the great north and fouth chain of mountains, but infinitely
lefs fo than either the Duy vil’s kop, or the Kayman’s river.
From the portal, or entrance of the kloof, is a grand
view o f the Cape peninfula, the fweepiug fhores o f the two
great bays, and the intermediate dreary ifthmus appearing like
a fea of fand, and enlivened only by a few neat farm houfes,
fcattered over the fore-ground, at the feet of the great
chain o f mountains. The middle of the ifthmus is inhabited
only by a few poor people, who gain a fubfiftence by colleaing
the ftems and roots o f the Ihrubs that grow in the fand, and
lending them in fmall carts to the Cape, where they are fold for
fuel. The diftance from Hottentot’s Holland’s kloof to Cape
Town, is about thirty-fix miles, or an eafy day’s journey, which
we made on the eighteenth o f January; not forry to have
brought to an end a feven months’ tour, in the courfe o f which
many perfonal inconveniences and difficulties had occurred,
to be borne and furmounted only by a determination to gratify
curiofity at the expence of comfort.
CHA P . VI.
Sketches on a Journey into, the Country o f the Namaaquas.
' T ' h e breaking up of thefouth-eaft monfoon, which generally
happens towards the end of April or the beginning o f May,
is a feafon of the year that, of all others, is worft calculated for
undertaking a journey through the fandy defarts of Southern
Africa. Should the change of the monfoon not have taken place
when the traveller fets out, the long drought which always precedes,
it will have parched up and deftroyed vegetation to fuch
a degree, that his cattle would be in danger of periihing from
fcarcity of food, and ftill more fo from want of water: and,
ihould the contrary be the cafe, he is equally unfortunate, as
not only for fome time- he will find no pafturage, but muft alfo
have to contend with all thé inconveniences of ftormy weather,
and perhaps be retarded for weeks together by the fwelling of
the rivers.
Weighty as thefe objeâions appeared to be, it was thought
expedient to commence a journey to the northern parts of the
colony; along the weftern coaft, at the very moment when the
breaking up of the fummer monfoon was expected. It was the
tenth of April when I fet forward from Cape To wn, with a covered
waggon, and twelve ftout oxen, in good condition, a fingle horfe,
a Have, a waggoner, and leader, who had accompanied me on
the