BOTANICAL INFORMATION, 649 
tation could be descried but a scanty growth of Mesembryan- 
thema. On application at a house, situated rather remote 
from the rest, the owner let me have some bread and other 
provisions ; but said that I must not enter, or the neighbours 
would apprehend infection. The distance that yet lies between 
this place and Uitenhage is considered more trying than all 
our previous journey, because water is particularly scarce. 
Till the 5th of July we continued our journey ata very 
slow pace, ourselves and the cattle suffering severely with 
hunger and thirst. On one occasion I was much disap- 
pointed in not capturing a large ant-eater, which, when 
pursued, took to a hole not big enough to admit him, but 
though another man and I, with a spade, endeavoured to 
dig him out of the ground, he burrowed so actively, making 
the hard soil and stones fly before him, that we, weak and 
fatigued, were obliged to give up the chase. Often we 
travelled all day without drink, and thought ourselves fortu- 
nate to find a pool of dirty and brackish water at night. The 
oxen, which scented water on such occasions from a great 
distance, became sometimes so unruly that we could not 
keep them in the path, though their poor feet were so sore, 
that they had difficulty in standing still; and often seemed 
unable to move. At last, I decided on leaving the waggon 
in Punyer's charge and going forward to Uitenhage for a 
fresh supply of cattle. The leader volunteered to accompany 
me, and the driver to stay with Punyer, and on the 6th we 
accordingly parted company ; but many were the difficulties 
. MY companion and I met with ere reaching Uitenhage. The 
Very first night, when tempted, by the coolness of the air, 
We endeavoured to thread a pass in the Zwart-Berg, we lost 
. OUr way in the bush, and wandered about, narrowly missing 
. ^ fall down a bank upwards of twenty feet high. I also 
. Stumbled into an ant-eater's hole and though no bones were | 
* broken, I found myself much shaken. The nights we re-80 
-frosty and chilly, that it was hopeless to attempt sleeping ; 
And weariness, and we generally found it best to lie down to 
. VOL. Iv. s = BBB 
