154 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



[July 1, 1867. 



decidedly fair races in very hot climates, but it is iu 

 these parts that we find the most colourless variety 

 of the human family, the Albinos. On the other 

 hand, the Kamtschatkans and Aleutians have skins 

 as swarthy, and hair as dark, as the natives of hot 

 climates. Dr. Prichard has figured in his "Natural 

 History of Man," one of each of these tribes with 

 complexions equal in tint to a Malayan ; and La 

 Perouse and Krusenstein both relate, that the in- 

 habitants of the Bay of Crillon, living in what ought 

 to be a temperate, if not a cold region of the north- 

 east coast of Africa, are nearly black ! 



J. L. Milton. 



A RAMBLE IN SOUTH APRICA. 



BY CAPT. G. E. BTJLGER, F.L.S. 



A BROAD, steep, and rough path of two or 

 -^-*- three hundred yards in length, led us from 

 the high ground where the regiment was encamped, 

 down to the road which skirts the southern edge of 

 the Buffalo River, and connects the ferry with the 

 town of East London. This road runs close to the 

 foot of the somewhat lofty cliffs that here form the 

 right-hand boundary of the stream, and ends just 

 above the ferry, where two large cables are stretched 

 across from bank to bank for the purpose of warping 

 the pout, or floating bridge, backwards and for- 

 wards. It is a good road so far as it goes, and a 

 pleasant one, inasmuch as it affords two attractive 

 views — one up and the other down the river. The 

 first exhibits a charming reach of the broad and 

 imposing stream, with its bold and picturesquely 

 wooded banks ; and the other the debouchement of 

 its waters into the South Atlantic Ocean, where the 

 huge rolling billows of that most stormy sea dash 

 themselves on the dangerous bar with a crashing 

 roar that is scarcely ever silent, even in the calmest 

 weather. 



East London — a straggling little town without a 

 particle of beauty — is built upon the right bank of 

 the river, and directly opposite is the more pictu- 

 resque village of Panmure. The Buffalo, which 

 flows between them, is here a noble stream, being 

 at the ferry, between two and three hundred yards 

 across. Its banks are a series of bold, roundish 

 hills, which on the Panmure side are wooded more 

 or less throughout, though in parts near the sea 

 the trees are by no means plentiful, and the under- 

 brush is thin and scarce enough. Above the ferry 

 the forest is strikingly peculiar, being for some 

 distance composed exclusively of the Giant Euphor- 

 bia (Euphorbia grandidens) , which is here tall and 

 large, and remarkably abundant. This most strange- 

 looking tree, so common to many portions of the 

 South African landscape, is singularly unattractive 

 in its appearance, owing to the dull uniformity of 

 its succulent andjleafless stems, which, resembling 



gigantic candelabra in shape, are rigid and unna- 

 tural-looking in the extreme — much more suggestive 

 of death than life ! The woods which it forms are 

 of a dark and mournfully uniform hue. The gaunt 

 weird-like stems stand up all around one like skele- 

 tons. There is no grace of general figure, no beauty 

 of detail. There are no leaves dancing iu the sun- 

 light—none of those lovely and perpetually changing 

 effects of light and shade, caused by the incessant 

 vibration of the foliage iu ordinary forests. All is 

 dull ; all is moveless ; all is silent as the grave ! 

 Apparently utterly deserted, motion seems to be 

 lost amidst these gloomy groves, and one involun- 

 tarily shudders at the unnatural solitude which is 

 their constant characteristic. Nevertheless, when 

 viewed in the distance, they are very picturesque, 

 and their sombre colour and dense solid-looking 

 masses contrast well with the swaying branches and 

 lighter green of the other trees around. 



On the East London side the remains of " bush" 

 are but scanty, particularly near the mouth of the 

 river ; but higher up the axe has not been so de- 

 structive, and there is still enough of woodland left 

 to render the scene exceedingly wild and beautiful. 



The river nobly foams and flows, 

 The charm of this enchanted ground, 



And all its thousand turns disclose 

 Some fresher beauty varying round. 



The ferry is about half a mile above the junction 

 of the Buffalo with the sea, and the pont consists of 

 a double boat, united under one strong deck, which 

 is of sufficient size to receive two cf the long wag- 

 gons of the country, with spans of fourteen or six- 

 teen oxen each, upon it. 



Having crossed the river by means of the pont, 

 we ascended a steepish slope to the village of Pan- 

 mure, and then, turning to our right-hand, took 

 what would be called in America a " bee-line," as 

 nearly as possible in the direction of a rather pro- 

 minent sand-hill, which forms a tolerably conspicu- 

 ous landmark on the coast, a short distance beyond 

 a rocky point where a noble barque, called the 

 Medusa, was wrecked a few months ago. On our 

 way we passed a small pond, or vlei, as it is called 

 out here, prettily fringed with aquatic plants of 

 various kinds, and adorned with a number of small 

 islets of vegetation, amongst which we could discern 

 some tiny water-fowl paddling about ; but they 

 were too quick in their motions, and too distant to 

 enable us to glean much information concerning 

 them. They probably belong to the species Orty- 

 gometra pusillus. 



Having reached the coast, we quitted the uneven 

 summit of the bank and scrambled down to the 

 beach, then presenting a noble expanse of hard, 

 firm sand, uncovered by the ebb tide. It was so 

 beautifully smooth and compact, that one experi- 

 enced a positive pleasure in moving over its level 



