196 Proyress and present state of Geographical 



very large stream, and waters a wide extent of country ; its 

 sources are in the Stormberg Mountains, 160 miles direct from 

 the coast, a part of the great range alrealdy alluded to, from 

 which it issues by seveal spruits or branches in the Tambookie 

 country, of which I shall have occasion hereafter to sptak. 

 The principal of these branches are the Stormberg, the Zwart 

 Kei, the Ameva, and the Somo, the latter crossed for the 

 first time bv civilised men under W. van Reenen's party, in 

 search of the Grosvenor, Indiaman. These various spruits join 

 previous to entering the Amakosse territory, where togethep 

 they form the Witte or White Kei, or Kei river. 



The 'KoBAKNABBA, whosc cstuary is about eight miles from 

 the mouth of the Kneiba, is rather a large stream fertilising a 

 long and populous valley, and next is the Kogiia of similar 

 size, near which the wreck of the French vessel L'Eole took 

 place in 1829 at that part marked in Commodore Owen's survey 

 a3 Sandy Point. 



The 'Gnabbaka, 20 miles from the last named river, is also 

 a fine stream, much like the last named. 



Tlie Ombashee is a large river, having several tributaries in 

 the secondary range of mountains in the Tambookie country. 

 This river forms the extreme boundary of the CafFres Proper, 

 whose territory it enters at about 25 miles from the coast ; it is 

 supposed to be navigable. 



The superficial extent of the territory of this tribe may be 

 estimated at about 5,0C0 square miles ; it is generally more 

 fertile than the Colonial possessions, much better timbered, and 

 more abundantly watered, numerous small streams intervening 

 between those just named, but which are not open to the sea, 

 except at the time of freshets, being blocked up by sandy bars. 

 Rain is frequent, chiefly in summer, the dry season being in 

 the winter. The surface of the country is very much broken 

 by ravines, filled with a thick jungle of bushes, while the more 

 level spots are covered with forests of that graceful and odori- 

 ferous tree, the Mimosa Capensis ; its birds, its insects, and 

 its botanical treasures are rich, varied, and unrivalled, and 

 ofier afield "white to the harvest" for the collector, gleanings 

 alone from which have yet been gathered. Game, that is, 

 objects of the chase are rare, the native hunters having almost 

 exhausted the quarry. 



The Amakosse tribe, inhabiting this country, has already 

 been described by several writers ; and its history brought down 

 to very late periods. Barrow, Lichtenstein, and Buuchell 

 have each contributed their collections to our stock of knowledge 

 of this people. To Thompson's work some very interesting notes 

 are appended by one of the Missionaries, the Rev, Mr. Brown- 

 j.er,, and an extremely well drawn up paper on the subject by 



