of our oxen, were parts in the no£turnal concert that could not
be faid to produce much harmony to us who were encamped in
the midft of a foreft of which we could difcern no end.
On the flope of a hill, towards the fouthern verge of the foreft,
I diftinguiihed among the clumps of frutefcent plants
feveral flowers of a Jirelitzia, which I took for granted to be
the regime, but on a nearer approach it turned out to be a new
fpecies differing remarkably in the foliage from the two already
known. Inftead of the broad plantain-like leaves of thefe,
thofe o f the new fpecies were round, a little comprefled, half an
inch in diameter at the bafe, tapering to a point at the top, and
from fix to ten feet high : the flowers appeared to be the fame
as thofe of the reginse, the colors perhaps a little deeper, particularly
that of the neflarium, which was of a beautiful violet
blue. I procured half a dozen roots, which are now growing,
and likely to do well, in the botanic garden at the Cape. A
beautiful plant of the palm tribe was growing near the ftrelitzia,
from the pith of which the Hottentots were faid to make a kind
of bread. It was a fpecies of zamia, apparently a variety of the
cycadis defcribed by Mr. Maffon. The leaves were of a glaucous
color and lanceolate; the leaflets neareft the bafe pointed
with one, thofe about the middle with two, and thofe at the
extremities with three, ftrong fpines.
On the evening of the feventeenth we encamped on the verdant
bank of a beautiful lake in the midft o f a wood of fruitef-
cent plants. It was of an oval form, about three miles in circumference.
On the weftern fide was a fhelving bank o f green
turf,
turf, and round the other parts of the bafon the ground, rifing
more abruptly, and to a greater height, was covered thickly
with the fame kind of arboreoUs and fucculent plants as had
been obferved to grow moft commonly in thé thickets o f the
adjoining country. The water was perfectly clear, but fait as
brine. It was one of thofe falt-water lakes which abound in
Southern Africa, where they are called zout pans bÿ the colo-
nifts. This it feems is the moft famous in the country, and is
reforted to by the inhabitants from very diftant parts o f the
colony, for the purpofe o f procuring fait for their own con-
fumption or for fale. It is fituated on a plain of confiderable
elevation above the level of the fea. The greateft part of the
bottom of the lake was covered with one continued body o f fait
like a iheet o f ice, the ehryftals of which were fo united that it
formed a folid mafs as hard as rock. The margin or ihore o f
the bafon was like the fandy beach of the fea coaft, with fand-
ftone and -quartz pebbles thinly fcattered over it, fome red, fome
purple, and others grey. Beyond the narrow belt of fand the
iheet of fait commenced with a thin porous cruft, increafing in
thicknefs and folidity as it advanced towards the middle of the
lake. The fait that is taken out for ufe is generally broken up
with picks where it is about four or five inches thick, which is
at no great diftance from the margin of the lake. The thicknefs
in the middle is not known, a quantity of water generally
remaining in that part. The dry fouth-eafterly winds of fum-
mer agitating the water o f the lake produce on the margin a
fine, light, powdery fait, like flakes of fnow. This is
equally beautiful as the refined fait of England, and is
much fought after by the women, who always commiffion
r 2 their