Chap. XXXIV.] SOUTHERN AFRICA. 305 



skirts the eastern coast at a distance varying from 

 sixty to ninety miles from the shore^ and divides 

 Caffraria from Bcchuana land. This wild chaos of 

 rocks and cliffs — of barren ridges and towering 

 peaks,, worn by time into castellated fortresses, and 

 other fantastic shapes, resembles the ruins of a 

 world; and being intersected by yawning chasms^ 

 offers an impassable barrier. Both the Caledon, 

 and the Nu-Gareep, take their source in this vast 

 chain, and its wild fastnesses not only afford shelter 

 to the Mantatees, under King Sikonyela, and to 

 many other broken tribes who have been driven 

 from their native homes by *' war's alarms" — but 

 they have lately been discovered by adventurous 

 French missionaries, to be the haunts of two can- 

 nibal tribes, called the Barimo and Ba-Mahakana. 

 December and January constituting the hottest 

 season, we crossed the plains of the Vaal River at 

 the proper time for suffering all the inconvenience 

 of rain, without enjoying any of its advantages. In 

 common with other countries remote from the sea- 

 coast^ this portion of the continent receives its rain 

 in thunder showers during the summer months; 

 and there being none during the rest of the year, 

 the climate, notwithstanding frequent nocturnal 

 dews, is characterized by extreme aridity. The 

 sun shines with matchless splendour through a sky 

 of delicious blue, which is rarely visited by a cloud ; 

 and during his meridian blaze over a level expanse 

 in many parts strongly impregnated with salt, the 

 delusion of mirage is nowhere more perfect. Optical 



