Quoad Monfoon, or w in te r; we anchored, therefore, in the Bay Falfe. Immediately on our arrival, a very heavy fall of rain prevented my feeing any part of the co u n try ; and towards the end of the month, the hills near the Gape, were covered with fnow for feveral days. During the winter, therefore, I was only able to indulge myfelf in Ihort excurfions from the Cape town ; while I made more ample preparations for a journey into the country when the feafon might be more favourable. It was a circumftance peculiarly favourable to my views, that previous to proceeding on my journey, I had the good fortune to meet with a moft intelligent companion, Captain Gordon, (now Colonel) who had travelled in this country fome years before, about 1 7 7 4 , and was lately returned from Holland, as fecond in command, and appointed to fucceed Colonel Du Phren, who was then commander in chief. Colonel Gordon is a gentleman of extenfive information in moft branches of natural hiftory ; and, I believe, is the only perfon who has any confiderable knowledge of that country, being acquainted with the interior parts for near one thoufand five hundred miles from the Cape. He had acquired the language of the Hottentots, which, together with his perfeit acquaintance wi'h the Dutch language, gave him an advantage over moft other travellers. As Mr. Mafon, in his Letter to the Royal Society, has de- fcribed the country about the Cape, it is unneceflary for me to enter into a geographical defcription, or to fay any thing of this tracft of territory, except what came immediately under my own obfervation. The period which I had propofed for my long journey was October. the beginning of Oitober, when a fettled ftate of the atmof- \ v"—1 phere is generally expedted, and when moft of the plants are in flower; and, for this undertaking, I had prepared myfelf by almoft daily excurfions, which afforded me fome general knowledge of the future theatre of my fpeculations. On the fifth of Odtober 1777, the day before our departure, we were entertained with obferving a very uncommon phenomenon, which the people afcnbed to a fevere north-weft wind at fea. Such a prodigious number of fiih were driven into Table Bay, particularly Porpoifes and Sword-fiih, that the whole bay was entirely covered with them, and apparently it might have been croffed on their backs. Near the edge of the bay the water was red with their blood ; and feveral hundreds of the fiih were driven on fhore, which the people cut up for oil. On the fixth, having fent our waggon on before us, Captain Gordon and myfelf left the Cape Town, and proceeded along the bottom of the Table Mountain, leading towards Conftan- tia. We dined at the houfe of Mr, Becker, which is only about two miles diftant from Conftantia, being well fituated and iheltered from the north-weft and fouth-eaft winds. This place produces excellent Wine, though the fituation is rather low. Conftantia is, however, preferable to all other parts of this diftrift, not only becaufe it is rather more elevated, but on account of the nature of the foil, which is a light fandy loam. The whole country abounds with the Protea Argentea, and many forts of Leucqdendrons, and alfo Ericas and Gnapha
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