19. The Hantam is a Table Mountain, riling From the fur-
face of the Bokkeveld Mountain, on its eaftern extremity, and
is furrounded by a number of farms! that receive a fupply of
water from rills ifliiing out of the bafe of the mountain. Horfes
and cattle are the produce of the Hantam, and the former have
been found to efcape a very fatal diféafe that is prevalent over
the whole colony, by being lent upon the fummit of the Hantam
Mountain. The inhabitants of this divifion are liable to
the depredations of the Bosjefmân’s Hottentots, againft whom
they make regular expeditions in the fame manner as from the
Sneuwberg.
• 20. The Rhamies Berg is a clufter of mountains fituated in
the middle of the country that formerly was inhabited by the
Namaaqua Hottentots, at the diftance of five days’ journey
north-well: fronfthe Hantam, ovér adry'fandy defert aim oft
deffitute of water. This clufter of mountains being the beft,
and, indeed, almofl: the only habitable part of the Namaaqua
country, has been taken polFeffion of by the wandering pea-
fantry, who, to the advantage of a good grazing •country, had
the additional inducement of fettling there from the eafy means
of mcreafing their ftock of Iheep from the herds of the native
Hottentots, who, indeed, are now fo reduced and fcattered
among the Dutch farms as fcarcely to be confidered as a diftind
tribe of people.
The copper mountains commence where the Khamielberg
ends, the whole furface of which is faid to be covered with
malachite, or the carbonate of copper, and cupreous pyrites.
2 But
But the ores of thefe mountains, however abundant, and however
rich, are of no great value on account of the total want of
every kind of fuel to fmelt them, as well as of their very great
diftance from the Cape, and from there being neither bay nor river
where they could be put on board of coafting veflels. In the
Khamielberg is alfo found, in large blocks, that beautiful fpecies
of ftone to which mineralogifts have given the name of Prehnite.
21. Upper, Middle, and Little Roggevelds, or rye-grafs countries,
are the fummit of a long extended Table Mountain, whofe
weftern front rifes out of the Karroo plains behind the Bokkeveld,
almoft perpendicularly, to the height of two or three
thoufand feet. Stretching to the eaftward this fummit becomes
more-broken into inequalities of furface, and rifes at length into
the mountains of Nieuweld, the Camdeboo, and the Sneuwberg,
which may be confidered as one extended chain. The great
elevation of the Roggeveld, and its being furrounded by Karroo
plains, make the temperature in winter fo cold, that for four
months in the year the inhabitants are under the neceffity of
defcending to the feet of the mountains with their horfes, cattle,
and iheep. The itrongeft and largeft breed of horfes’ in. the
whole colony is that of the Roggeveld.
22. Nieuweld and the Gbaup are continuations of the Roggeveld
Mountain, and join the divifions bearing the fame name
in the diftriit of Graaf Reynet. They have' lafely been de-
ferted on account of the number of Bosjefffian Hottentots dwelling
clofe behind them.