OF LA PEROUSE. I9 



I had juft: clambered up acclivities formed of 

 a very hard free-ftone, above which were blocks 

 of quartz of a beautiful white ; thefe mafTes fervp 

 as the bafe of a micacious fchiftus difpofed ia 

 flrata very clofe to each other. 



After having afcended more than two thirds 

 of a kilometer in perpendicular' height, I at 

 length reached a break, which when feen from 

 the tovyn did not feem calculated to afford a 

 pafTage to the top of this mountain: but the 

 diflance had deceived me; for I found here a 

 path, the accefs to which is not difficult to 

 perfons accuftomed to travel over mountains : it 

 is befides the road moll frequented in order to 

 arrive at this fummit, which it would not be eafy 

 to reach any other way. 



Although at near a kilometer of perpendicular 

 height, the heat of the atmoiphere caufed the 

 thermometer placed in the fhade to rife only to 

 20 degrees. 



Fire- wood is very fcarce at the Cape of Good 

 Hope. If the mildnefs of the climate exempts 

 the inhabitants from the neceffity of uiing ar- 

 tificial heat to protect themfelves againft the in- 

 clemency of the weather, ftill they have occafiori 

 for fire to drefs their food. Slaves are employed 

 to fetch the little wood that they need, even a 

 good way beyond Table Mountain. We met 



feveral 



