512 FLEMING ON THE RIVERS OF KAFRARIA, &c. [June 22, 1857. 



about 65 miles from it. These two rivers then flow on as distinct streams, and 

 unite just at the mouth, which is wide and open, but intersected with sand- 

 banks. This river meets the ocean about 20 miles n.e. of the Ixixini, and 

 about 12 miles s. of the Bashee. 



Crossing the Great Gnabaka, and passing along the coast towards the Bashee, 

 about a hundred yards up is a small bay or estuary, surrounded by cliffs of red 

 sandstone and oolite rock, in the faces of which I found the fossils imbedded. 

 They appear to have been subject to the action of the surf at high tides, for 

 they are much injured ; in fact hardly any parts of the original animals seem 

 left, but merely the indentation of where they have lain. They are, notwith- 

 standing, wonderful in dimensions, and sufficiently distinct to show pretty 

 plainly what they have been. So far as I could conclude from what I saw of 

 them, as well as my very limited knowledge of geology, I at once determined 

 them as gigantic sauroid reptiles of the oolite system,* but to classify them 

 beyond this I could not dare. I consequently made drawings separately of 

 each, as faithfully as I could, and with as much accuracy as to colour and form 

 as time would allow me. The measurements I obtained by getting one of my 

 Kafir guides to stand on the upper edge of the cliff and suspend a tape line 50 

 feet long, and the other Kafir to hold it tight at the base of the cliff, where the 

 different fossil extremities intersected : the marks on the tape gave me the exact 

 length, breadth, and dimensions. 



I much regretted that my time was so limited ; as it was, I remained there 

 till dark, met with a fearful thunder-storm in the mountains on my return, and 

 did not reach the traders' station, from which I had started in the morning, 

 until lialf-past 11 at night, wet through and benumbed with cold. From this 

 I started at daylight, and rode until half-past 8 in the evening, excepting two 

 hours during the extreme heat of the day, when I offsaddled the horses. 



In returning I took a differefit route, and inspected much of the country. In 

 all directions it was most lovely and luxuriant. Limestone and ironstone were 

 in many parts seen close to the surface, and the whole landscape was undulated 

 into long ridges of fertile hills, and these again divided by longitudinal valleys. 

 In no part of Kafirland have I seen more vegetation and fertility, and in saying 

 this I am not unmindful that I have always ranked Kafraria as the finest part 

 of Southern Africa ; if not indeed the most fertile and lovely locality in the 

 known world. 



I returned to Butterworth on Thursday night, and reaching the Kei, found, 

 to my dismay, that recent rains in the mountains had brought down the torrent 

 of this formidable river as a barrier to my farther progress. Trusting myself 

 again, however, to my Kafir guides, I swam the river, and was nearly drowned. 

 Thank God, I reached its furthest bank at length in safety, and after spending 

 one more night under the canopy of heaven, I rose with the sun and reached my 

 home at King William Town by 3 p.m. on Saturday. 



* The dimensions of the largest one were as under : — 



Feet. In. 



Length of the head 3 ] 



back 12 [ Total length, 25 feet. 



„ tail 10 I 



Width of the head 2 



Length of front fins 2 4 



hind feet 3 



