It may be obferved, that the fizes marked in the above lift
are, as nearly as could be guefled, fuch as they run in general,
but of both the Geelhouts, may be met with abundance o f trees,
from feventy to ninety feet in length, and very proper for ihips’
mails, fpars, and other timber ufed in ihip building.
Between the foot of the Duyvil’s kop and Plettenberg’ s bay,
the latter of which is about fifty miles to the eaftward of the
former, the country is beautifully wooded, and interfered with
numberlefs rivulets, iffuing out of the forefts ; there are alfo
feveral broad deep rivers, over which it is neceffary to pafs in
boats. Some of thefe terminate in large iheets of water, forming
beautiful lakes, whofe margins are finely fringed with
wood. One lake is fufficiently curious, having neither inlet
nor outlet, and the water is greener than any part of the ocean,
not fait, but fo ilightly faline as fcarcely to be perceptibly fo to
the tafte. One of the farmers told me, with great triumph,
that he had puzzled the Governor Van Plettenberg, with
refpeit to the water of the Green lake, by aiking him
whence the color proceeded. The governor had made him for
anfwer, that it came from the furrounding ihrubbery, being
green matter waihed away by the fains. Upon this' the
peafant ihewed him iome of it in a glafs, where it appeared
clear and colorlefs. There is a tradition among the Hottentots,
that this lake, now fix or feven miles in circumference,
was, no very long time ago, a beautiful green meadow, and it
is ftill faid to be incfeafing in fize. I f the quantity o f water
thrown in by the rains, and its fprings, ihould exceed the quantity