water, which has the appearanee/of. boiling: I:do not exactly
recollect theidèjÿree-sof température-of it-jihut it was ‘below the
boiling poiritÿaswe tried an-eggjinit for densmiitotes»'#fcli;..it |
did not boil hard, though it considerably thiçkeneà the consis*-
tency^ of the- white-of i t . . A considerable .dégfee; of trouble; is
saved; to those who livfenear this spring by scalding’ their fowls
and pigs in it, a practice rtQt very grateful; to th e taste ; o f. those
who gOithere. to drink the water. Sportsmen who visit this quarter.
must be »careful that theiridpgsdo *
if their feet are /sGalded it deprives them ;of Jthe ability kfextri-
cate themselves from < it. .
These springs bubble through a^bednf sand;at thfed©öt 'öfr,a '
steep rock, forming a pool, from which they descend'in a-stream
of about-fightifeet w ideband two -orntlree fëetaÉÉep, running
upwards of' an hundred yards befordi the^wa tols sufficiently
c0oi'to‘! admit of being branched off fonthe^-supply of the'oâlttô.
The narrow and sequestered Brandt's Valley coatairis but one
farm,-the dwelling-house of which is - near the bath huts, ' and
there people of ; a superior description may be accommodated.
The valley is hemmed in by towering-mountains, rWhóSe ïuggéM
overhanging- sides form some of the boldestfeàturesf of‘Nature.
Prom these it is curious to observe the progress of the^smöking
stream through- the silent glen, disposing the mind to* rojUan#©
ideas. . I could not avoid recalling to: my remembrance thé
mountains of Morven, and the lake of Lago' in Ossiari's -Poems-.
The baths at Swaart Berg are strongly chalybeate, ‘ ‘They are
much frequented ; and the accommodations are far superior tó
the other two. | All ranks assemble here at certain seasons, as
well for pleasure as health, from Gape Town, and thedelightful
villages of Stellenbosch and the Paard. These Fashimableïhavç
an opportunity of enjoyi ng as gréât a transition to inconvenience
and expence, by crouding into the huts, as the Nobility and
Gentry
Gentry..of Britain experience -at our'watering places: and I
eppgid'er^thgSpeedatetriesf <$.;ffi^D$tck. Boowl better adapted
to their education and manners, ^ th^n - the amusemepts, of ass;
and^piriocsk races-, lately,in vogue afMargate, <5cc; to more refined)
un4ierstanHing|>A ^
.At$hiS‘place? Relation Doctor J ’anie|. 'Robert Grant, Sur- ,
geon to the-Staff at the Gape; -met with - a Doctor ’Brandt, who
afterwards accord panied me in th.&Lady‘-Nelson. I -This eccentric.
Gentleman haSd--beep Wiec|Le^an,Delgoa Bay, o n b o a rd the
Lion East Indiaman, to which .sh ^ h e h ad belongedin a medi-
oabcapadity. He travelled;'by4ahd-ttb'iCape Town; where, on
his arrival; herelatedaihany ex^aord^ary^ddv^tufes which hd
had encountered on- his jourriey,wwith -sphie' circmpstariee^ re^
specting the existence off the unicorn, that influenced many in
the*’ bblief tbeyeywas in reality-such an animal. Without entering
into any investigation of the absurd'Po^iori^of this'literary
oddity, I think it, but-proper to reihark, that thosqbest ac-
quaipte^with the conntryp'wriom I have had an-opportunity of
conversing with on the subject, doub t ' the" existence of I t j and
with much propriety. The Eeland (BOtinde Bock or Qoddo)
wKo$e horps jreserhble^ery much the- onfe depicted'fOr-t^, unicorn,
■ from their being placed so near-to» ‘eafc'h othdr-, and scarcely
diverging; will evidently, in a profile view by- a rude artist, be
frequently represented as:one ;-and this^te,;,often-perceived in
-thesmallsticks made by thet Hottentots, on which these-animals
f hre: scratched,' and -accounts most- satisfactorily for the
figures 'discovered in the caVes, ro fth e B'Oschmen, which have
been brought in evidenceiof th^l existence df the unicorni 4 -
As'Dr. Brandt and his-sobmpanions, (a dog and a baboon,)
* A ten® for rSMijping, -low jokes and pastimes.
formed