“ myfelf unfit for my fituation and unworthy the character o f
“ a human being.”
The firft day’s march beyond the Sweet Milk’s Valley was
acrofs a tame flat country, the road winding along the right
bank of the Endlefs River; a name whofe fallacy was deteCted
by eroding it, on the next day’s journey, juft where it forms
a confluence with, and of courfe ends in, the Broad River.
The latter, in the winter months, is a vaft volume of water
fufficient to float a ihip of the line, but, in fummer, not more
than ankle deep. The diftance from this river to Zwellendam,
the feat of the Landroft and capital of the diftriCt fo called, is only
about nine miles, over a country that is capable of an extenfive
cultivation, but which is differed to remain almoft entirely an
unproductive defart.
As we knew this to be the only village that would occur in
the courfe of our long journey, we thought it prudent to halt
a day, in order to refreih the horfes, have their Ihoes removed
or renewed, and the faddles repaired ; after which we continued
our march, for three eafy days, to a tolerable good farmriioufe
called the Hegel Kraal, fituated at the foot of the Attaquas Kloof.
The country we had pafled was little calculated to excite any
degree of intereft; the dwellings, as ufual, were thinly icattered ;
the land under no regular fyfiem of tillage, exhibiting a barren
wafte, without a fingle tree, or even a ihrub, that bf its fize
or beauty would arreft the attention of the travelleryet the
foil of the greater part of the country appeared to he fiiperior
to moft of the corn-lands in the vicinity of the Cape. Here
too a fcarcity is obfervable of the moft ordinary game of the
country, fuch as fmall antelopes, hares, partridges, and the fe-
veral fpecies of buftards.
From this place it was our intention to crofs the firft chain of
mountains which runs parallel, or nearly fo, with the fea-coaft.
Previous, however, to this undertaking, it was found neceffary,
in conformity to the inftruCtions I had received, to take into
cuftody, and to fend up to the Cape, a certain boor who was
known to have held communication with the rebels of Graaff
Reynet; and ftrongly fufpeCted of having affifted them with
gunpowder. By efcorting this perlon to the Landroft o f the
diftriCt, two fine young men of the 8th Light Dragoons unfortunately
loft their lives. On their return towards the drofdy
a violent thunder-ftorm arofe, during which the rain defcended
in fuch torrents as to fill, to the brim, a fmall rivulet that we had
pafled the day before without obferving a fingle drop of water
in its channel. The Hottentot, who led the foremoft pair of
oxen in the team, finding himfelf unable to vvkhftand the rapidity
of the current, let go the rope and effected his efcape as
well as he could. The oxen, being thus left without a guide,
turned their heads in the direction of the ftream. The waggon
was upfet; two of the young men, who unfortunately could
not fwim, were feen no more; and Captain Smyth, with the
reft, had a very narrow efcape.
Accidents, of afimilar land, are not unfrequentin the colony.
The beds of all-the rivers are funk, in a remarkable manner, to a
I a very