for many parts of the country, particularly after a feries of dry
weather, produce not a fingle blade of grafs. . The bitter, four,
and faline plants, than which the arid foil of an African deiert
produces nothing better, conftitute oft times their only food for
weeks together; and to the ufe o f thefe may probably be
owing the offenfive breath that the ox of the colony is generally
obferved to have. In Europe, the fweetnefs of the breath
o f horned cattle is almoft proverbial. In Africa it is remarked
to be altogether as naufeous. The bad quality o f the water,
which in the defert plains is never met with pure, but impregnated
with faline or earthy matter, may alfo contribute in producing
this effect. The ipeed of an ox in the waggon, where
the country is tolerably level, and the furface hard, is full three
miles an hour, at which rate he will continue for ten or twelve
hours without halting.
The firft day of July was fixed upon for our departure from
the Cape; and the preceding month was employed in making
the neceflary preparations, fitting up three waggons, and in
procuring draught oxen, which at this feafon of the year, after
the long drought, were fcarce and extremely lean. Bajlaards
for drivers, and Hottentots to lead the foremoft pair in the
team, and to take care o f the relays, were very difficult to be
procured, but indifpenfibly neceflary. Every thing, however,
was in readinefs on the day fixed, though it was night before
the waggons left the town ; and the oxen were fo miferably
bad, that before they had proceeded three miles, two of them
dropped in the yokes, and were obliged to be left behind. In
feven hours they had only advanced about fifteen miles, to a
place
place called Stickland, where Sir James Craig had caufed
{tabling for feveral troops of dragoons, and ftone-buildings for
the officers and men, to be ereCted, as a place o f great importance
in cafe of an attack from a powerful enemy. This ftation
is at the fouth point of a range of hills called the Tigerberg or
Tiger Mountain, that terminates, on this fide, the fandy ifth-
mus. At the feet o f the hills, and in the vallies formed by
them, are feveral pleafant farms, with gardens well ftored with
vegetables for the table, fruiteries, vineyards, and extenfive corn
lands. As none o f the latter are inclofed there is a general appearance
of nakednefs in the country, which, if planted with foreft-
trees, as the oak and the larch, and divided by fences, would
become fufficiently beautiful, as nature in drawing the outline
has performed her part. The fandy flat, of which the Tigerberg
forms the boundary, is applied to no ufe but that o f fur-
niffiing a part of the fupply of fuel for the town, and for the
country people and butchers occafionally to turn their cattle
upon. It is a prevailing opinion at the Cape, that this ifthmus,
which now feparates the two principal bays, was once covered
with the fea, making, at that time, the Cape promontory a complete
ifland. The flatnefs and little elevation o f the furface,
the quantity o f fand upon it, and the number o f {hells buried
in the fand; have been urged as the grounds for fuch a conjecture.
If, however, fuch has been the cafe, and the retreat o f
the fea progreffive, it is an incalculable period of time fince the
two bays have been united. The furface is from 20 to 30 feet
above the level of high-water mark; the fand upon it, except
where it is drifted into ridges, is feldom three feet deep, and
generally refts on fand-ftone or hard gravel, bound together,
1 and