A SECRET OF THE ORANGE RIVER. 189 



the foot, which led half a mile or so into a huge mass 

 of mountain that formed the north wall of the Orange 

 River. This kloof must at some time or another 

 have served as a conduit for mighty floods of water, 

 for its bottom was everywhere strewn with boulders 

 of titanic size and shape, torn from the cliff walls 

 above. It took us a long hour of the most laborious 

 effort to surmount these impediments, and then with 

 torn hands and aching legs we went straight up a 

 mountain, whose roof-like sides consisted of masses 

 of loose shale and shingle, over which we slipped 

 and floundered slowly and with difficulty. I say we, 

 but I am bound to admit that the Bushman made 

 much lighter of his task than I, his ape-like form 

 seeming indeed much more fitted for such a slippery 

 breakneck pastime. 



" At length we reached the crest, and then, after 

 passing through a fringe of bush and scrub, we 

 scrambled down the thither descent, a descent of no 

 little danger. The slipping shales that gave way at 

 every step, often threatened indeed to hurl us head- 

 long to the bottom, which we should most certainly 

 have reached mere pulpy masses of humanity. At 

 last this stage was ended, and we found ourselves in 

 a very valley of desolation. Now we were almost 

 completely entombed by narrowing mountain walls, 

 whose dark red sides frowned upon us everywhere in 

 horrid and overpowering silence. The sun was up, 

 and the heat, shut in as we were, overpowering. 

 Moreover, to make things more lively, I noticed 

 that snakes were hereabouts more than ordinarily 

 plentiful ; the bloated puff-adder, the yellow cobra, 

 and the dangerous little night adder, several times 

 only just getting out of our path. 



