Brothers; and in this defolate region there was no one who could difpute any denomination by which we chofe to diftin- guifh whatever we met with. T o the northward we difcovered oa large valley about three miles diftant, but found there was no water. This Colonel Gordon called Benting’s Valley. We were obliged to ftay here all night, as our cattle were fo much fatigued, that it was impoilible to proceed farther; our Dg uide informed us that we were then about eiOght miles from the river. Early in the morning, Colonel Gordon, Jacobus Van Renan and I, left the waggons and proceeded on our journey. In our way we found an Oftrich neft, containing thirty-four freih eggs, which proved excellent food. We faw feveral Zebras, Quachas, and Elks. At ten in the forenoon we arrived at the river, which appeared at once to be a new creation to us. After having paffed nine days in crofting an arid and fultry defart, where no living animal was to be feen, and during which our cattle had but twice tailed the luxury of a drop o f water. We unfaddled our horfes and refrelhed ourfelves by the fide of the river, under the lhade of a Willow, which hung over its banks ; and afterwards made an excurfion along the river to the eallward, hoping that we fhould find fome appearance of our loft companion, who had been feven days abfent from the waggons. We obferved feveral old uninhabited huts, where were numbers of Baboons bones, with thofe of various other wild beafts. About a thoufand yards from the banks of the river, the country is extremely barren, and to the eaftward very mountainous. On thefe eminences there is fcarcely any
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