SOUTH AFRICAN SPRIN&S. 287 



hnmersion could scarcely be endured for a few seconds. The 

 water is pure and tasteless, and is used for all domestic pur- 

 poses. Nothing resembling a deposition is any where ob- 

 servable ; nor are its banks or channel at all discoloured. 

 The hill, from the foot of which it issues, has no remark- 

 able appearance ; at least, there is none of that black pon- 

 derous iron ore, or earth, noticed at the Zwarteberg baths. 

 At the distance of about 300 yards from the source, two 

 bath-houses have been built over the stream, the heat of 

 which, even here, is almost greater than can be borne by a 

 person not gradually inured to it. Between the spring and 

 the bath, where the stream has run a sufficient distance in 

 the open air to allow it time to become a few degrees cooler, 

 the bottom of the rivulet is covered with a beautiful sea- 

 green conferva, waving gracefully beneath the water, like 

 long tresses of hair. Specimens of rocks from this district, 

 sent me by Dr. Smith, show that the waters of this spring . 

 issue from quartz rock, containing grains of white felspat 

 in the state of porcelain earth. 



Warm Bath at Zwarteberg. — This is a short mountainous 

 ridge, running east and west, and of secondary height. 

 From the lower part of its southern front projects a small 

 flat hill, out of the upper part of which issue, in several 

 places, hot springs, the waters of which raise the thermo- 

 meter to 118° of Fahrenheit. The water deposites, in the 

 channels along which it runs, an orange-coloured ochre of 

 iron ; but, after a course of 200 or 300 yards, ceases to dis- 

 colour the ground. It contains iron and sulphur, and 

 hence has a slightly chalybeate taste. Within three yards 

 of these hot springs there rises another, the water of Avhich 

 is pure and tasteless, but is not warmer than that of the 

 common springs of the country. Probably the springs 

 here, as at Brand Valley, issue from quartz rock. In the 

 vicinity of the springs, as I observe by inspection of speci- 

 mens from Dr. Smith, bog-iron ore occurs. 



Warm springs also occur in the valley of the Western 

 Elephant River ; others near the Eastern Elephant River, 

 in Kamnasi Land ; and a third behind Kokman's (Kog- 

 man's) Kloof; but all are of lower temperature than those 

 of the Zwarteberg and Brand Valley. There is also a 

 warm spring on the northern side of the Gariep, in Great 

 Namaqualand. 



