Upon reaching the fummit of the mountain, we were preferited on the fouth with a view of the fea, and the beautiful country we had lately le ft; and on the north we faw the Channa Land and Karo. After the heat of the day had abated, we direded our courfe eaft north-eaft, through a very rugged country, leaving the large chain of mountains on our right h an d ; and, at the diftance of about forty miles, we obferved another chain on our left. Though this country has a very barren appearance, yet it abounds with plants, fueh as the Euphorbium, Craifula, the Mezembryanthimum, and many fpecies of Geia- nium. The climate differs much from that of the oppofite fide of the mountains; it feldom. rains here, except in the fummer, when it is accompanied by thunder. The foil is of a yellow loam, intermixed with fragments of rotten rocks. In the evening we came to a place, called Klip Rivier, or Rocky River, where we remained all n ig h t; and in the morning pur- chafed a fheep, which coft us fix Dutch ihillings, equal to three Engliih. We purfued our journey eaftward, and at three in the afternoon came to a peafant’s houfe. The people, on feeing us, went-away, as they were not accuftomed to ftrangers -, and it was with fome difficulty that Captain Gordon could per- fuade them to return to their own habitation. He informed them, that we were come from the Cape, and the next village being too far diftant, requefted the favour of fuffering-us to remain there for the n ig h t: this they granted ; and, notwith- ftanding their former ihynefs, behaved to us with the greateft hofpitality. ' Early in the morning, of the thirtieth, we proceeded eaft half north, through an extremely rugged p a th ; and, about one in the afternoon came to the Great River, where we dined p^J7;r_ under the ffielter of a Mimofa. After dinner we croffed the >—»—' river,-and towards the evening came to a fecond, called Tfu- nice Gama by the Hottentots; and by the Dutch, Gouds Rivier, or Gold River, which has a foutherly dire&ion, and empties itfelf to the weitward of Catharina Bay in the Indian ocean. This river is dangerous for ftrangers to crofs, from the number of large pools which formerly had been inhabited by the Hippopotamus Amphibius, though thefe animals have now deferted their ancient refidenee, and are feldom met with in this place. We continued travelling in the night through a country of which both of us were totally ignorant, till about one o’clock in the morning, when obferving no figns of inhabitants, we agreed to reft till morning at the fide of a fmall brook, which we found to be Slang Rivier, or Snake River. In the courfe of this day we travelled about forty miles. On the thirty-firft, we diredted our courfe eafterly, through a barren country, which afforded lefs appearance of vegetation than any we had hitherto feen. In the afternoon we came to a fmall eftabliffiment, fituated under the Atquas Kloaf, on a narrow brook, named the Saffron River, where we refted all n ig h t; and next day we received freffi oxen, and diredted our courfe north north-eaft, towards the Elephants River. At noon we arrived at a place called Poverty, fituated on the fame river, where we refted during the heat of the day. In the afternoon we croffed it at a place where it is about half a mile broad. The banks of this, as well as of moft other rivers in this country, are covered with a fpecies of Mimofa, and E
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