0*" THE TABLE MOUNTAIN. 271 



coast in July ; it was obliged to go round the Cape to the lat- 

 ter station ; and as they stood close in-shore when they work- 

 ed into the Bay, he had an opportunity of seeing the general 

 distribution of the strata in the peninsula, which seemed near- 

 ly horizontal, but dipping somewhat to the south. 



On the east side of False Bay, the outline of the hills is ex- 

 tremely rugged, often running into sharp conical peaks, and al- 

 together having the aspect of extreme asperity and barren- 

 ness. 



The three hills whicli terminate the peninsula on the north, 

 are the Table Mountain in the middle ; the Lion's Head, some- 

 times called the Sugar Loal^ on the west side ; and the Devil's 

 Peak on the east. The Lion's Head, which is about 2100 feet 

 high, is separated from the Table Mountain by a valley, that 

 descends to the depth of 1500 or 2000 feet below the summit of 

 the Table Mountain, which is itself 3582 feet above the level 

 of the sea. On the west of the Lion's Head, the ground, after 

 falling, rises again, forming an inconsiderable elevation, known 

 by the name of the Lion's Rump, from which the ground de- 

 scends gradually to the sea. The amphitheatre, formed by 

 these three mountains, is about five or six miles in diameter, 

 in the centre of which is placed the Cape Town. The situa^ 

 tion is magnificent, with the sea stretched out before it on one 

 side, and the perpendicular cliffs of the Table Mountain over- 

 hanging it on the other. The Town itself is built with 

 uncommon regularity, but has so many squares, gardens 

 and trees interspersed, that the stiffness and formality of 

 streets, either parallel or cutting one another at right angles, 

 is entirely taken off. All round the town, on the land 

 side, up to the base of the cliffs, where the piles of ruins 

 from above effectually prevent cultivation, the ground is 



M m 2 covered, 



