nights, and particularly in June, arc
very cold, and it takes all the rugs and
blankets that one possesses to keep
him warm.
Though the midday sun is almost
as warm az any summer day." the ten
or went on, one needs TO be well pro
vided with covering if he proposes to
pass the night on the veldt. To give
you some idea of the cold of the plains
at night 1 may tell you that a few win
ters ago several natives on their way to
the fields were frozen on the road from
Pretoria t Potchefstrom.
Several of our party one day started
from Bloemfontein for Pretoria, where
the shooting was particularly good,
and, as walking was cheap, we decided
to go on foot, taking with US a couple
Of boys to carry our traps, which con-
sisted of a change of linen, or rather
fannels, a pair of blankets each, the
cooking utensils and a spare gun. We
had for Il companion a young man
whom we had met a few days previous
TO our DEPARTURE young Scotchman
but lately arrived in the country.
Starting about two o'clock in the
afternoon, we walked briskly, with oc-
casional halts for coffee, until about
ten o'clock at night, when the moon
shone out in full, and we decided to
turn in for the night. The wind was
already blowing pretty fresh and we
looked about for a place in the veldt
where the mi hills were the thickest,
so hat we could set fire TO two of them
TO heat ourselves and keep Is warm
during the bivouac. After having a
cup of coffee and sitting around the fire
until Thoroughly warmed u party
slipped off their boots and, putting
them under our heads for pillows,
pulled our blankets over our heads and
feet and Were soon fast asleep, imagin-
ing, of course, the Scctchman would
do the same.
ABOUT two o'clock, when the night
was the coolest, we were all awakened
by a dreadful grooming and, pulling
our heads from our coverings, were
astonished to see Mac huddled up on
the ground with nothing Over him but
q rubber O%vercOat, shiyering, chatter
ing and moaning piteously. The fire
was out. An icy wind was sweeping
around the veldt. Good gracious, Mac,
what's the matter? Where are your
bIankets?' we cried. = did - didn't
bring any chartered the unfortunate
youth. Didn't bring any Then what
on earth was that big bundle the kafir
was carrying?? That was my b-best
clothes mOaned the sufferer.
I'VE were soon up and bundled the
poor fellow into our own blankets, and,
waking the hovs, we made up a roaring
fire ard thawed him back TO life. The
next day, on arriving at Winberg, you
should have seen Mac rushing into the
first store, and regardless of 'siller,'
buy two of the thickesr blankets to be
had. This man had never slept before
outside Of four walls, and had fondly
imagined that in Africa he would need
no covering. He made a common mis-
taE-n ahOuf Africa IN V World.