fediment, unituous to the feel, taftelefs and colorlefs. The
water had imbibed a ftrong acid, and had diffolved part of the
copper kettle in which it was boiled, as appeared by this metal
being brought down on pieces of polifhed iron. The impregnated
water changed the color of blue paper. The want o f
chemical tells prevented any farther experiments; but I
imagine the fubftances were fulphuric acid in combination with
clay forming alum, and the fame acid in union with iron, com-
pofing green vitriol or copperas, which the mixture of bituminous
or other heterogeneous matter had prevented from
forming itfelf into regular chryllals.
The water of the fpring was of the fame temperature as the
iurrounding atmofphere ; but a farmer who was with us afferted
pofitively that fifteen years ago, when laft he was on the fpot,
the water was thrown out warm to a confiderable degree. His
affertion, however, was liable to fome doubt. Periodical hot
fprings are phenomena in nature not frequently, if ever, met
with. It is poflible that a portion of unfaturated fulphuric acid
coming in its difengaged ftate in contact with the water might
occafionally raife its temperature. The information of the pea-
fantry on any fubje£t, and in all countries, fhould be received
with a degree o f caution. Thofe of Africa, I have generally
obferved, are much difpofed to the marvellous. Before I
afcended the hill in queftion I was told that the fuffocating
fmell of fulphur conftantly given out was fcarcely to be fup-
ported, and that there was always a prodigious fmoke, both of
which were palpable falfehoods.
We found encamped on the borders of the falt-water lake a
farmer and his whole family, confifting of fons and daughters,
and grandchildren; of oxen, cows, iheep, goats, and dogs.
He was moving to a new habitation; and, in addition to his
live-ftock, carried with him his whole property in two waggons.
He advifed us to make fail our oxen to the waggons,
as two of his horfes had been devoured on the preceding night
by lions. This powerful and treacherous animal is very common
in the thickets about the fait pan ; treacherous, becaufe it
feldom makes an open attack, but, like the reft of the feline
genus, lies in ambuih till it can conveniently fpring upon its
prey. Happy for the peafantry, the Hottentots, and thofe animals
that are the obje&s of its deftruftion, were its noble and
generous nature, that fo oft has fired the imagination of poets,
realized, and that his royal paw difdained to ftain itfelf in the
blood of any ileeping creature. The lion, in fail, is one o f the
moft indolent of all the beads of prey, and never gives himfelf
the trouble of a purfuit unlefs hard prefled with hunger. On our
arrival at a farm-houfe on the banks of the Zwart-kop s river,
a lion had juft been ihot by a trap-gun ; and Ihortly after one
of the Hottentots had brought down a large male buffalo. This
animal (the bos caffer of the Syjlema Nature) is the ftrongeftand
the fierceft of the bovine genus. Nature feems to have defigned
him as a model for producing extraordinary powers. The
horns at the bafe are each twelve or thirteen inches broad, and
are feparated only by a narrow channel, which fills up with age,
and gives to the animal a forehead completely covered with a
rugged mafs of horn as hard as rock. From the bafe they
diverge backwards, and are incurved towards the points, which