i77S- moil remarkable in this plant is, its producing two forts of leaves totally different from each other, viz. while the upper ones on the italk are from one to two inches long only, wedge-lhaped and undivided, the lower ones are feveral inches long, and divided into many parts in the form of branches. The road on the north fide o f Hottentots Holland's Mountain was not near fo fleep, yet we were obliged at intervals to lock one o f the wheels. All this part of the country, that lies on this or the north fide of the above- mentioned mountain, is by the inhabitants commonly called Agter de Berg, or Over de Berg. By noon we came to Palmite Rivier, where it runs through a beautiful little plain. Here, according to our ufual cuitom, we baited during the heat o f the day. As not a Angle bridge is to be found over any itream or river in all Africa, and ferryboats are eitablifhed only at two places, we vyere obliged to crofs over at this part in water four feet in depth, which reached quite up to my faddle. Though the rivers in thofe places, where they crofs the public roads, are generally not deep, yet this method o f pafiing them is fometimes dangerous as well as tedious; for after one or more days rain, efpecially in winter, it often happens, that one is obliged to flay a week or a fortnight, and fometimes longer, before the water is fallen enough for one to venture to pafs i t ; and that in places where, at other times, (particularly in fummer) one may almoft go over dry-ihod; and though the water ihould afterwards fall in fome meafure, one cannot neverthelefs venture with any fafety to go over as ufual, for fear that the flood ihould have formed fome inequainequalities there, or elfe have made the bed deeper by wafh- '77;- ing away the earth. Some more defperate and fool-hardy vJyO' peafants, who are impatient at waiting fo long for the falling of the water, or who have fo fmall a flock of proviiion as not to be able to make any long flay, are venturefome enough to fwim their waggons over, fo that the water will rife above the middle of the body of the carriage: and1 though their wives, children, and the baggage they have with them, ihould undergo a good fouling, it makes no’ great difference to them. The Have, or the Hottentot, whom, as they do not make ufe o f reins, they are unavoidably obliged to employ for the purpofe o f leading the fore- moll pair of oxen -through the moll dangerous places, mull in fuch cafes fwim with them in his hand;; and a lucky thing it is for the mailer, i f the whim does not take them, to follow the llream, or turn about, or play any other tricks.. Thefe animals, however, when they are well: broke in, will at any time all Hand ftill together on their driver’s gently calling to them Ho, Ha; and lb in like manner each ox in particular will pay attention,and goto the right or to the left, merely upon hearing its own name pronounced: with a Hote or a Haar added to i t ; and with this amufing ox-language, and the names of the beafts brought in oc— cafionally, not to mention the noify cracks o f the whip,, the traveller muft lay his account in being continually entertained, particularly in fuch parts o f the road, in which this- practice is more peculiarly neceffary in order to get them on. Add to this, the nice attention requifife in order to make ufe of the whip not only frequently, but at proper times and feaibns; and it follows, that the bufinefs o f waggondriving
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