Diary of a Journey to the Amaquas. 193 



It took us about two hours to convey our wagons and carts 

 over it, on account of its steep banks, which we were obliged 

 to cut down to a slope. We then proceeded three quarters of 

 a mile further to a pit with water, where we stopped, as no 

 other was to be found for the next six or seven miles. This 

 spot, as well as the whole country we passed this day, was 

 scantily provided with grass, and was a desert wild country. 

 We had on both sides of us several large hills, amongst which 

 was one containing a metallic mineral. The advance of this day 

 was a mile and a half. The latitude was guessed to be 30° 50', 

 the longitude 38° 14'. 



Tuesday, 25th. — We broke up at 7 o'clock, am. and ad- 

 vanced between two hills, in a direction N. by E. for two fifths 

 of a mile, after which we changed our course several times in 

 order to pass a kloof which required us to make many circuits. 

 All the hills around us contained ores, both of copper and 

 iron as "could be seen externally. We then came to a spot 

 called Hooge Kraal, where we found an ore resembling that 

 among the Amaquas. Further on, we passed through another 

 kloof and came at last to a temporary stream, with £ood water, 

 where we pitched our tents. This spot had very little or no 

 grass, but was overgrown with green bushes, which the cattle 

 had to eat, and which served also for fire-wood. 



Our road during the whole day was either between, or over 

 high, stony, and sandy hills, all of which were barren, and formed 

 the haunt of wild horses, many of which we saw running upon 

 them, and appeared from a distance to be ash gray. Our day's 

 journey was very fatiguing, as we were in motion till nearly the 

 evening. We called this spot Goede Hoop, from having found 

 water here, which had never happened to others, and we hoped 

 to find it also on our return. We had advanced five miles and 

 a quarter. Our latitude was 30° 41', the longitude 38° 3'. 



Wednesday, 26th. — We commenced our journey at half-past 

 7 o'clock, a. m. and arrived, after travelling one-eighth of a 

 mile, at a valley called the Eerste-modder-kuil, (first muddy pit) 

 and after one third of a mile more, to the Tweede»modder-kuil. 

 They are so named because early travellers found there water 

 which was very brack and muddy. After this we advanced 

 till we came to the base of Meerhofs Kasteel, which is a 

 mountain so called after a person who had travelled there. In 

 it is a large cavern formed by nature like an archway. His 

 Honor ascended it, and found that the hill extended in the form 

 of a high ridge, five miles in length, having on one side a 

 vein of fine white alabaster, and on the other some veins of 

 marble, of which some were white and red, some brown and 

 white, some grey and white, and others quite white. 



Having had this day a fatiguing and difficult march, on 



count of several very high hills, and unexpected swampy 



Bb 



