When this hot wind is blowing, and even at other times, the peculiarly strong electrical state of the atmosphere causes the movement of a native in his kaross to produce therein a stream of small sparks.  The first time I noticed this appearance was while a chief was traveling with me in my wagon.  Seeing part of the fur of his mantle, which was exposed to slight friction by the movement of the wagon, assume quite a luminous appearance, I rubbed it smartly with the hand, and found it readily gave out bright sparks, accompanied with distinct cracks.  “Don’t you see this?” said I.  “The white men did not show us this,” he replied; “we had it long before white men came into the country, we and our forefathers of old.”  Unfortunately, I never inquired the name which they gave to this appearance, but I have no doubt there is one for it in the language.  Otto von Guerrike is said, by Baron Humboldt, to have been the first that ever observed this effect in Europe, but the phenomenon had been familiar to the Bechuanas for ages.  Nothing came of that, however, for they viewed the sight as if with the eyes of an ox.  The human mind has remained here as stagnant to the present day, in reference to the physical operations of the universe, as it once did in England.  No science has been developed, and few questions are ever discussed except those which have an intimate connection with the wants of the stomach.

Very large flocks of swifts (’Cypselus apus’) were observed flying over the plains north of Kuruman.  I counted a stream of them, which, by the time it took to pass toward the reeds of that valley, must have numbered upward of four thousand.  Only a few of these birds breed at any time in this country.  I have often observed them, and noticed that there was no appearance of their having paired; there was no chasing of each other, nor any playing together.  There are several other birds which continue in flocks, and move about like wandering gipsies, even during the breeding season, which in this country happens in the intervals between the cold and hot seasons, cold acting somewhat in the same way here as the genial warmth of spring does in Europe.  Are these the migratory birds of Europe, which return there to breed and rear their young?

On the 31st of December, 1852, we reached the town of Sechele, called, from the part of the range on which it is situated, Litubaruba.  Near the village there exists a cave named Lepelole; it is an interesting evidence of the former existence of a gushing fountain.  No one dared to enter the Lohaheng, or cave, for it was the common belief that it was the habitation of the Deity.  As we never had a holiday from January to December, and our Sundays were the periods of our greatest exertions in teaching, I projected an excursion into the cave on a week-day to see the god of the Bakwains.  The old men said that every one who went in remained there forever, adding, “If the teacher is so mad as to kill himself, let him