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will vegetate. The wax is in the form of a rough crust 

 investing the berries, and is extracted by boiling them in 

 water, straining the decoction, and suifering it to cool. It is 

 of a greenish colour, and possesses the hardness, without the 

 tenacity of bees' wax. When made into candles, it gives a 

 very fine light. 



" The vegetable productions of the country surrounding 

 Algoa Bay, are in many respects different from those of the 

 vicinity of Capetown. The Heaths and Proteas almost 

 disappear, and in their room we have numerous species of 

 Aloe and Euphorbia. These, for the most part, garnish the 

 rocks and precipices ; the Aloe perfoliata alone occupies the 

 plains, and, with its superb scarlet spikes, resembles, at a 

 distance, skirmishing parties of British soldiers. A singular 

 species of Euphorbia {E. Caput Medusce?) grows also in the 

 plains among the grass, where it appears as a round ball, 

 without stem or leaves, and bears a striking; resemblance in 

 shape to the common Echinus. In dry weather the cattle 

 eat it for the sake of its juice. 



" To give an idea of the immense shoals of fish that prowl 

 about the shores, I may mention the barbarous method by 

 which the Harder {Mugil crenilabis), and other small fish, 

 are sometimes taken off the Jettee. The sportsman employs a 

 piece of Spanish reed, to which he attaches a few fathoms of 

 hand-line, and to the extremity of the line three or four 

 hooks in the form of a grapnel : he drops this to the bottom, 

 and on pulling smartly, brings up two or three fish at a time. 

 But the barbarity of this mode of fishing is surpassed, if 

 possible, by the indelicacy of another, to which I was often 

 an eye-witness when on guard at Rogge Bay. This little 

 inlet is a sort of harbour in miniature, where the fishing 

 boats are laid up during the night. As it is the nearest 

 and most convenient spot, all the offerings to Cloacina 

 are carried thither by slaves at the dawn, and deposited 

 within high -water mark. The fishermen watch the return 

 of the tide; and when the deposit is washed away and 

 diffused over the bay, haul their nets, and seldom fail to 

 take a copious draught of Harders. It is probable that the 



