, fo 'from thè near refemblance of its cry to the harking of a
dog.
On reaching our quarters in Lange Kloof we Were agreeably
furprized to find that the flvoes of ill out horfes had been removed,
and new ones placed on fuch as Wanted them. This
had been a matter of ferious coiifideratiOn from the firft day of
our expedition for, as the horfes of the colony ate never ihod,
except thofè in the hands of the Englifh, wè could hardly flatter
òurfélves that we Ihould meet with any perfon in the interior
of the country, capable of undertaking fudh an operation. A
young man, however, born deaf and dumb^ without ever having
feen a horfe-ihoe hefore, made feveral new ones, and replaced
others with as much care and neatnefs, as one that had
beèn brought up to the bufiñefs of à farrier. This ingenious
young man, the only one I can lafely fay that I e Ver met with
in the courfe of my travels in this country, fupported, by his
labour, a worthlefs drunken father^ and a number of brothers
and fi'fters.
Nothing of moment Occurred Until we reached the borders of
the Camtoos ‘River, which divides the diftridt of Zwèllendam
from that of Graáf Rèytìef. Beihg paflable Only by Waggons
at one ford, we encamped there, ‘as the molt eligible fituátiori
for keeping open a communication between‘Brigadier General
VaitddlOur and the Cape. Scarcely, however, had we arrived
when an exprefs from the General directed us to proceed to
Algoa Bay. . ■ , . __....
The
The country between the Camtoos River and this bay is extremely
rich and beautiful. Like a gentleman’s park, or plea-
fure grounds, in England, the furface is diverfified with thickets
and knots of ftately trees, planted^ however, by the fpontaneous
and free hand of nature. The knolls are covered with thick
grafs, which, for want of cattle to eat it off, is fuffered to rot
upon the ground, or is partially burnt off towards the end of
fummer to make room for the young blades to ihoot up with
the earlieft rains of winter. It is greatly to be lamented that fo-
fiiie a country ihould be fuffered to remain in total negledt. A
few indolent boors grafp the whole diftrift, which, when in the
poffeflion of the rightful owners, the Kaffers and the Hottentots,
fome thirty years ago, maintained many thoufand families by
the numbers of their cattle it was found capable of fupporting.
The final! game, which here are plentiful, gramineous roots,
theibulbs of the iris, of the wild garlick, and of the Cyanellay
the filaments and anthers of whofe ftamens bear a remarkable
refemblance.to the fingers and nails" of the human hand, tjoge-
gether with the feeds of the Strel-itzia Reginie, and a variety of
wild berries, were the chief articles of fubfiftenGe of the Hottentot
tribes, and milk was the principal food of the Kaffers.
Algoa Bay has little to recommend it as a refort for flopping..
Like all the other Bays, upon the fame coaft, it is diredtly open
to the fouth-eaft winds, which, however, are iefs dangerous,
becaufe lefs violent, tSianthofe which blow from weft and fouth-
weft. The difturbances of Graaf Reynet have caufed ta number
of ihips tb vifit this bay from the Cape, but fcarcely one that
has been there has efcaped accidents : happening to their boats m
i attempt