The beft method of fupplying water at the bay feems to
be that of bringing it in leaden pipes from a copious elevated
fpring, about fix miles to the northward of Hootjes bay.
This lpring at Witte Klip, or the white rock, appears to be
quite fufficient for every purpofe, and the expence of conveyance
would be. moderate, at leaft o f little confideration,
when compared with the magnitude o f the obje£L
It was a favorite fubject of converfation with the late Colonel
Gordon, and fome other Dutch gentlemen, to turn the courfe
of the Berg river into Saldanha bay, by which they would not
only furniih a plentiful fupply o f water for a town, garrifon,
and flapping, but would, at the fame time, open a navigation
into the interior of the country, particularly into Zwartland,
the granary o f the colony. Such a fcheme would, no doubt’
be practicable, though that part of it which regards the fupply
o f a fleet and town with freih water would perhaps fail to
anfwer the purpofe, for the following reafons: That part of the
Berg river, where it would be the moft practicable to turn its
courfe, is within a mile or two of the place to which the high
fpring tides flow, and about twenty miles from the prefent
mouth o f the river in St. Helena bay. The diftance from the
fame place, along the line in which the new channel would be
carried to Saldanha bay, is about five and twenty or perhaps
thirty miles. Allowing for the circuitous courfe of the river in
its prefent channel, and confidering the bays of Saldanha and
St. Helena to have the fame difference of level with the place at
which the river is propofed to be turned, the general current in
the new would be the fame as that in the prefent channel, and
this
this is fo very trifling, that, let there be given in the new one
a fall as little as poflible at the firft, and as great as poflible near
the bay, the tide would neverthelefs fet up it for many miles,
and render the water completely fait. Were a canal made to
terminate in an open bafon near the hay, there is reafon to
think that, without a current, it would conftantly be choaked
up with the immenfe volumes of fand that are fluffing and rolling
over the level furface whenever the winds blow ftrong.
The general furface of the country, between the Berg river
and Saldanha bay, is flat and fandy, exhibiting, however, a
continued foreft of fhrubbery. It'is very thinly inhabited, on1
account of the fcarbity of freih water. The ground, however, is
uncommonly fertile. The ufual returns on wheat are from
fifteen to twenty fold. Barley yields from thirty to forty. They
ufe no manure, and in iome places the foil is fo loofe and fandy,
that the operation of ploughing is unneceffary. Garden plants
of all kinds thrive remarkably well. It is curious enough to fee
pumpkins, melons, cauliflowers, and other vegetables, growing
luxuriantly in iheer fand. At . one place they were rooting out
fugar canes, that had overfpread a garden, to give place for a
plantation of tobacco. The greafy appearance, and the adhefive
quality, of the fandy foil that covers the furface o f this part o f
the country, are probably loamy or marly particles that render
it fo particularly favorable to vegetation. From the chalky
maffes of itone that lie at certain depths under, and fometimes
appear above, the fandy furface, may perhaps be difengaged, by
fome fimple or combined aftion of the air and the faline bodies
in the fand, that fpecies of aeriform acid contained in chalk,
which