270 



" In the third place, the shark needs not necessarily turn 

 on his back to catch his pi'ey, whatever may be its position. 

 His eyes are so placed that he cannot distinctly see an object 

 over, under, or directly before him; he must, therefore, push 

 alongside, so as to bear one eye upon it ; and to bring his 

 mouth in contact with it, must turn upon his side. This 

 movement, when overdone, which it often is, throws him, of 

 course, on his back, and has given rise to the notion that 

 such a posture is indispensable. 



" The value of ihe profusion of fine fish that frequent 

 Algoa Bay is greatly enhanced by the vicinity of an extensive 

 salt-pond, from which the whole district draws its supply of 

 that useful article. The pond is situated on the other side 

 of the Swartzkop River, about eight miles from the canton- 

 ment, and five from the shore, above which it is considerably 

 elevated. It is between two and three miles in circumference, 

 and, as might be expected, without any outlet. I visited 

 this reservoir, with a party from the garrison, in the month 

 of January, when the heat of the sun had dried it up except 

 in the centre, which always retains more or less water. We 

 broke through the saline deposit, at a considerable distance 

 from the border, and found it eighteen inches deep. The 

 annual accretions are about an inch thick, and easily dis- 

 tinguishable by the interposition of thin layers of mud. In 

 summer, when the water is nearly evaporated, the loose 

 particles of salt are blown about by the wind, and collected 

 in small wreaths, as pure and as white as the driven snow. 

 The industrious housewives of Urtenhage and Graaf Reynett 

 set a high value on this drifted salt, and charge their hus- 

 bands to bring home as much of it as they can collect, when 

 they go to the pond for salt, or pass near it on their return 

 from Capetown. 



" When we had satisfied our curiosity regai'ding this 

 object, we proposed to lengthen our ride for six miles farther, 

 to a mineral spring celebrated throughout the district for its 

 medicinal virtues. The water we found to be a strong chaly- 

 beate, and of the temperature of the blood. It deposits its 

 iron on the sides of the channel, in the form of a yellow 



