BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 329 



being erected on an elevated ridge, probably chosen by the 

 inmates, for observing the game at a considerable distance, 

 and to prepare them at their hiding-places for an opportu- 

 nity of shooting them with poisoned arrows. Game was 

 very abundant here j a great quantity of skulls and bones of 

 these animals strewed about their court-yard, showed suffi- 

 ciently that they were successful, and made frequent use of 

 the wild animals which roam about here. We did not 

 expect that there was any living being when approaching 

 that place, till we were surprized by a lean, little and filthy- 

 looking bushman, who was armed with bow and quiver, 

 filled with arrows. He advanced towards us with marks of 

 rear and curiosity; and although we tried, by making signals, 

 to enter with him into conversation, it was all in vain ; the 

 wretched expression of his physiognomy left very little hope 

 that he would understand any thing, except what is ne- 

 cessary for him to preserve his life in that lonely wilderness. 

 He seemed much pleased with a present of tobacco, which 

 has been, most likely, the reason of his servility, and for 

 which he met us already at a distance from his residence, that 

 he might have some of that highly esteemed narcotic. Re- 

 membering the fate of Captain Harris's team of oxen, some 

 years previous, about this track, we took great caution to 

 secure our team against any visit during night from these 

 merciless butchers, and continued our journey early next 

 morninsr. 



Travelling for some hours over an open, but somewhat 

 undulated tract, with some scattered flat topped hills, till we 

 arrived at the height of a deep and wide valley, at the bottom 

 of which the «Gy Roup," or Great Vet River runs, a pe- 

 riodical stream, which we crossed somewhat below its 

 source. 



In descending the slope on its left side, our attention was 

 attracted by the change which took place with regard to 

 vegetation towards that depressed locality, in the occurrence 

 °f several kinds of plants, hitherto not observed on our 

 route, belonging to a more northerly and hotter climate. 



v ol. v. B B 



