multitude of birds, which every where inhabit the groves of the
Gariep, commenced their early song, and charmed me with their
soft enlivening notes. Notes which, though they presume to no
comparison with those of our thrush or nightingale, delight and
soothe the ear not less, and are equally expressive of the peace of
nature, and the happiness of the feathered tribe, the unmolested
tenants of these woods.
Having waited at this spot till more than two hours after midday,
in fruitless expectation of seeing Riizo, we took our departure ; and
had scarcely advanced a mile when we met the Bushman who had
yesterday been sent to the kraal- lower down the river. He brought
a message from Riizo, that we should come to that place and wait
till he returned from the village at the Asbestos mountains, whither
he was going to fetch some tobacco which he was to receive from
the Hottentots at that place. Hearing this, I immediately sent off
Ruiter, to bring him to us without delay ; promising that he should
be well supplied with tobacco from our own stock.
We then proceeded in a southward direction, and, leaving the valley
of the Gariep, ascended a rocky cliff, at the top of which the surface
of the country continued at the same level. Hence we had a commanding
view of the river and its winding course for several miles ; and of
the Asbestos mountains to the north, and some other distant mountains
on the west. The most remarkable feature of this plain was a
number of scattered trees, distinguished from all I had hitherto seen,
by the color of their trunks, which appeared at a little distance as if
they had been whitewashed. From this singular character, they have
gained the name of Wit-gat boom, which may be represented in
English by that of White-stem. *
After quitting this plain and crossing an extensive level covered
with abundance' of fine grass three feet high, we came to the hed ol
a considerable periodical river, where, as it was now past sunset, we
unpacked our oxen and took up our station for the night. This
* Capparis albitrunca, B. — Vide p. 343. Vol. I.
proved to be the new river, which hitherto was known to the Klaar-
water Hottentots, only at its confluence with the Gariep, and for a
few miles higher up its course. The water in the pools along this part
of its bed, being of a strongly brackish quality, they had designated
it merely as the Br'ak rivier. This name, at length, was taken into common
use by our party, and occasioned us totally to neglect inquiring of
the natives its proper name: a neglect which I the more regret as
the name of JBrdk rivier has already been given to too many streams
in the colony, to admit of increasing the number by fixing it upon
this one; to which indeed it is not applicable, excepting a few miles of
the lower part of its course. As a river of this length bears, doubtlessly,
some distinctive appellation. among the Bushmen, I have not
presumed to give it one of my own ; but leave this blank in my map
to be filled up by some traveller who may hereafter discover the
name by which it has been always known to the aboriginal inhabitants
of the country.
The spot where we now for the first time fell in with it, is
pointed out on the map by the words First Station. At this season
its bed was in most places dry ; and that which in the time of the rains,
must be a deep river, was now merely a line of ponds or pools,
separated from each other, in some places by only a few yards of
dry ground, and in others by the distance of a quarter of a mile.
That pool, by the side of which we had halted, was of an intolerable
alkaline taste; but the people were obliged to drink from it, and gladly
took advantage of the excuse it afforded, to ask for a glass of brandy
to counteract its nauseous effects. It was the more fortunate that
the water of this river was nowhere of this unwholesome nature,
excepting at the lower part of its course, as our whole stock of
brandy was contained in a quart bottle.
The country every where around us, was flat and open; and
though lightly covered with low stunted bushes, not a tree was to
be seen. At night we tied the horse and oxen to the strongest of
the shrubs ; and pulling up a quantity of others, formed them into
a semicircular hedge, to shelter us from the wind and rain with
which the clouds began to threaten us.
D 2