1777• We flaid here with the hofpitable Mr. Tunyirs, the Compa- 1—,—< ny’s overfeer, till the twenty-fifth, and proceeded to the farm of Mr. Jacob Van Renan, which is the moil beautiful of any I ever faw in this country ; and, from the induftry and ingenuity of Mr. Van Renan, I am well convinced, it will be brought to produce every thing as good as at the Cape. On the twenty-fixth, we proceeded to Groot Faders Bofch, or Grand Father’s Wood, where we were obliged to flop for a few hours on account of the rain. We fent our waggon the beft road to the Plata Kloaf, and went a nearer way ourfelves, which, however, was fo very flippery that we could not pofli- bly ride. We croffed the Doven* Hocks Rivier, and late in the evening came to a farmer’s houfe, fituated clofe to the pafs, or Kloaf. This diftri£t is called the Land of Egypt, and apparently contains about thirteen farms, which are difperfed at the diflance of from four to fix miles from each o ther: here we were regaled with excellent fruit, particularly Oranges, and fome European fruits. Our waggon not arriving detained us till the twenty-eighth, which gave me an opportunity of examining the country, where I found many curious plants. I obferved, that in confequence of the rains, the White Ants, with which the whole country abounds, were all out, and with wings. Several of the Hottentots, and ilaves, were col- ledling thefe infe&s, which I found, upon inquiry, were intended for food. Prejudice, indeed, alone has prevented the Europeans from making a fimilar ufe of th em ; for, in my * Pigeon-houfc River. different journeys in this country, I have fometimes been un- der the neceflity of ufing them as food, and found them far *—*— from difagreeable. Thefe infeits are very particularly de- fcribed by the late Mr. Smeathman, under the name of T e rmites. Great differences are obferved in the White Ants, according to the foil and climate in which they are found. In the Eaft Indies they prove extremely deftru&ive to the wood ; but at the Cape they are never known to injure any vegetable fubftance, except the grafs in thofe places where they moil abound. It is not by devouring the grafs that they occafion its deftrudtion, but by railing a number of hills which impede the progrefs of vegetation. In my obfervations on India, I ihall mention them more particularly. We now proceeded to leave this uncommonly delightful and fertile territory, extending along the fouth fide of the range of mountains, and terminating near the Krome* Rivier, to enter into a country which is, perhaps, one of the moil barren in the world. This is called, the Channa L a n d ; and derives its name from a fpe- cies of Mezembryanthimum, which is called Channa by the natives, and is exceedingly efleemed among them. They make ufe of it both in chewing and in fmoaking ; when mixed with the Dacka is very intoxicating : it appeared to be of that fpe- cies of hemp which is ufed in the Eaft Indies by the name of Bang. We were fupplied on the morning we fet out with frefh oxen, to take our waggon over the mountain, which proved fo rugged, that our waggon overfet; but it received no damage. * Crooked River.
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