fire under the belly o f an ox, becaufe it could not draw the
waggon up the fame kloof.
As it was our intention to examine the mouth o f the Great
Fiih river, the boundary of the colony to the eaftward, it was
thought advifable to fend forward, in the mean time, two interpreters
to the Kaffer king, carrying with them a fmall prefent
in the name o f the governor of the Cape, in order to obtain
permiffion, as embaffadors from the faid governor, to enter his
territories,- and to pay our refpe&s to him. By this ftep we
were not only more likely to fecure his protection, but it would
alfo fliew him that the treaty made with them in the time of
the governor Van Plettenberg, and renewed in the year 1793,
was held facred by the Engliih government. The diftance
from the place where we now were to that o f his refidence was
calculated to be a journey o f five days : the eighth day therefore
was fixed on for the interpreters to meet, us in Kaffer-
land at a certain fpot, well known to them and to our guide
Reniberg, which was a journey of two days’ diftance from the
Kaffer court.
On the fourth, therefore, the interpreters proceeded to the
eaftward, and we directed our route towards the mouth of the
Great Fifli river. The country over which we palled was perfectly
flat; and in thofe parts where the Kaffers had not yet
been, there was abundance of long grafs. On approaching the
fea-coaft we obferved a long train of fires; and, fuppofing them
to have been made by a party of Kaffers Rationed there, we
turned
turned a little out of the way towards the quarter from whence
the fmoke proceeded ; but being to leeward of it, and the wind
encreafing, the waggons were in the midft of the fire before we
perceived it ; and the fmoke was fo thick and acrid, that it was
impoflible to fee the length of the team. The oxen, being
burnt in the feet, became; unmanageable and galloped off in
great eonfufion, the dogs howled, and there was a general uproar.
The fmoke was fuffocating ; the flames blazed up on
each fide of the waggons, which, to thofe efpecially that contained
a quantity of gunpowder, was vefy alarming. Thè
oxen, however, by iagacity, or by chance, had let their heads
againft the wind and foon galloped through it. The flames
ran in all directions among the long dry grafs and heathy
plants with incredible • celerity.. The face; o f the country for
feveral miles was a iheet of fire, and the air was' obfcured with
a cloud of fmoke. We had: yet a confulerable extent of country
to pafs among blaek alhes, beyond which we prefently
reached the mouth of the Great Fiih river, where we pitched
our tents for the night.
Like all the African rivers that difcharge themfelves into the
fea on the eaftern coaft, the mouth of the Great Fiih river was
nearly fanded up. The quantity, however, of water brbught
down by it keeps open a conftant channel, which, at the loweft
ebb, feemed to be deep enough in every part for the admiflion
of boats. Within the .bar o f fànd it was from three- to four
hundred yards in width, and appeared to be very deep. The
Portuguefe, in their early voyages, difcovered this river, and
gave to it the name of Rio Infante. . Thinking that it might
b b admit