2 6 a i l ■ I l l i different fpecies of Rhus. We continued our journey till late in the evening, when our waggon overturned, from a precipice upwards of fifty feet high, which compelled us to remain till day-light. A draughtfman of Captain Gordon’s, who was in the waggon, had his thigh much bruifed; but was not fo much injured as might have been expedted from fuch a fall. We left our baggage lying at the foot of the precipice till the following d ay ; and obferving a houfe on the oppofite fide of the river, we agreed to ftay there the remaining part of the night. At day-light we examined our waggon, and found every thing perfectly fafe. The whole of this country is extremely barren, except a few farms which are fituated on fmall ftreams of water, and produce corn, though not in great abundance. This uncommon degree of fterility muft be principally afcribed to the want of water; for the fupply of which the inhabitants wholly depend upon the ra in ; there being very few natural fprings, and the water which thefe afford is in general very brackifh. We began the month of November, by directing our courfe eaft by fouth, and at eleven came to the houfe of an European, where we refted all day. Here I made fome addition to my collection of plants, which continued in tolerable order. From this place our courfe was eafterly, during the whole of the next day, leaving the Comnaffia * Berg on our right hand, and the Swart Berg on our left. We found here fome hot * A fpecies of Khus. baths, to which we were directed by obferving two farmers No‘v^ er making ufe of them : one of the men had been bit by a fnake, »— 1 and was confiderably recovered, though his leg remained much fwelled, and he could not bear any fatigue. Thefe baths are impregnated with a large quantity of Iron ; and all along the mountains are very thick ftratas of that ore. The thermometer rofe in the different baths, from one hundred and five to one hundred and eight. In the afternoon we purfued our journey, the Comnaffia Berg bearing north-weft by north to fouth-eaft by fouth, and ending fouth-wefl by fouth, about two leagues from the baths. We found here many Oftriches and Koedoes, one of the latter we fhot ; but, being on our journey, had no time to make any ufeful obfervations upon it. Thefe animals are about the fize, or rather larger than our deer, and of a moufe colour, with three white ftripes over the back : the male has very large twilled horns; but the female has none : their flefh is 'good for food, and much relifhed by the inhabitants. In the evening we arrived at a place called by the Hottentots, Tfimeko, or Oftrich Leg. Bread is unknown to the people in this part of the country, who chiefly fubfift on flefh and milk : they are of a very hofpitable difpofition, and very happy to fee flrangers. In this place I found fome very beautiful fpecies of Polygalae and Gerania, &c. On the third, we were fupplied with a team of frefh cattle ; > and, after travelling the whole day, towards the evening, we obferved frefh traces of Lions, which excited both our attention and vigilance. Captain Gordon and I rode before the waggon, with our guns loaded, left we fhould be aflaulted by thefe fe
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