370 Notices respecling New Books. 



ukile. Its thorns exactly resemble fishing-hooks ; so that, if 

 they catch hoKl of your doilies as you pass, you jnust stop, some- 

 times along while, before you get clear of them. In clearing 

 one arm the other is caught; and without the cautious assistance 

 of a second person there is no escaping, but by main force and 

 losing part of your clothes. 



June 17. — Halted at Blink (or Shining) Hill, so called on acv' 

 count of a shining stone, resembling the lead of which pencils 

 are made in England. This the Bushmans and others grind 

 to dust, which they use as we do hair-powder. A red stone w ith 

 which the surrouriding nations paint their bodies, comes also 

 f.oni this hill, and forms an article of barter. This mountain is 

 a k'nd of Mecca to the surrounding nations. They are con- 

 stantly making pilgrimages hither, not indeed to pay religious 

 homage, but to obtain supplies of blue powder f«»r their hair. 

 This custom has existed time immemorial. Accompanied by 

 Mr. Feid and our Hottentots with candles, the mine was entered. 

 Aitcr descending with some difficulty, we soon lost sight of the 

 world, sometimes wading half-leg deep in black-lead dust. The 

 roof was full of projecting pieces of the shining rock, and large 

 caverns appeared on each side as we advanced. The roof at one 

 place appeared curiously carved. Touching a part of it which we 

 could reach, we perceived it had life. It proved to be composed of 

 a^mukitude of bats hanging asleep from the roof. Moving them 

 backwards and forwards neither awoke nor made any of them 

 loie their hold of the rock, to which they clung by the claws of 

 tlieir hinder legs ; but holding the candle at a little distance un- 

 der one of them awoke it, when it flow to another part of the 

 cave. Having advanced about 100 feet, the cavern became so 

 low and narrovv, that we could proceed no further in that direc- 

 tion. Wc returned, and went, by a passage leading to the right, 

 deeper into the mountain, and entered a large cavern the bottom 

 of which was strewed with the bones of animals, and some parts 

 indicated fires having been made in it. After collecting some 

 specimens of the rock and powder, we returned to day-iight 

 nearly as black as chimney-sweepers. 



Killed a buflfalo and wounded two. The buffalo is often ex- 

 tremely furious when wounded and not disabled. Should his 

 enemy climb a tree, he is far fi om being out of danger ; for the 

 animal will run with violence and strike the tree with his massy 

 horns, which cover as with a helmet the crown of his head; 

 tlie stroke of v,hich will so shake the largest trees as to require a 

 firm hold indeed to prevent the person falling to the ground, 

 and being consequently tossed by the horns of the enraged ani- 

 mal. This buOalo was food for ourselves and followers for several 

 days, saving the sheep iur luliuc use. 



June 



