A confultation was held, to take into confideration the fteps
that appeared moft advifable to be put .in praitic'e. The refult
of this was, that as-foon as the ox.en, which had been in the
yoke the whole day, had refrelhed themfelves by a few hours’
reft, the relays fhould be put to the waggons, and we, fhould
proceed on our journey. ...We were,unwilling to return, arid it
was in vain to think of remaining longer where we were, Be-
fide the total want of water, there was neither a blade of grafs,
nor fhrubbery of any fort, upon which the cattle could browfe.
The fucculent and fleihy leaves even of the mefembryanthe-
mum tribe, were ihrivelled up to a leathery confidence, and all
their juices evaporated. Scarcely,a living creature had appeared
during the whole day, but at night there came into the tent,
attraited by the light o f the candle, fuch a multitude ,of a Ipecies
o f infedt, fuch as in England are called cockchafers, that they
literally extinguifhed the candle and drove us put, This infedt
was o f a pale aih color, and the thorax was covered with a whi-
tifh powder.
A little after midnight we ftarted afrefh, directing our way
acrofs the defart towards the neareft part o f the Karuka, hoping
ftill to be fortunate enough to meet with water there. On arriving
at day-light on the wifhed-fpr fpot, not a veftige o f moif-
ture even appeared in the whole bed of the river for feveral
miles. We were now totally at a lofs what ftep to take. We
found we had advanced too far to think of retreating, and were
entirely uncertain of what might be the event of proceeding.
In the midft o f painful refledtions, the fun began to dart his
fcorching
fcorching rays, arid to difplay a wide horizon that prefented to
the eye a melancholy picture of cheerlefs defolation. No
quadrupeds, except our own exhaufted oxen, not a bird, nor
even aninfedt appeared. A total fufpenfion of the vivifying
principle feemed to prevail on every' fide, or that animated
nature had fled from the dreary wafte. With fuch a profpedt,
and under fuch a fituation, the mind fickened, and feemed to
feel a kind o f' WW
| — h- fecret dread and inward horror
“ O f falling into nought.” ,
One fingle hope only now remained, and that was fixed
upon De Beer valley. This place we knew to be a kind of
referyoir, in which a number of periodical ftreams had their
confluence from various .parts of the diftant mountains o f
Nieuwveld, Winterberg, and Sneuwberg. The diftance from
our prefent fituation to it was not very far, but our cattle were
exceedingly exhaufted ; and had long exprefied their fuffering
by hollow lowings, and the iheep by their perpetual bleating.
The children alfo of the Hottentots who were with us, cried
inceflantly for water.
The appearance of De Beer valley,, from a diftance, indicated
no want of water,; it was that of,-a beautiful green meadpw ;
and the cattle, andthe ho.rfes, and the .Hottentots, the moment
it caught the eye, fcampered away towards it in full career.
Thofe: in the waggons were not behind the ¡reft. Their lopks
and manner, on arriving , at the fpot,; ,(uifficientlyNexprefl[ed: the
u u 2 difappoint