DUcot:ery in the African Continent. 1C5 



maps as the Zwarte Bushmans-iiver. Having gradually ascended 

 to this point, he found himself on a considerable ridge, from 

 which the slope was rapid and abrupt, and descending this 

 elevated region (a continuation of the hills seen by Scoon and 

 M'Luckie on their right hand, when they turned south, towards 

 the kraal of Omsediggas), he proceeded to the village of the 

 Zulo Chief, situated near a deep and rapid stream, called by 

 him the Elephants'-river, which is situated nearly in lat. 26. 30, 

 and long. 30. 20. It is probable that this stream runs into 

 Delagoa Bay, or some of the rivers which empty themselves 

 there. 



The memoranda made by Messrs. Hume and Millan, whose 

 observations, already laid before this Society, render it certain 

 that they had entered the tropical regions, not having yet come 

 to hand, I am unable to give even an outline of their journey, 

 in which they state they had discovered two fine rivers. 



In looking over the latest maps of the southern peninsula, 

 a wide extent of country, it will be seen, is laid down along 

 the western coast, to the north of the Orange-river, or Gariep, 

 M'hich is occupied by the Namacqua and Damara tribes; of this 

 however but little is satisfactorily known, and it is represented 

 by the few travellers who have visited it as very sandy, arid, 

 and barren, and but slightly populated ; a large stream here 

 figures on the chart, formerly called the Fish-river, but since 

 ;the Borradaile, which intersects, or rather drains the country, 

 watering it most probably only in the rainy season. It falls 

 into the Gariep, at a small distance from its mouth. 



Before closing this part of the abstract of our information 

 regarding the countries to the north, and proceeding to the dis- 

 coveries made along the eastern coast, it may not be altogether 

 uninteresting to describe the pfogress made upon the western 

 shores of the peninsula, towards the Portuguese Settlement of 

 Benguela, and which we ai'e enabled to do from the report of 

 the survey of Captain Chapman, of H. M. sloop Espiegle, 

 prosecuted by the orders of Commodore Nourse, in 1824. 



The singular anomaly on the charts of this part of the 

 African continent must be familiar to every reader. I mean 

 that a line of coast should be protracted, on which the sweeping 

 remark is placed, " No fresh water from Fish Bay to St. He- 

 lena Bay," that is for a distance of above 1,000 miles ; while at 

 the same time within these two positions the sites of several native 

 villages are laid down. Upon what sort of beverage their 

 inhabitants depend, the sagacious map framers have not at the 

 same time condescended to inform us, whether from the dews of 

 heaven, from distilled sea-water, or, whether from some peculiar 

 physical constitution, they needed not liquid food ; they must, 

 however, be a singular race of men, probably akin to those 



