of the ftream. A green Conferva grew on the margin o f both.
No change o f color was produced upon the plants and ftones
with which the water came in conta£t. With fulphuric acid it
depofited no fediment, nor became in the Ieaft turbid, nor were
blue vegetable colors at all affected by it. No impregnation of
any kind was difcoverable, in the fmalleft degree, by the tafte.
On the contrary, it is confidered fo pure that the family living
near it generally employed it for drefling their victuals ; and
all their linen and colored clothes were waihed in it without
fuftaining any injury. The thermometer I had with me was
graduated only to 140°, to which point it afcended almoft in-
ftantaneoufly. The temperature appeared to be very nearly
that of boiling water.
The duration of hot fprings for ages without any confider-
able variation in temperature, or in the quantity o f water
thrown out, is one of thofe fecret operations of nature that has
not as yet been fatisfaCtorily explained, but which has baffled,
at all times, the fpeculations of philofophers. The decompofi-
tion o f pyritical matter, the flacking of lime, and the fubterra-
nean furnace, heated with combuftible materials, have each
had their advocates, but each when “ weighed in the balance
“ has been found wanting.”
From the hot wells we croffed the Breede, or broad river,
and entered a kloef on the oppofite, or northern, fide o f the
vale, which opened a paffage through the fecond great chain
of mountains. It is called the Hex river’s kloef, and is about
four miles in length. The afcent is much lefs than that of
Roode
Roode Sand kloef, thé fall of the river that meanders through
it being not more than 200 feet. The mountains on each fide
of this pafs were wild and naked, but the kloef itfelf abounded
with large fruitefcent plants. Balking in the fun, on the banks
o f the river, were a troop of four or five hundred large black
baboons, apparently of the fpecies of Cynocephalus, which quitted
their place with feeming reluctance, grumbling and howling
as they fcrambled up the fides of the naked rocks.
The head of the kloef opened out into a narrow valley to
which there Was no defcent. It is about two miles in width
and fifteen in length ; and the third branch of mountains, on
the northern fide, were covered half way down from their
fummits with fnow ; yet the orange-trees at their feet were
loaded with large ripe fruit. Four families, the only inhabitants
of this deep valley, conftitute a little world o f their owft't
their wants might be as bounded as their horizon, for the fertility
of the ground furniihes them with almoft every neceffary
of life. They have plenty of cattle, and alfo all the different
forts o f game that are met with on the other fide of the mountains.
We faw here fome large partridges with red wings,
much preferable to the common Cape partridge, and a quadruped
called the Berghaas or mountain hare. It was the Dipus
Cafer of Linnæus, by fome called the Cape Gerboa. Like the
kangaroo of Botany Bay it has the hind legs about thrice the
length of the fore ones. When purfued, it always takes to the
mountains, knowing that the conftruirion of its legs is better
adapted to afcend their fteep fides than to fcour the plains.
All