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* In the third place, the shark needs not necessarily turn 
on his back to catch his prey, whatever may be its position. 
His eyes are so placed that he cannot distinctly see an object 
over, under, or directly before him; he must, therefore, push 
alongside, so as to bear one eye upon it; and to bring his 
mouth in contact with it, must turn upon his side. This 
movement, when overdone, which it often is, throws him, of 
course, on his back, and has given rise to the notion that 
such a posture is indispensable. 
* The value of the profusion of fine fish that frequent 
Algoa Bay is greatly enhanced by the vicinity of an extensive 
salt-pond, from which the whole district draws its supply of 
that useful article. The pond is situated on the other side 
of the Swartzkop River, about eight miles from the canton- 
ment, and five from the shore, above which it is considerably 
elevated. It is between two and three miles in circumference 
and, as might be expected, without any outlet. I visited 
this reservoir, with a party from the garrison, in the month 
of January, when the heat of the sun had dried it up except 
in the centre, which always retains more or less water. We 
broke through the saline deposit, at a considerable distance 
from the border, and found it eighteen inches deep. The 
annual accretions are about an inch thick, and easily dis- 
tinguishable by the interposition of thin layers of mud. In 
summer, when the water is nearly evaporated, the loose 
particles of salt are blown about by the wind, and collected 
in small wreaths, as pure and as white as the driven snow. 
The industrious housewives of Urtenhage and Graaf Reynett 
set a high value on this drifted salt, and charge their hus- 
bands to bring home as much of it as they can collect, when 
they go to the pond for salt, or pass near it on their return 
from Capetown. : 
oe When we had satisfied our curiosity regarding this 
object, we proposed to lengthen our ride for six miles farther, 
to a mineral spring celebrated throughout the district for its 
medicinal virtues. The water we found to be a strong chaly is 
beate, and of the temperature of the blood. It deposits its 
iron on the sides of the channel, in the form of a yellow 
