his cloak of cloud, and all was bright and warm. I got up and sat
in the verandah over the stoep (a kind of terrace in front of every
house here). They brought me a tortoise as big as half a crown and
as lively as a cricket to look at, and a chameleon like a fairy
dragon--a green fellow, five inches long, with no claws on his
feet, but suckers like a fly--the most engaging little beast. He
sat on my finger, and caught flies with great delight and
dexterity, and I longed to send him to M-. To-day, I went a long
drive with Captain and Mrs. J-: we went to Rondebosch and Wynberg-
-lovely country; rather like Herefordshire; red earth and oak-
trees. Miles of the road were like Gainsborough-lane, on a large
scale, and looked quite English; only here and there a hedge of
prickly pear, or the big white aruns in the ditches, told a
different tale; and the scarlet geraniums and myrtles growing wild
puzzled one.

And then came rattling along a light, rough, but well-poised cart,
with an Arab screw driven by a Malay, in a great hat on his
kerchiefed head, and his wife, with her neat dress, glossy black
hair, and great gold earrings. They were coming with fish, which
he had just caught at Kalk Bay, and was going to sell for the
dinners of the Capetown folk. You pass neat villas, with pretty
gardens and stoeps, gay with flowers, and at the doors of several,
neat Malay girls are lounging. They are the best servants here,
for the emigrants mostly drink. Then you see a group of children
at play, some as black as coals, some brown and very pretty. A
little black girl, about R-'s age, has carefully tied what little
petticoat she has, in a tight coil round her waist, and displays
the most darling little round legs and behind, which it would be a
real pleasure to slap; it is so shiny and round, and she runs and