Sandwich Harbour northwards to Waltisch Bay, but water can be 

 found almost anywhere between the old and the new mouths by 

 digging in the sand. Hence it would appear that the river water 

 still travels seawards under the sands of its ancient bed. The 

 sand of the district is composed of the disintegrated rocks of the 

 neighbouring formation, consisting principally of granite, gneiss, 

 mica-schist, and quartz. The clay deposits of the river contain 

 much saline matter. 



The 'Nara is popularly supposed to be independent of moisture, 

 but I strongly doubt if this is really the case. The natives never 

 attempt its cultivation or to aid in its propagation in any way. 

 When the idea is suggested to them they simply laugh and say 

 " The new 'Naras grow when the river comes down and -there are 

 plenty." 



The Kuisip only runs at long intervals. Tt is now about seven 

 years since it last " came down." Of course on the rare occasions 

 when the stream flows into the sea along its present bed there is 

 a great increase of underground drainage along the ancient water- 

 ways beneath the 'Nara veldt. I believe that after the river has 

 been down the buried seeds of many past seasons begin to 

 germinate and the new plants spring up in the sands of these 

 river-beds after the water has disappeared from the surface. The 

 blown sand then gradually forms round and covers the stem and 

 runners which continually push upwards to the surface. A 

 hillock or small dune is then formed, overspread with the bush, 

 and so the process of growing and burying goes on till a con- 

 siderable sand hill is formed crowned with the grey-green 'Nara 

 — the stem of which now assuming the appearance of a root 

 reaches far down to tap the water underlying the arid river-bed. 



The fruit ripens about the end of January and lasts till May. 

 For nearly half the year it forms almost the sole food of the 

 Topnaars, while cattle, dogs, and jackals eat it readily. The 

 seeds are sold to the local store-keepers and form an article of 

 commerce under the name of "butter-pits." The taste of the 

 fruit is by no means agreeable to the civilised palate, but the 

 liking for it is sometimes acquired by the European residents who 

 cannot easily obtain any other fruit. 



it, and those who go into the 'Nara veldt sickly and weak, come 

 out at the end of the season strong and healthy looking. But 

 these people live during the cold and foggy winter' months on a 

 not always sufficient diet of fish. The change to an abundance 

 of fresh and satisfying fruit during the fine summer weather, in 

 a healthy atmosphere, must of itself be an element in the bene- 

 ficial result. 



The curative properties of the fruit, ^er se, have yet to be tested. 

 The root or buried stem is certainly used by the natives as a 

 remedy for gonorrhoea, it is said with perfect success. " A decoc- 

 tion of the root, which is a strong purgative, is administered 

 internally, and in severe cases an external application of the 

 oil (?) extracted from the ripe fruit is made use of." (Mr. Wrey'e 

 Ileport of Survej?.) ■ 



