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Tbm' y *^ere were many loud claps of thunder, with lightning and <— .— > heavy r a in ; and it became fo dark that they loft their way. We could make no fires, on account of the rain, till about nine, when the ftorm Was much abated, and we lighted feveral, which they foon faw. About ten, they arrived at the waggon. Mr. Van Renan I found had fallen into the fiver. The next morning we miffed our cattle, and difpatched our Hottentots in purfuit of them, who returned in the evening without having obferved any traces of them. The following morning Mr. Kock and I faddled our horfes, and direded our courfe through the country in fearch of them, and found them at the Bofhman’s River, about twenty miles ¿diftant. We then returned with fome of Mr. Kock’s Hottentots. Upon our arrival at Cableows Rivier, we agreed to remain in that place a few days. Here we were fupplied with great variety of fruit, as it was in the height of the feafon for Grapes, Water-melons, and Peaches. After parting with our hofpitable friend, we direiied our courfe fouth by weft, towards the houfe of our companion, Mr. Kock, which is fituate on the Zie Koe Rivier, or Sea Cow River, fo called from its being formerly inhabited by the Hippopotamus. We here obferved that many of our oxen were fick ; they had caught a «lifeafe called the Klow ficknefs, which rages among the horned Cattle in the fummer, and af- fedts their hoofs fo much that they drop off, and numbers of the cattle die. Mr. Van Renan difpatched one of his Hotten- ¿ 2^ tots to his father’s houfe, who returned to us with a fupply of ' ■ ' freih cattle. We proceeded weftward from this place, and on the firft of March, in the evening, arrived at the houfe of a Dutchman, where we refted that night, and the next day paffed the Krome Rivier. In a few days we arrived at the houfe of one Veraira, a wealthy farmer, where we had the mortification to find our cattle in the fame condition as before; and thofe we had brought from the Cableows Rivier ftill worfe than the others. Upon finding the country extremely dry, and fcarcely a plant to be feen, I left Mr, Van R enan with the waggon, and directed my courfe towards the Cape, where I arrived on the twenty-third of March, after a journey of three months. o


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