long; the creaking of Cape-waggons, the barking of dogs, and, as a
measured accompaniment to all, the solemn regular booming of the
restless sea.

Disengaging themselves from the crowded beach, Sandy Black and Jerry
Goldboy proceeded towards the town of tents among the sandhills. On
their way they passed several large tarpaulin-covered depots of
agricultural implements, carpenter's and blacksmith's tools, and
ironware of all descriptions, which had been provided by Government to
be sold to the settlers at prime cost--for this grand effort at
colonisation was originated and fostered by the British Government.

"Weel, weel, did ever 'ee see the like o' that, noo?" observed Sandy
Black, as he passed some sandhills covered with aloes and cactuses and
rare exotics, such as one might expect to find in English greenhouses.

"Well, yes," replied Jerry Goldboy, "them _are_ hodd lookin' wegitables.
I can't say that I've much knowledge of such-like myself, 'avin' bin
born an' bred in London, as I've often told you, but they do seem
pecooliar, even to me.--I say, look 'ere; I thought all the people 'ere
was settlers."

Sandy, who was a grave man of few words, though not without a touch of
sly humour, replied, "Weel, so they are--an' what than?"

"Why, w'at are them there?" demanded Jerry, pointing to several marquees
pitched apart among some evergreen bushes.

"H'm! 'ee may ask that," replied the Scot; but as he did not add more,
his companion was content to regard his words as a confession of
ignorance, and passed on with the remark, "haristocrats."

Jerry was so far right. The marquees referred to belonged to the higher
class of settlers, who had resolved to forsake their native land and
introduce refinement into the South African wilds. The position chosen
by them on which to pitch their tents, and the neatness of everything
around, evinced their taste, while one or two handsome carriages
standing close by betokened wealth. Some of the occupants, elegantly
dressed, were seated in camp-chairs, with books in their hands, while
others were rambling among the shrubbery on the little eminences and
looking down on the bustling beach and bay. The tents of these,
however, formed an insignificant proportion of the canvas town in which
Sandy Black and his friend soon found themselves involved.

"Settlers' Camp," as it was called, consisted of several hundred tents,
pitched in parallel rows or streets, and was occupied by th