there is in being on it in such weather; and reminded us of a fatal
accident which happened there a few months before, when a
field-officer of the garrison, who had been dining there with a party
of friends, was, in the same manner, overtaken by thick clouds,
through which he lost his way, and after wandering about for a long
while, at last fell over a deep precipice, and was dashed to pieces.
We, therefore, without loss of time, prepared for descending, and
ordered the slaves to keep with us, as they only, were well acquainted
with every turn of the path; so that, we felt no apprehension of
missing our way.
Our French companion, recollecting the circumstance related
by Thunberg*, of his countryman Sonnerat, although equipped with
three pair of “ French pumps,” having returned to the town barefooted,
had taken the precaution of providing himself with a second
pair of shoes, strong enough to have lasted four such excursions.
But as none of our party had walked over so much ground as myself,
these shoes, fortunately for me, were at my service.
At a quarter after five, our whole party commenced the descent,
by the same path we climbed in the morning; but now, owing to its
steepness, we found it not easy to avoid descending more rapidly than
was agreeable. There is, indeed, another path by which we might
have descehded on the side towards Camps Bay, and one towards
Hout Bay; but these were said to be more difficult, and seldom used,
except by slavSs in search of firewood. At a quarter before Seven
we halted at Platte Klip, where we rested a quarter of an hour. We
reached home by eight o’clock; having made the descent in two
hours and a half; whereas the ascent had occupied, at the least, three
hours and three quarters.
29th. Not having been able to meet with a map of Southern
Africa, exactly suited to the purpose of my journey, I employed part
of my time in constructing one, in which I inserted all the particulars
that were to be obtained at Cape Town. These, indeed, were very
* Thunberg’s Travels, vol. i. p. 221. Engl. ed.
few ; and in the course of my work I discovered that even the best
published maps of the colony were both deficient and inaccurate-
Nor were government, it seems, in possession of any general survey
which could convey a correct idea of the country. A manuscript
map, made during the Dutch government by a surveyor, named
Leiste, was, at this time, mentioned to me, as the unacknowledged
source of much improvement in some maps of the colony ; but I had
no opportunity of seeing it.
Much of my time also, was spent in arranging and digesting my
plans, and in collecting all the particulars that were known relative
to the countries and nations beyond the colony. From a missionary
of the name of Anderson, I had an opportunity of obtaining
much satisfactory information, as he had resided for several
years at Klaarwater, a Hottentot village on the Orange River or
Gariep, lying in the road to a large African town, called Litdkun
(pronounced LetdhTcoon). I feel much indebted to him for the readiness
with which, during his stay at Cape Town, he communicated
those particulars which I was desirous of knowing.
In my plan it had long been a fixed point, to make my way
through the most inland regions, taking a direction which would
Ultimately bring me to one of the European settlements on the
western coast within the southern tropic ; and thence to hire a vessel
to St. Helena, where I had no doubt of meeting with every assistance
of which I might stand in need. From that island I should not only
find a ready opportunity of returning to England, but should also
have many chances of soon getting a passage for my Hottentots, in
some ship bound for the Cape.
Every published account of the southernmost part of Africa
agreed in stating, that, from, the Cape Colony northward along the
western coast, as far as that country had ever been visited or seen,
the land was extremely deficient in water, and consequently barren,
and thinly peopled; the few inhabitants living in great poverty.
With these accounts, all the reports I heard at the Cape corresponded.
On the other hand, the little which was known of the interior
regions lying on the eastern side, indicated beautiful, fertile, and
H