The two graziers having joined us with each a waggon, and
a numerous family of children, Hottentots, and Kaffers, we
proceeded, on the twelfth o f July, to the north-eaft, and in
four hours gained the fummit of the loweft part of the mountains
that inclofe the valley. The afcent, which was from
terrace to terrace, might be about fifteen hundred feet in the
diftance of fix miles. . From the top towards the eaft there was
little or no defcent. Here the face o f the country began to
wear an entire new afpefL All the great chains o f mountains
gradually difappeared, or were feen only behind finking into
the horizon; and a confined profpeit o f a rugged furface,
broken into hill and dale, prefented itfelf on every fide. The
eye wandered in vain to feek relief by a diverfity of obje£ts.
No huge rocks confufedly fcattered on the plain, or piled into
mountains, no hills clothed with verdure, no traces of cultivation,
not a tree nor a tall ihrub, appeared to break the uniformity
o f the furface, nor bird nor beaft to enliven the dreary
wafle. Vegetation was thinly fcattered over a bed o f browniih-
colored clay, and the low and ftunted plants were almoft
wholly confined to the fucculent tribe. O f thefe the moil
common were feveral fpecies of mefembryanthemum, o f euphorbia,
crajfula, and cotyledon. The grand family of proteas, and the
elegant erica, had totally difappeared. The road was tolerably
good, being carried generally over a bed of fand-ftone crofted
with veins of fat quartz, and a kind of ponderous iron-ftone.
Having travelled about feven hours, in which time the oxen
had not proceeded above fifteen miles, we entered a long narrow
pafs made by two hills: the faces of thefe being nearly
perpenperpendicular
and ftraight, gave to the eye a long natural per-
fpeâive like that of a flreet, a name which in fa£t the place
bore. The farther extremity of the pafs opened upon a level
plain, inclofed by fmall hills all detached from each other, and
having every appearance of a volcanic origin, except that the
fand-ftone ftrata, which fhewed themfelves on every fide, were
regular and undifturbed. The inclination o f thefe in a confi-
derable angle to the horizon, and the form of the hills, made it
appear, from certain points of view, as if a fpiral line of ftone
twilled itfelf round their fides like the ridge that encircles fome
of the volute fhells. Farenheit’s thermometer flood at 33° at
fun-rife ; at noon, expofed to the fun, at 8o°, in the fhade 53°;
and at feven in the evening it was down at the freezing point.
The next day s journey was about five-and-twenty miles, to
a place called Conjiaaple, after a Baftaard Hottentot who had
been tempted by a fmall fpring o f water to ereft a hut and
plant a few trees. The drought, however, had foon obliged
him to quit this retreat. Two fpreading oaks ftill remained
and fhaded a fpring o f excellent water, which, however, foon
loft itfelf m the fandy furface of the ground. The thermometer
at noon rofe to 80° in the fun, and at night was down to
the freezing point.
On the fourteenth we travelled only twelve miles. The
road, in fome places, was rocky and uneven, and in others
deep fand. Our oxen too were beginning to droop for want
of pafturage. The itage called Mentjies hoek afforded a few
ruflies and abundance o f fucculent plants, among which the
bullocks