In my laft journey up the mountain I obferved, alfo, about
midway, feveral arborizations on ftones, thofe of the fern tribe
very diftindl; and in the fame ftratum, which is fttongly coloured
with iron, I difcovered feveral large maifes of pyramidal
cryftals of quartz, and fine fpecimens of haematite or blood-
ftone.
In our return over the mountains from Plettenberg’s Bay
little occurred to attradl attention. The Sparmannia in the
woods, with its large leaves of light green, contrafted with the
dark and flender foliage of the yellow wood tree, and the ftill
darker Eckbergia, with the lofty fummits of the naked mountains
rifing far above them, afforded fcenery for tne pencil extremely
piiturefque and beautiful. The fibres of the bark of the Sparmannia
make an excellent kind of hemp, fuperior in ftrength to
that of the Hibtfctis, which I mentioned to have found on a former
vifit to this bay. Saplings of this tree the fecond year rife in
a clear Item to the height of fix feet, fo that in the'event of any
future eftablilhment being made at Plettenberg’s Bay, the Sparmannia
may become a very ufeful plant. The Gardenia Tbun-
bergia, or the wild Gape Jeffamine, being in the height of its
bloffom, gave out fo powerful a fcent, that, in the evening,
it could be felt at the diftance- of federal miles. The
Nymphaa cerulea, and another lpecies of a fmaller fize with lpear-
ihaped leaves (foliis bqftatis), and rofe-coloured petals, ornamented
the margins of the Keurboom River; and the Wacben-
dorjia with the Aletris Uvaria were common in all the boggy
grounds. The ftately white Strelitzias, which are found only
on the banks of the Pifang River, were alfo now in flower.
The
The Prolca Grandiflorar, on the fummit of the mountains, re-
fembled, in their fize and appearance, old ftunted oaks. Heaths
alfo were very large, and bulbous rooted plants in great abundance.
We found, likewife, growing among the rocks, numbers
Of that Angular plant the Tamils Elepbantipes, fo called from
the refemblance of its large tuberous root, rifing above the fur-
face of the ground, to the foot of the elephant:— but I am deviating
too far from the title I have prefixed to this Chapter,
in making obfervations on natural hiftory, which, indeed, the
nature of the expedition was not well calculated to promote. I
might, however, with more propriety, perhaps, have called it a
Mifcellaneous Chapter, as it is not meant to be confined to one
objedt.
The diftridt of Plettenberg’s Bay is in fad a rich field for the
naturalift. Let his favourite purfuit. be what it may, botany,
ornithology, or zoology, he may here indulge his inclination.
The greateft part of the foreft trees ftill remain unexamined.
The birds are numerous, and have ferioufly been attacked by no
other colle&or than Mr. Le Vaillant, of whom Mr. Meeding,
for many years the poftholder at the bay, fpeaks as being an
excellent ihot at fmall birds, and a molt indefatigable purfuer of
them. Of animals, from the little .taillefs das or Cavy, and the
pigmy Antelope, to.the huge Elephant, the woods of Sitfikamma
furnilh great variety. The Plain of Hartebeejls abounds with
that noble fpecies of the antelope tribe from which it takes its
name; and every thicket is filled with the beautiful Bq/bok, or
Bulh deer, remarkable for its fpotted haunches, and ftill more
M2 fo