The Conquest of the Desert 



guide to see it. We soon reached what might 

 be called the metropolis of rocks, for so extensive 

 a collection I saw nowhere else. They lay on 

 the surface of many miles. The most conspicu- 

 ous is about half-a-mile in length, and five 

 hundred feet high. It has the appearance of 

 an iron hill. Many low and high hills are 

 composed of huge rocks piled above each other, 

 and thousands of ponderous ones lie scattered 

 over the ground in every direction, to a great 

 distance, as if they had been transported thither 

 by some tremendous eruption. . . . The river 

 divides itself into several branches, which run 

 in deep chasms, cut out of solid rock perhaps 

 five hundred feet deep. As the sides were 

 perpendicular, it was impossible to get down to 

 the river. A stone thrown from the top was a 

 long time before it reached the river. We had 

 heard of the waterfall from various natives 

 when we were travelling down the river, but 

 none of them had seen it. Several had seen the 

 mist arising from it, but the sound had so 

 terrified them they were afraid to approach 

 it. After a search of several hours no water- 

 fall was either seen or heard " (" Travels in 

 South Africa," p. 286. By John Campbell, 

 1815). 



162 



