of a stone formed of various fragments conglutinated by a calcareous
basis * ; and such as might be classed as a species of “ pudding-stone.”
The spot where we had intended to cross the river, bore the name
of Engelsche Drift (English Ford) among the Klaarwater people, on
account of its having been passed eleven years before, by a party
from Cape Town, sent into the Transgariepine to purchase cattle for
the government. The river, being here divided into two streams by
an island, was found to be at this time too rapid and rough to be
forded without danger: we therefore again yoked the oxen to the
waggon, and proceeded to another place about two miles and a half
higher up the stream. It was at this spot where the unfortunate
Cowan and his party forded the Gariep, never more to return.
Here we found a kraal of Koras stationed with their cows, oxen,
and goats : they appeared, like most of the natives in this part of the
country, to possess but few sheep, a fact which is to be accounted for,
perhaps, by the greater care, and better pasture, required for these,
than for the rearing of goats. Their huts were irregularly placed in
the acacia groves, and so completely concealed by intervening thickets,
that we might have passed the river without discovering them, if
their inhabitants had not, in their usual friendly way, come out to
make their salutations, as soon as they knew we were arrived.
The branches of the acacias here were frequently decorated with
a handsome kind of Mistleto (or, more correctly, a species of Loran-
thus,) whose fine scarlet berries appeared very conspicuous and ornamental.
The delightful scenery of the Gariep had lost nothing of its
power of pleasing, by having been admired so often before; but as I
had not till now beheld the willows in their sober autumnal colors,
they possessed for me, a new charm. In Africa we look in vain for
those mellow beautiful tints with which the sun of autumn dyes the
forests of England, Examples of this change of color meet the eye
so rarely in these arid deserts, that whenever they do perchance
occur, they will forcibly, and by a natural association of ideas, remind
the European traveller of his native land. To call the shrubs and
trees of these countries, evergreens, would occasion very erroneous
ideas to those whose notions are formed by what are commonly
denominated so, in the gardens of our own country: although, in fact,
there are few which are at any season quite destitute of leaves. But
that broad and green foliage, that fresh and lively complexion, do not
belong to the general character of the woods and thickets of the
Interior; :notwithstanding some exceptions. These last remarks,
however, must be considered as applicable only to the regions remote
from the sea^coast: there are forests and woods in other parts, which
exhibit a very different and superior character.
As it could not be expected at this season of the year, that the
waters of the Gariep would be so low as to admit of our fording it,
our object had been to find a part of its course where the stream
was of the least width, or of greatest depth ; as in this latter
case the surface would be more still and smooth, and the current
less rapid and powerful. We now, therefore, had to construct a raft
fit for conveying over our bedding and goods, our guns and ammunition,
as well as those of our party who were unable to swim
across.
With this view, our first business was to collect a number of logs
of dead willow wood; the acacia and other woods being too heavy
for the purpose; and even the willow when green, having the
same defect. The raft was made of a quadrangular form, of six feet
in length and the same breadth, by several regular layers of logs
crossing each other, and bound together with long strips of acacia
bark. The Hottentots have found by experience that, on such
occasions, green bark is preferable to thongs of leather or raw hide;
because the leather or hide, when soaked in water, soon grows soft,
stretches, and becomes loose.
The raft being launched and loaded, was found not capable of
carrying more than the half of our goods ; and it then required ten
men to manage it. Some swam before and dragged it on by a rope,
while others behind pushed it forwards; but the strength of the
current continuing to carry them down the stream, they crossed in
c 2