Eclipse of the Moon. 4 17 



bourhood use it chiefly for building; however, I was informed 

 by an English mason at the Field-Cornet Van Zyl's, that 

 these quarries are equal to any he had seen in England, and 

 consequently, might be used for general purposes. 



Namaqualand contains numerous specimens of cubic and 

 other iron-ores ; and among the Kamies Mountains (which 

 are composed entirely of immense boulders of loose-grained 

 granite,) are found splendid specimens of mica, quartz and 

 feldspar. 



The deep and romantic ravines leading from the village of 

 George to the river Knysna, are full of geological informa- 

 tion and interest ; it is only in this quarter that the geologist 

 tan ascertain with precision the nature of the materials com- 

 posing the base of that great primitive range of mountains 

 skirting the village of George, the Knysna, Plettenberg's 

 Bay, and terminating at the lower end of the Langekloof. 



The bold and picturesque rocks at the entrance of the river 

 Knysna, contain caverus, in which are numerous groups of 

 stalactites, formed by the oosing of calcareous matters through 

 the fissures of their roofs ; these stalachtites are not of so fine 

 a nature as those in the Cango. 



Within 3 or 4 miles from the Residency of Plettenberg's 

 Bay, are the remains of a fossil-tree of considerable magni- 

 tude ; specimens of which are now in the Museum in Cape 

 Town; the remainder might be removed at a trifling expense. 



Eclipse of the Moon. — September 2, 1830. 



To those who observed this beautiful occurrence, it may be of 

 interest that we attempt, in these spare pages of our Journal, 

 a record and explanation of its appearances. Many of the 

 beautiful and interesting phenomena of the heavens are here 

 more beautiful and interesting, from the pure and gentie 

 transparency of the atmosphere through which we gaze at 

 them. A spectator accustomed to the hazy skies of the North, 

 turns oft with untired gladness to the distinct and vivid 

 objects of our horizon, the hues and changes of the twilight, 

 or the brilliancy of the azure noon. The nearer to us of the 

 heavenly bodies partake of this distinctness ; the setting 

 planets blaze like masses of flame on the sea; the moon, after 

 rushing in obscurity through the sun's radiance, early displays 

 its filmy thread of light, and in its increase presents at all 

 nnes an appearance of substantial rotundity, very dissimilar 

 to its vapoury and languid disk in the English sky*. It h 



ti 





