hold ourselves on our guard, and keep watch, that the oxen strayed
not too far from our fires. My little terrier lay every night in the
waggon, at my feet; a faithful sentinel, under whose care I slept
without fear. It was generally midnight before I had finished writing
down the various observations, and disposed of the collections of
the day.
My health and strength improved daily by the exercise of
travelling ; and the novelty and interest of the country, and its productions,
increasing as we advanced, inspired me with a high degree
of alacrity, and surprisingly raised the spirits. * My mind glowed
with the sanguine expectation of succeeding in all my plans. I
began to lose sight of the Cape of Good Hope, and to turn my view
forward, often imagining myself already arrived at the termination of
my long and laborious journey. These delightful pictures of fancy,
which were but dreams by day, frequently became also dreams by
night ; and the agreeable impressions of objects, on my waking
senses, continued to play before me in my sleep.
11th. Between the Karro Poort and the Hangklip, not a hill intervenes
; but hence, through the Roggeveld Karro, the road is
interspersed with elevations and low mountains ; and it is only here
and there that it wears the appearance of a plain, such as the Bokke-
veld Karro. Other large divisions of this Karro are, however, as I
was informed, perfectly level.
Immediately after breakfast, I set out on foot, about an hour before
the waggons, to explore the ridge of a rocky hill, over which thè
road passes. Hence the prospect was most extensive ; bounded only
by the far-distant mountains of the Bokkeveld, softened nearly into
blue vapor. The Great Karro, stretched out before me, presented, at
this distance, no visible object to break the evenness of the plain, or
relieve the eye. The rivers and their Thom-trees, were lost in the
vast extent, and were not to be distinguished as a feature in the
landscape. The road we had travelled might be traced for a few
miles, in an undulating line across the desert, till it gradually lessened
and vanished away. The Hangklip, in the second distance, constituted
the only object ; and, by its projecting and overhanging crag,
naturally gave a name to a spot where, nothing else presents itself,
that could suggest an appellation. In these solitary wilds, no moving
being was to be seen, no sound to be heard. Inclining my view to
the foot of the hill upon which I was standing, I contemplated our
waggons with a species of satisfaction quite peculiar to our circumstances.
It was a busy scene; a little society within itself, in every
movement of which I was interested: every individual, and every
animal composing it, seemed more warmly to participate in my
good-will the farther we removed from the rest of the civilized
world.
For the purpose of recalling these impressions to mind, when
the lapse of future years, and the presence of other scenes, should
increase the pleasures of memory, I made a drawing of the view
before me; and, as a further memento, collected three new and
curious plants * ; of which, one was never met with in any other part
of.the country.
By the time these observations were finished, the waggons had
ascended the hill. We soon descended on the other side, and proceeded
for a couple of miles over a Karro producing, at this season,
not a single flower to enliven the arid soil. After this, nothing
* Aptósimum indivisum, B. Catal. Geogr. 1217. Folia longissimè petiolantiaf pu-
bescentia (saspè nuda) ovata acuta mucronata, glomerata in Càule brevissima vix divisa.
Flores sessiles, corollis purpureis, fauce nigro-maculata.
Nomen generis derivatur ab uprivativum et ■txlaxrtfios caducus, ob capsulas post seminum
delapsionem diù persistentes. Genus hocce in systemate naturali Caprarice proximum est.
Cotyledon paroula, B. Catal. Geogr. 1218. Pianta 6—9—pollicaris, erecta. Folia
crassa ovalia compressiuscula. Panicula dichotomè ramosa. Pedunculi erecti longissimi
capillares.
Euphorbia tena'x, B. Catal. Geogr. 1219. Suffruticosa, inermis, glabra, ramosa,
aphylla, sub-bipedalis. Rami teretes, virides, vix lactescentes. Ramuli oppositi. In-
florescentia paniculata.
Euphorbia Mauritanica, also, was here a common plant, growing out of the dry rocky
soil ; and was distinguishable, even at some distance, by its pleasing light-green color.
~ f Folium pctiokins, est cujus pagina sensim contrahitur in petiolum. Folium petiolatum dicitur, cum
petiolus abruptè in basi transversà pagina; inserito. — Sic, germen stylans et stylatum: flores pedunculantet et
pedunculatì; cum aliis hujusmodi verbis.