The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1900-03-21
THE KARoo COUNTRY.
Life In the CheerIess Veldts of the
Transvaal Is Extremely
MonotonOus.

known as the "Karoo." From the coast
where the vegetation is luxuriant, the
land gradually rises toward the in
terror until, far inland at the altitude
Of nearly 1000 feet, the Karoo country
begins.
The farther away from the coast, the
barer and more stony the soil becomes,
and the aspect Of the sad-coloredve veldt,
broken here and there by chains of low,
stony kopjes, is mournful in the ex-
treme. For the newly arrived 'uit-
lander" it is depressing indeed to view
these regions of infinite fatness 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 weeks the face of the land is green
and pleasant to look upon; but with
the scorching days of summer the
grass withers fast, and the veldt soon
resumes its normal desert-like appear
ance. Great herds of sheep and goats
pasture on small, dry-loolIing bush,
which grows sparsely amid the sand
and stones. Strangely enough, they
thrive upon it, and the focks OF the
more progressive farmers, who import
prize stock from time to time, are
as fine as any in the more fertile pas
lures of lower Cape Colony.
To woman uitlander, accustomed to
life, in England or america, existence
in Karoo village presents few duties
and fewer pleasures to break the mo-
notony of the wearisome days. After
q week of rain, when the sun is shining
once more, gathering up moisture
from the soaked earth in misty clouds,
q drive out into the veldt is full of in
terest. 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, white bushy tails wave nervously,
and the beady little eyes keep vigilant
watch. Small tortoises scuttle by, and
perhaps in the distance family Of
Borhaan may be detected by their
harsh, deep croak, beautifully plumed
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 Kaffirs use these
as ovens for cooking, when
camping out in the veldt. 1t is easy to
start fire at the bottom with few
sticks, and when once alight, hill will
burn slowly and evenly for some hours.
The earth of which these mounds are
is very friable, and is satu-
rated with some substance by the ant
builders, which makes it easily COM
bustible.
After rain, flowers spring up every
where. Brilliant scarlet lilies abound,
branching from a single bare stalk that
rises out of the stony ground, with
ten or a dozen lovely blossoms at its
head. Another curious lily rests fat
" on the earth, and consists Of two
found, white, fleshy leaves with a
small golden center. The Beers have
little love for flowers; but the exile
from a fertile land delights to cultivate
the tiny patch of ground belonging to
his house in the little Boer village. |
With Kaflir boy as assistant gardener, !
and with a reckless disregard for the
scant resources of the backyard well, /
t is possible to make the land blossom /
like the rose, even amidst the stony
wilds Of the Karoo.-Youth's Conpan-
ION.