Chap. XXI.] SOUTHERN AFRICA. 177 



stant and delicious shade it afforded havinor induced 

 the growth of a luxuriant carpet of grass, spangled 

 with numerous gaudy flowers. Whilst the oxen 

 were revelling in these sweets, I strolled down the 

 river with my rifle in search of riet-buck,* of 

 which some had been seen in the morning. Hei-e 

 the scenery was beautiful. Three cascades fell 

 over descents of several feet, within a quarter of a 

 mile of each other, flanked by stately timber trees, 

 of splendid growth, and graceful foliage, which 

 leanhig their venerable forms over the limpid stream, 

 were reflected on its glassy bosom. Huge isolated 

 masses of rocks reared their stupendous heads at 

 intervals, as though cast there by some giant hand 

 in sportive derision of the current which foamed 

 and bubbled arpund them. Upon the tops of these 

 cormorants were sunning themselves in hundreds, 

 whilst scaly alligators were basking on the lowei- 

 tiers amid flowering bushes and evergreens. 

 Straggling hamlets were scattered along the banks ; 

 and near the ford I observed one constructed upon 

 a raised platform, the only instance of attic ar- 

 chitecture that occurred during my travels. The 

 number of huts did not exceed twenty, and they 

 appeared to have been sometime uninhabited. 



We resumed our journey about noon. The route 

 towards an opening in the mountains led us nearly 

 due south, through an exceedingly rich and fruitful 

 part of the country, abounding in verdant savannahs 

 and hamlets, around which large herds of cattle 

 *Redunca Eleotragus. Delineated in the African Views. 



15 



