fatisfa&ion of meeting Colonel Gordon, who had arrived there only a few hours before us. On the banks of this river our caravan made a Ihort ftay, of which I was glad to take advantage in order to vifit and in- fpedl the Hope of the Camis Berg, which is adorned with a great variety of evergreen ihruhs ; but as this was the winter feafon I found very few in flower. When properly refted, we determined on profecuting our journey to the northward, having the Camis Berg on our right hand ; and in the evening, of the twenty-fifth, arrived at a Hottentot village, which confifted of eighteen huts, where we pafled the night, and next day continued our courfe northward. At noon we met a peafant who had come from the Great River, and was travelling towards the Cape, accompanied by a deferter, who had been feven years abfent, and had travelled over a great part of the country. This poor fellow was a native of Sweden, and made many fenfible reflections upon his misfortunes in Africa. This evening we arrived at the houfe of one Hermannias Engelbright, where we flayed feveral days, and fupplied ourfelves with neceflaries for our intended journey along the ihore of the Atlantic Ocean, as this was the laft houfe we were likely to meet with in our way. It is fituate on a branch of the Camis Berg; and, according to Colonel Gordon’s obfervation of the barometer, we found it to be two thoufand and eighty feet high, and in latitude thirty degrees. We were flrenuoufly advifed by the natives not to proceed farther. They informed us that we had to pafs an uninhabited defart, where neither man nor beaft was vifible, where there was a great fcarcity of water, and hardly a blade of grafs for the fupport of our cattle. Notwithftanding thefe difcou- ragements, we refolved to proceed as far as we poflibly could ; and it was agreed that one of us fhouid fet out a few days before the other, and that we ihould endeavour, if poflible, to meet at the mouth of the Great River. Colonel Gordon accordingly parted from us, and proceeded on his intended journey, entirely without a guide, as the natives at that time refuted to accompany us. The next day, after much perfuafion, I prevailed on one, who was rather more fpirited than the reft, to attend me, for which I recompenfed him with fome beads and tobacco ; we were alfo accompanied by a brother of my companion, Jacobus Van Renan, who had been to the eaft- ward to ihoot Elephants. On the firft of Auguft, we departed from this place, and were fupplied with a team of freih oxen for two days. The day after our departure we continued our journey about ten miles to the weftern extremity of the mountain, where we had a view of the Atlantic at the diftance of about forty miles. Here I colleded feveral plants, fuch as Ixias, Gladiolus, &c. We defcended the mountain with much difficulty, as it was both fteep and rugged ; and towards the evening, of the fecond, we arrived at a fountain of brackiih water. The foil in this part of the country confifts of a fandy clay. P
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