In a few months after I followed them up, and saw the graves of those who had died of fever; and a Kaffir told me one of the Boers had given him a good gun for a small bucket of water. Chairs, tables, cooking utensils, and other articles strewed the path through the desert; and the bones of the dead oxen, that the vultures, wolves, and jackals had picked clean, covered the ground where they fell--a melancholy sight; and all this suffering was caused because these Boers found their own republican Government unbearable to live under. And this is the best answer to be given as to why the British Government found it imperative to step in, and put an end to such a wretched state of affairs, which act was accomplished on the 12th of April, 1877. The remnant of these trek Boers were in the Portuguese territory, at the back of Mossamedes on the west coast, perishing from starvation and misery, when a subscription was raised at Cape Town for them, and a ship-load of supplies and a man-of-war were sent down. They tried to land some hundreds of miles up the coast beyond Walfish Bay, so as to be nearer to the Boers, but were prevented by the surf; they returned, and the supplies were sent up with great difficulty, and many of the Boers came down, as stated, and went back by sea. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN. THE PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE TRANSVAAL, AND OTHER SUBJECTS, CONTINUED. The altitude of the Transvaal above sea-level is one of its most important features in connection with its climate and vegetation; there is no portion below 2890 feet, except at the northern extremity along the Limpopo river, where the elevation is lowered on that river to 1560 feet. The other portions of the republic average 4000 feet between the mountain ranges that traverse the country. In the north-east division, north of the Olifants river, the Zoutpansberg range, the Tweedeberg, the Derd mountains, the latter being within a few miles on the south side of the Limpopo river, with the Matin hills, near which the Tave river flows, vary considerably in altitude from 3700 to 4500, mostly of sandstone formation. The eastern portion through which the Pafure river flows is called Basoetla, occupied by the Mantatees, Knobnoses, and other tribes, in large and numerous kraals along the streams; Albasini's town being situated on the south side of Zoutpansberg. The country is rich in corn-land and fine grasses, splendid forests of timber, of which the famous baobab tree is very common and of immense size, the bark of which is used for making sacks, blankets, and other useful articles; cobalt, iron, copper, and lead, are found in great quantities, and also gold in the more southern portion.