24 BOTANICAL EXCURSIONS 
but perpendicular, sheer down from the edge of the road to 
the river-bed, a depth of more than 600 feet. The place 
where we crossed, is called Helle Drift. Here we were met by 
a cavalcade of many of the principal people of George, headed 
by the Civil Commissioner, who came to welcome and pay 
their respects to the Governor. There was, however, no re- 
lay of horses for the waggons, and oxen were yoked instead ; 
the consequence was, that we made very slow progress, and 
the whole day's journey, from Jan Dupré's to Hagel Kraal, 
occupied twelve hours. 
March 28.—On the 28th we crossed the mountains by the 
Attaquas Kloof, the least formidable, though not the most 
frequented of the various passes which lead across it, con- 
necting the maritime portion of George District with the 
great valley called the Long Kloof. The Attaquas Kloof is, 
indeed, for the most part a good mountain road, though 
some portions of it are (or were at the time I speak of) very 
steep. It had been partly executed by Major Michell, who 
calculates that a further outlay of £300, with the employ- 
ment of a small party of convicts, would complete all that is 
necessary to make it a safe and easy pass.* Indeed the 
natural obstacles do not appear so formidable here as in the 
case of the Hottentot Holland Kloof. There is no such 
mural barrier as there: the road winds among huge green 
hills, above which here and there appear rocky peaks; but 
there is nothing striking in the way of mountain scenery. 
From the heights the sea was plainly visible, being not more 
than twenty miles distant in a straight line, and in the oppo- 
site direction we had a good view of the Great Zwarteberg, 
or Black Mountains, a chain which runs nearly parallel to 
that we were now crossing. The day’s journey, from Hagel 
Kraal to Saffraan Kraal (Raubenheimer’s) at the northern — 
extremity of the Kloof, was about twenty-four miles, which, - 
as we were drawn by oxen most part of the way, took eight 
hours. 
* See the Paper previously quoted. 
