The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-11-06
+. LIFE IN THE KAROO
Some rccuiiar;iics OF the Upper Portion Q
Cape Co,ony.

sOmc Itculiartics Oh tuc tppCr IOftioho
Cape Co.ony.
The upper portion of Cape Colony is
known as the "Karoo." From the
coast where the Vegetation is luxur-
liant, the land gradually rises toward
the interior until, far inland at the lat
titude of nearly 1000 feet, the Karoo
country begins.
the barer and more stony the soil be-
comes, and the aspect of the sad-coi-
ored veldt, broken here and there by
chains of low. stony kopjes, is mourn
full in the extreme. For the newly
arrived "Uitlander" It Is depressing
indeed to view these regions of infin-
lite fiatness and infinite space, where
loneliness and silence reign supreme.
October is the month of spring in
the Karoo. Heavy rains fall and for
a few short weeks the face Of the
land is green and pleasant to look up
on; but with the scorching days OF
summer the grass withers fast, and the
veldt soon resumes its normal desert
like appearance. Great herds of sheep
and goats pasture on a small, dry-look-.
ing bush, which grows sparsely amid
the sand and stones. Strangely en-
ough, they thrive upon it, and the
flocks of the more progressive farmers,
who import prize stock from time to
time are as fine as any in the more
fertile pastures of lower Cape Colony.
To woman Uitlander. accustomed
to life in England or America, exis-
tence in Karoo village presents few
duties and fewer pleasures to break
the monotony of the wearisome days.
After a week, when the sun Is shin
ing once more, gathering up moisture
from the soaked earth in misty clouds,
drive out into the veldt is full of
interest. Then the Karoo teens with
life that Is hidden beneath the ground
in hot, dry weather Meerkats run out
of their holes and sit up on their hind
legs, while their bushy tails wave ner-
vously and their beady little eyes keep
vigllant watch Small tortoises scut-
tie by, and perhaps in the distance a
family of korhaan may be detected by
their harsh deep croak, beautifully
plumaged birds as large as guinea fowl
with feathers of reddish brown and
blue gray.
Some parts Of the veldt are scattered
with huge ant hills. three or four feet
high, made by colonies of large black
ants. Beers as well as Kafirs rs,
these ant hills as ovens for cooking
when camping out in the veldt. L is
easy to start 4 hfe at the bottom with
a few sticks, and VIXEN once alight a
hill will burn slowly and evenly for
some hours. The earth of which these
mounds are composed is very f.ialle
and saturated with some subsistence by
the ant builders which makes it COM
bustible.
After rain flowers spring mp every
where. Brilliant scarlet lilies abound,
branching from single bare stalk
that rises out OF the stony ground,
with ten to dozen lovely blossoms en-
its head. Another curious lily rests
fatty on the earth, and consists OF
two round, white. fleshy leaves, with
small golden centre. The Beers have
little love for flowers; but the exile
from fertile land delights to culti-
vate the tiny patch Of ground belong
ing to his house in the little Boer vii
lage. With a Kaffir boy as assistant
gardener and with a reckless disrs-
gard for the scant resources OF the
back yard we'll, it is possible to make
the land blossom like the rose, even
amid the stony wilds Of the Karoo.