>775. Europe, as being one of the largeil of this fpecies that o - rO ever was found. On the 9th we again vifited Sitjicamma, where we now found a number of fnakes, which, on account o f the farmers having fet fire to the dry grafs, for the purpofe of manuring their Jands, fled to the fands, and there at this time lay dead; partly fcorched by the fire, partly dried by the fun, and in part rotted to pieces. There were fome traces left of their having had four legs, _fo that probably this ferpent was the anguis quadrupes of L i n n ^ u s . Numbers of the bulla achatina of L i n n a e u s , though only the variatas lívida of it, were found alive on the fandy plains, and up in the trees. When I was here before, I found in the very ihell of one of thefe fnails, feveral yolks of eggs (as it were) of the ihape of common eggs, which, however, only contained a thin watery liquid. On the x ith, having taken up our quarters near Wagen- booms-rivier, the moil eaflerly part of Lange-kloof, we dif- covered at night on a fudden, that a trait, near three miles in length, confifting of fields of dry grafs, was in flames. This conflagration, which a neighbouring farmer had caufed, for the purpofes of deftroying the arid plants, grafs, and bulhes that grew on his lands, (but it mull be owned, had fet about it very mal-a-propos, both as to time and weather,) fpread with the wind that blew very hard, with incredible fpeed, proceeding in a direil line to the farm where we were; fo that our hoils were obliged to throw water on the roof of their corn-loft, in order to preferve it from the flames. We were likewife not a little anxious for the fafety of our waggon, and were obliged to keep ourfelves ourfelves in readinefs to drive it into the water, as well as to put off our journey till the next day, as the fire burnt rapidly on each fide o f the road. By this way of drefling the land, a number of ferpents, lizards, fcorpions, and feveral other kinds o f infeéts, together with young birds, are generally deitroyed in their habitations. When we failed along the African coait, in the Refelution, on our return from the South Pole; we faw o f nights feveral large fires up the country, which probably were occafioned by the lands being fet fire to in this manner. A piece o f lapis lazuli in a matrix o f quartz, which I found in the vicinity of the river above-mentioned, is tolerably rich ; but, fuppofing it ihould abound here, even then it would hardly pay for the fmeldng, on account of the length o f the way and the badnefs o f the roads, by which the coal and fuel muff be brought hither for this purpofe from Sitjikammà. On the 13th we left this place, and arrived at Krakeeh rivier, which I now found to be a continuation of Wag'en- booms-rivieŸ, but have forgot to redtify the error in my map *. In the evening, riding alone to Aapies-rfoier on a mettlefome horfe which I had lately purchafed, arid which was unacquainted with this part of the country, I unavoidably loll my way when the night was far advanced ; efpecially as the road over certain fields Was unbeaten and not to be diftinguiihed. In the mean while, there came on the moffvio- lent ftorm of thunder that I ever experiencedin any climate : the lightning frequently darting and crackling between my horfe’s feet, while I was naturally enough ptxiliing him on as * vThis error is re&ified in the prefent edition, - ' V o l . II. T t faff >775. March.
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