270 DISTRIBUTION OF MOTJNTAINS, ETC. 



De crossed to the terrace north of them, and which is some 

 thousand feet higher than the other two terraces, known 

 Under the name Great Karroo.* The tract enclosed between 

 these two chains of mountains is partly fertile, but inter- 

 spersed with tracts of arid clay-land called Karroo. This 

 plain or terrace, forming the third terrace of Southern Africa, 

 about 300 miles in length and 80 in breadth, and principally 

 ri parched desert, occupies the whole of that very large 

 space lying between the Black Mountains and the third 

 great branch from the western hills, called the Nieuweveld 

 Mountains. These latter again unite themselves, after run- 

 ning for a long extent from west to east, with another chain 

 of mountains running from north to south, forming at their 

 junction that remarkable group of mountains called the 

 Sneuwbergen or Snow Mountains. The Nieuweveld and 

 Sneuwberg Mountains are said to be the highest in Southern 

 Africa, some of them being 10,000 feet above the level of 

 the sea. The country, from this vast range of mountains 

 to the northern boundary of the Cape Colony, may be con- 

 sidered as a lofty plain, part indeed of the great Table-land 

 of Africa, free from large mountains, but here and there 

 varied with ranges and hills of moderate dimensions, having 

 very few rivers, and all of these nearly dried up in sunmaer ; 

 quite destitute of trees and grass, but every where covered 

 with bu&hes springing out of a naked red soil, deprived of 

 moisture during a great part of the year. The bushes are 

 not more than a foot or two in height, excepting various 

 kinds of lijcium, and almost exclusively belong to the natu- 

 ral order of composite flowers. One general cast of fea- 

 tures, not peculiar, however, to this district, pervades all 

 these vegetables, — a minute and arid foliage. Yet on these 

 all the cattle browse, and such wild animals as are herbivo- 

 rous. The mountains vary in form ; the most prevalent 

 shape is the tabular ; and of these splendid displays occur 

 in many parts of the country, which are well represented 

 in the plates in Professor Lichtenstein's Travels, and also 

 in those of Mr. Burchell. Deep and extensive cliffs are of 

 frequent occurrence, exhibiting all the magnificent scenery 

 60 characteristic of the great sandstone or quartz formation, 



* The word Karroo, written Karro by Burchell, belongs to the Hot- 

 lentot language, and signifies dry or ari(L 



