We next direited our courfe through a fandy plain, where I found a variety of plants; but as moft of them were of the fuc- culent tribe, I could preferve no perfeft fpecimens. In the evening we faw the dung of Elephants, and at night came to a hollow rock, where we had abundance of water ; on the north and fouth fide were lofty mountains of a conical figure, and covered with the Aloe Dichotoma. In the afternoon, of the following day, we proceeded on our journey through a fandy country. In the night we palled feveral dangerous places, and faw the print of Lions, which occafioned us to flay all night at a pit of brackilh water. This was not a country which flattered us with the expectation of pleafure; we therefore continued our journey northward, as foon as day, along a bed of heavy fand, between two precipices. This fand is driven down by the violent torrents of water which fall here during thefummer feafon; but at this time the ground was aimoft dry, and the little water we found was rather f a it; at many places indeed where the water had dried up, were quantities of excellent fait. At night we arrived at the Coufie, or Sand River; we were now about ten miles from the Atlantic Ocean, where the Sand River empties itfelf. The banks afforded us excellent pafture for our cattle; and as they were greatly fatigued, we agreed to reft a few days, and to range the adjacent fields in fearch of plants. During our refidence in this place, one of my Hottentots who had been upon the hill, told us that he faw two waggons about three miles to the weftward, which we fuppofed to belong to Colonel Gordon. Soon after I received a letter from ^779^ him, and we proceeded to the Rhinoceros Fountain. The >— <—■> river was frequented by a variety of Water-fowl, which afforded us excellent fp o rt; among tliefe we found great numbers of Flamingoes, of two fpecies, one much fmaller than the other. We flayed here two days, and made excurfions along the Ihore, where we faw ftrata of the moft beautiful rocks I ever beheld, fome of them as white as fnow, and others veined with red and other colours; this we took for a fpecies of quartz. Here we faw feveral huts made of the ribs of Whales, and others of Elephants bones; but we perceived that they had not been inhabited for many years, Colonel Gordon’s companion, and the two Van Renans, being informed of a herd of Elephants which were feen to the northward, left us on the feventh, while we directed our courfe to the mouth of the river, where was a large lake of water which communicated with the fea. Here we expedited to catch fome fiih, but we found none that were larger than a fprat. In the afternoon we ihot fome wild Ducks, and returned to the waggon. In the evening our companions re» turned, finding the Elephants were gone. From this place we directed our courfe north, through a fandy country. We travelled the whole day, and at night were informed by our guide, that we were not half way to the firft w a te r; and that, as it was extremely dark, he would not venture to conduit or direit us through the fandy downs which lay along the Ihore, and extended many miles to the eaftward.
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