'77s- in fearch of them, who returned at midnight. This day we September. ■■ S— .— i palled difagreeably, being expofed to the' fcorching heat of the fun, and entirely deftitute of water. On the next, we agreed that it would J O be beft to return to the river for water, and leave the waggon in its prefent fitua- tion. Mr. Van Renan being lick, remained to take charge of the baggage, which required fome guard, from the number of Bufh Hottentots who infefted this part o f the country. We then diretted our courfe towards the river, and took with us an empty calk and a can, which we bad by the waggon.. We found the river to be diftant from us about, eight miles,, in a diredt line. We faw, on our arrival, the remainder of two Hippopotami, which we had fhot fome days before, thrown out of the river. After refrelhing ourfelves, we filled our calk and can, which Jacobus Ryke and myfelf carried, leaving our Hottentots to bring the cattle to the waggon. The heat of the fun, and the fatiguing journey we had over the fand, obliged us to expend great part of the water before we arrived at the waggon, which was at fix in the evening. As foon as our oxen arrived, we made another attempt to proceed ; but after travelling about ten miles farther, our cattle appeared in the fame condition as before. Mr. Van Renan and Jacobus Ryke therefore agreed to go on to the houfe of one Vander Hever, which was about fifty miles to the fouth- ward of this place. They faddled their horfes early, the twenty-eighth, and left us in this difagreeable fituation, without water or fire. I fent a Hottentot to a rock, about ten miles diftant to the fouth-eaft, where there was a little water. In the afternoon, being: tired of our fituation, we refolved to „ '77s- . September* make a third effort; and, if we ihould find it impoflible to v— • proceed, to leave the waggon and return to the Orange River, being almoft exhaufted for want of water. Very luckily our cattle did much better than we expected, and brought us out of that fandy defart ; in which there was fcarcely any thing to be feen except Mice and Snakes, both of which we obferved in great numbers. Towards the evening we met the Hottentot whom we had fent to the rock in fearch of water. He brought with him about forty quarts, which refreihed us greatly ; and, I believe, the very fmell of it animated our cattle. In the night we arrived at the Brack Fountain, which by this time was almoft dried up : being much fatigued, we were unwilling to leave this place. The next day I employed the Hottentots in digging the fountain a little deeper; and, by their exertions, we procured abundance of water, both for our own ufe and that of the cattle. In the afternoon I vifited the hills, where I col lected fey era 1 feeds, and fpecimens of plants, which I had not obferved in my former vifit to this IpoL After leaving this part, we purfued our journey towards the Copper Berg, in the expectation of meeting with a fupply of frelh oxen from our friend Vander Hever. About ten at night we perceived a fire at a diftance, and, on our arrival at the place, had the pleafure of finding a Hottentot with twelve bullocks under his care, which had been difpatched for our afliftanee. We continued to travel till three o’clock
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