e want of
food and inclemency besides would result in killing the weak cattle and
weaken the rest so as to be incapable of work for some days after. The
difficulty consists in that such inclement changes occur so suddenly,
and that their severity and duration cannot be forecasted.

Upon other much less severe occasions entire gangs of 20-50 Kaffirs,
travelling from the warm north to the diamond-fields or gold-mines, and
not sufficiently provided with blankets, would be found at their camping
places huddled together, nearly all numbed to death. The months when
such surprise weather is most liable to occur are from "July to
October," before and during the earlier spring rains. It is then, and
even up to December at times, that the Drakensberg and other mountains
resume their snow-capped winter decorations for some days. There is a
saying which fairly well applies to the high-veldt climate, _i.e._, that
cold and inclement weather is not met with until well in towards summer,
especially about the time of spring rains, and that hot weather of any
considerable continuance mostly occurs in spring. This will be
understood upon considering that the midsummer months, December to
February, are cooled by very frequent and copious rains, whilst the heat
accumulates more during the preceding sunny spring months, which are
interrupted at rarer intervals by short showers only.

Upon the whole, and despite the few eccentricities mentioned, the high
veldt is favoured with a climate which, for genial comfort all the year
round, exempt from prolonged winter rigours and excessive summer heat,
is not found anywhere else in the world, or only in rare privileged
spots. It is withal most healthy, promoting the highest possible
physical development and even longevity.

Under such favoured conditions the hand of man only is needed in
providing good habitations, planting trees, in the culture of the soil,
and some irrigation labour, to transform nearly every little farm within
five to ten years from a bare pastoral monotony to a really idyllic
spot. There are many such already in Basutoland, the Orange Free State,
and the Transvaal, as well as in the Cape Colonies and Natal--veritable
Eden-like places, as it were bits dropped from heaven. With a
continuance of peace these could be multiplied to any extent each year,
thus rendering those sparsely inhabited tracts the most beautiful areas
in the world, with a prosperous self-sustaining population,