On the eastern steppes where the country is sandy and poor in vegetation, that typical product of the Kalahari desert, the tsama melon, _Citrullus vulgaris_, is found. Both man and beast rejoice in this juicy melon. In its raw state it has remarkable thirst-quenching properties, and when cooked it is a satisfying food. The seeds are oily and very fattening. This fruit often affords the only supply of water for travellers in this dry and dreary region. That queer little plant, known as Uyntjes, a kind of sedge, is also found in this region, and the bulbous roots, not unlike the chestnut in flavour, are used as food by the natives. In the springtime a species of Brunsvigia, or Candelabra flower, sometimes covers large areas of the open country. Great Namaqualand is not so well wooded or so well watered as Damaraland. The kokerboom is a conspicuous feature on the hills. North of Warmbad a bush formation is encountered in the vicinity of the dry river beds, with _Acacia detinens_, _Cadaba juncea_, shrubby Zygophyllaceæ, _Parkinsonia Africana_, and trees of _Acacia horrida_. Camelthorns (_Acacia Giraffæ_) are numerous on the higher levels. The Twagras, or Bushman grass of the Karroo, _Aristida brevifolia_, is a characteristic feature of the vast plains. Even when dry this grass retains its nourishing properties, and a period of two years may pass before it dies. The grey hills that border the Orange River have only a few kokerboom and chips of the _Euphorbia virosa_, and some straggling sickly shrubs of _Bauhinia garipensis_. FOOTNOTES: [5] “The Flora of South Africa,” Vol. I., by Rudolf Marloth. [6] Pearson, “The Travels of a Botanist in South-West Africa”--_The Geographical Journal_, May, 1910. [7] “The Vegetation of the Southern Namib”--_The South African Journal of Science_, January, 1910. [8] Schinz, “South-West Africa,” Leipzig, 1894. [9] “The Flora of South Africa,” Vol. I. Rudolf Marloth. [10] Pearson, “The Travels of a Botanist in South-West Africa”--_The Geographical Journal_, May, 1910. CHAPTER IV THE FAUNA OF THE COUNTRY