02 VOYAGE IN SEARCH 



afcending; and it was dark when we arrived at 

 the town. 



On the 26th, after having made all the ne- 

 ed i'ary preparations for preferring the fpecimens 

 collected the day before, I took a walk to the 

 caftward. 



Beyond the head of the bay there is a vaft 

 plain of fand, in the midft of which I was 

 aitonifhed to fee a prodigious quantity of vege- 

 tables. Thofe which are here moft frequently 

 met with, are different fpecies of diofma, polygalay 

 and botbnn'hi ; they could not ft and fo great 

 aridity, if their roots did not penetrate deep 

 into the ground, to feek there the moiilure necef- 

 iary to keep them alive. 



i had occafion to crofs fcvcral rivulets, the 



; which, fupplicd by the neighbouring 



mountains, are partly loft in the fands before 



reach the fea. It is in thefe moilt fpots that 



grows the beautiful lilaccous plant known undeif 



the name of gethytikJpiraUs. 



Holes made in the fand are retorted to by 



' s, which are frequently found atlecp on 



but glide into them immediately on 



1 of any pcrfon. 



On the 27th I returned, for the fecond time, 



it Table Mountain. I deviated a little from 



ufual road, and I enriched my collection 



with a number of plants which I had not before 



d. \[ 



