



Produced by Chris Curnow and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was
produced from images generously made available by The
Internet Archive)






HOME LIFE

ON AN OSTRICH FARM.

[Illustration: TROOP OF OSTRICHES, AND CART WITH PRICKLY-PEAR
LEAVES FOR FOOD.]




HOME LIFE ON AN OSTRICH FARM


By

ANNIE MARTIN


_WITH TEN ILLUSTRATIONS_


NEW YORK
D. APPLETON AND COMPANY
1891

_Authorized Edition._




To T. M.

IN REMEMBRANCE OF OUR SOUTH AFRICAN LIFE.




PREFACE.


Some portions of the chapters on "Ostriches" and "Bobby" have already
appeared, in an abridged form, in the Saturday _Review_. Part of the
chapter on "The Climate of the Karroo" has also appeared in the _St.
James's Gazette_.

By the kind permission of the editors of both papers I am now enabled
to reprint these pages.

    A. M.




CONTENTS.


                                                                 PAGE

CHAPTER I.

PORT ELIZABETH AND WALMER.

Early ambitions realized--Voyage to South Africa--Cape Town
and Wynberg--Profusion of flowers--Port Elizabeth--Christmas
decorations--Public library--Malays--Walmer--Hottentot huts--Our
little house--Pretty gardens--Honey-suckers--Flowers of Walmer
Common--Wax-creeper--Ixias--Scarlet heath--Natal lilies--
"Upholstery flower"--Ticks--Commence ostrich-farming--Counting
the birds--A ride after an ostrich                                  9


CHAPTER II.

SOME OF OUR PETS.

Friendliness of South African birds and beasts--Our secretary
bird--Ungainly appearance of Jacob--His queer ways