guard as poffible." On the twenty-firft, we direded our courie n o rth ; and in the evening took up our lodgings on the fide of a fmall ftream of water, called Thorn River; which takes its name from a fpecies of Mimofa that grows on its banks. I made an excurfion, in the morning, through the country, in fearch of plants; and in the afternoon joined the waggon. In the evening we found water at a place, called Parde Berg, or Horfe Mountain, where we refted all night. The next morning we obferved a fire about half a mile from us, which we imagined had been lighted by a party of wild Hottentots. My companion and I agreed, however, to fee who they were; and found them to be the fervants of a Dutchman, who lived near the Cape. They had a large flock of fheep under their charge. We found them fo well acquainted with the country, that I hired one of them as a guide. We then continued our journey about twenty miles, and at night arrived at Unlucky River; fo called, from a man’s having been devoured, fome years ago, on its banks, by a Lion. On the twenty-fourth, our road lay through a dry fandy country, with a very naked appearance. The hills were com- pofed of horizontal ftratas of a foft mouldering kind of ftone. At noon we were informed by a peafant, who was on his way to the Cape, that if we did not proceed on our journey with all poffible expedition, we fhould not be able to come to any place where there was water. And that travelling at night was dangerous, from the number of Lions which inhabited that part of the country. After a very fatiguing march we arrived at a brackifh fountain, where we refted all night. The following day we continued our route to the north- ' 778- ward, through much the fame kind of barren foil we had pafled '— ,— > on the day preceding. Wherever we pafled, we obferved the frefh print of Lions and Tigers; and early next morning Mr. Van Renan faw a Lion within fifty yards of him ; which we afterwards went in purfuit o f ; but the track brought us to a clump of thick thorny fhrubs, which prevented us from proceeding farther. On the twenty-feventh, we vifited two of the boors who re- fide in the Karo during the time when the fnow lies upon the Rogge Veld Mountains. This pradice is not, however, general, feveral of them remain in their habitations, expofed to all the inclemencies of the weather. The principal caufe of the migrations from the mountains to the Karo, is a want of firewood, which is very fcarce on thefe heights. Thofe of them that remain, in general, employ their fervants, before the winter begins, in carrying wood from the bottom of the mountain, which is certainly a very laborious talk. There are fome to whom thefe temporary removals are far from appearing a great evil. Indeed, feveral of the inhabitants of this diftricft are fo much in the habit" of changing their abode, that rather than undergo the trouble of making a proper provilion for this dreary feafon, they w’ould travel for many miles. As this defart part of the country is inhabited only during a ihort part of the year, very few houfes are to be found in it. Moft of the inhabitants live in huts fimilar to thofe of the Hottentots; fome dwell in the tent that covers their waggon; and, even in this fituation, the boors have the appearance of being the
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