MoDlI'Il -V 'IiiX (il- SOllll A IKK AN UAT :\ I- Al.I.. J I ( j 



Cieori![e is absolute pnnif that the rainfall must have been i^reater 

 and more soakinj^ than at the i)i"esent time. 



Besides referrinjx to the forests, several of these placaats 

 between the years 1702 and 1743 i)rohibit the ruthless cuttin^jj of 

 reeds and rushes on the Cape Downs. These would indicate the 

 presence of considerable vleis in those days, and" the existence 

 of far wetter conditions than are now to be found at, or in the 

 vicinitv of. Ca])e Town. This belief is further strenj^jthened by 

 certain f'lacaats ])robil)iting the killing of the hii)]x)p()tamus 

 (1677, if)So, etc.), and of "wild asses" (1742), and orovern- 

 ing the trading in ivory. The physical conditions re(|uired by 

 these animals are scarcely the conditions to be foimd to-day, 

 and since the elephant was then to l)e found right along the 

 coastal belt of South .Africa, there is strong presumptive evi- 

 dence that the area now almost karroo between Swellendam 

 and M( ssel Bay was then, at any rate in large i)art, forest 

 country 



-V:^ early as 1687 the detrimental etifect of grass-burning 

 was apparently realised, for in that year a placaat was issued 

 strictly prohibiting it, and making it punishable with scourging 

 for the first offence, and death for the second. 



We next find evidence of vastly different h'ydrological con- 

 ditions from those of to-day in quite another direction, namely, 

 in the names given by the early Dutch ])ioneers to places to 

 Nvhich the names would be most inappropriate at present. We 

 have, for instance, names such as Rhenosterhock and Zeekoc 

 Rivicr. in the middle of the Cape Karn^o. Can anyone to-day 

 imagine the countr\ l)etween De .\ar and Xaauw])oort as a 

 home for the hippopotamus? I think not. Still, the names of 

 such j)laces and rivers as those mentioned pro\e that at one time 

 these huge water-loving aniiuals abounded there. 



Our actual meteorological records are for far too short a 

 period to be of much practical value in determining whether or 

 not there has been any ])ermanent decrease in the rainfall of 

 South Africa. But in the records of his travels in South Africa 

 between the \ears 1804 and 18a; T.ichtenstein, who journeyed 

 through ])ractically all of the then settled South Africa, makes 

 casual mention of natural facts, from which we can judge some- 

 thing of the hydrological conditions of his day. For instance, 

 referring to Matjesfontein, he .says: 



What, above all things, niak'.'s it reiiiarkaMc is tlu' excellent quality 

 of tlie grass in the neighbuurhocKi. .\nnther advantage enjoyed is that it 

 is free from pernicious droughts. 



This reference is the more striking l)ecause. if 1 am not 

 mistaken, Matjesfontein was within the area which, durinjj^ the 

 pa.st season, has stiffered so severely from drought. 



Again, speaking of Swellendam, Lichten.stein states that 

 '* trees of great size are to be found in the guUeys and water- 

 courses." There is at ]:)resent one demarcated forest ( ( iroot- 

 vaders P>osch ) at Swellendaiu. but no ()ne who has travellefl 



