*775; ¿September. •^rrsJ put over with our faddle-horfes and waggon,» but the ©Xen were made to fwim acrois. Notwithftanding that the river was; at this, time very wide and deep, yet during part o f the fummer its waters are faid to fall fo prodigioufly, that one may both ride and -drive over it with eafe. Dire£tly on the other fide of this river there was a farm, where we took up our night’s lodging. On the ad we continued our journey till we came to Zwellendam. This place, which I have, marked in the map with the letters O V C interwoven-with each other, or the Dutch company’s mark, is the refidence of a landrojl, as he is called, who is the governor o f the whole eaftern tra£t of the African colonies. Here was a large handfome edifice built for him, and two other leffer ones for two of his affiftants or chief officers. The drqft gave us a good reception, and a bed at night, He likewife procured us two Hottentots from a neighbour-* ing craal, to aifift us in our journey. So that my two firft were difmifled our fervice according to our previous agree-* ment; though the youth, who had made fuch a great difficulty of accompanying me, was now very loth to part with me. The landroft perceiving that I had got but in*- different oxen in my waggon, offered me a whole team of much better: but, though I was told that I might have them on credit, I would not venture to deal any more in oxen, efpecially as my former bargain had turned out ft> bad. Befides, being but a ftranger, I was more afraid of a ufurer than of any o f the wild beafts in Africa; neither did I think that it would now anfwer to the expence, as this this year had already fet in as i f it would be the drieff in | the memory of man. Otherwife, had ! been able to afford W O another team'of oxen, I fhould doubtlefs have made a much longer journey, ai well as more advantageous for natural hiftory. # The people at this place pretended to have Obferved, - that the wind, when it blew from the fouth-eaft at the Cape, Was always northerly with theiii; and that, when it had ceafed raining at the Cape, they had ftill flight ihowers at Zwellendam. They likewife informed me, that a very fatal diftemper prevailed there every winter among the horfes, but that it never made its appearance at Slangen- ■rivier and Potteberg, although both thefe places lie not far from Zwellendam, as may be feen in my map. Itwasfuppofed, that the falt-water which the horfes were obliged to drink àt both thefe places, was what preferved them. It is probable, however, that the fea-winds purify the air in thofe parts ; and, on the contrary, that the northerly wind which comes to Zwellendam from the interior part o f the country, brings with it vapours very noxious to the health of the horfes ; efpecially as it was ' obferved, that fuch horfes as- were kept up in the liable, were hardly ever feized with the diftemper. The nature o f the diforder was fùch, that a horfe would die almoft inftantaneoufly ; fometimes with— out any vifible fymptom preceding it, and iometimes after a tumor had appeared on the chëft or groin.- It was-here that I faw for thé firft time in my life one Of thofe animals called quaggas by the Hottentots and co- lonifts. It is a fpecies of wild horfé, very like the zebra',. the difference confifting'in this, that the quagga has ill or ter 6 ears,,
27f 72-1
To see the actual publication please follow the link above