BOTANICAL INFORMATION. Ill) 



Phytiglossa, Barleria, several Graminiete, chiefly Panicea, 

 and several succulent Crassulacets, Ficoidece and Euphor- 

 biacece, associate in the shade of those thickets. After our 

 descent, we followed upwards the course of that river 

 for a few hours, till we crossed it. There were not many 

 plants in bloom, except a fine Ipomcea and the Grewia obtu- 

 sifolia, which presented their showy flowers on some places 

 along the banks of the river. A kind of blue slate forms the 

 greater part of the bottom of this extensive valley, in which 

 the Great Fish River has worn a considerably deep channel : 

 although the banks on both sides were steep we had no 

 accident when passing it. The Great Fish River and the 

 Sunday River are both periodical streams, and rise toge- 

 ther in the Sneewbergen, or Snow Mountains, a district 

 where, during summer time, heavy thunder showers fre- 

 quently fall, which cause these rivers to be impassa- 

 ble for several weeks, However, fortunately, there was 

 scarely any run of water in either when we passed them. 

 The banks are shaded with nearly the same kind of trees as 

 those of the Sunday River. Some buds of the Acacia Ca- 

 pensis, opening already, showed their yellow flowers. The 

 soil along the banks is generally very rich, being alluvial; 

 still very little of it is cultivated, on account of scarcity 

 of streams or springs which can be used for irrigation. 

 The water of the Fish River runs useless to the ocean, and 

 could only be employed for that purpose at great expence. 

 As the caterpillars of many Lepidoptera had commenced 

 devastations among the young shoots of the Acacia and 

 other kinds of trees, several kinds of cuckoos had arrived from 

 their migratory trip, and seemed to be enjoying their frugal 

 meal. Cuculus clamosus, auratus, Klasii, serratus, and a few- 

 specimens of C. solitarius, inhabited the woods near the river, 

 with Upupa Africana. Cuculus auratus and Klasii are the 

 finest; they seem to be careful not to spoil their fine plumage, 

 but give the hatching and feeding of their young ones to the 

 care of the common sparrows and other small birds. 



We ascended with great toil the height on the left sid<\ 



