Notes on a Journey in German South-West Africa. 27 
miles from Rehoboth we reached Bitterwater, a natural pan on a 
bed of limestone, which was dry at the time. The water in the pits 
is quite useless; it is briny and bitter, probably containing a 
considerable amount of magnesia salts in solution. From here 
to the mission station Hoachanas, about 5 miles further on, we 
passed over a bare patch of clay and sandstone rock débris, sparsely 
srown with karoo bushes. The missionary stationed here has done 
a great deal for the conservation of water, which is obtained from 
springs in plentiful supply. His garden is very carefully tended, 
and his vines, fig-trees, mulberries, and date-palms, together with his 
vegetable garden, combine to form a beauty-spot in an otherwise 
unpicturesque landscape. As he has found the proportion of hme 
in the marl of his garden ground too great, he has gone to the 
trouble of carting humus, from a distance of about 7 miles, to 
mix with the marl. The Hottentots under his charge do not take 
example by his industry, for although maize and cereals grow well 
here, they are too indolent to go in for extensive cultivation. 
From Hoachanas as far as Witvley, about 40 miles, we travelled 
over limestone, clay-slate, and sandstone, with a good deal of dolerite, 
with poor grazing for cattle, but sufficient for the maintenance of 
sheep and goats. Near Witvley the soil is more sandy, and good 
grass again appears. Here, in a narrow valley, there is good 
alluvial clay soil, somewhat marly, and the surface on either side of 
the valley consists of lime tufa. After leaving Witvley we again 
crossed several sandy plateaus similar to those north-west of 
Hoachanas, and after passing these we left the last plateau by a 
sudden descent of about 30 feet, and found ourselves at Rietmond, 
occupied by Hendrik Witbooi’s people. In this descent it is notice- 
able that under the sand the limestone occurs, and below this there 
is a ferruginous sandstone rock. It may therefore be reasonably 
assumed that the limestone underlies the whole of these sandy 
plateaus, which are looked upon as perfectly waterless. At Riet- 
mond water issues in springs from the ferruginous sandstone. 
From Rietmond to Gibeon the descent is gradual, over sandstone. 
The country here has for the most part a barren appearance, but in 
parts the grazing for sheep is good, gannabush and saltbush being 
plentiful. 
We reached Gibeon, 175 miles from Rehoboth, in ten days. 
Gibeon is a mission and military station. It lies at an elevation of 
some 3,300 feet above sea-level, on the banks of the Fish River—the 
largest river in Great Namaqualand—which usually carries water all 
the year round, and runs southwards, emptying itself into the Orange 
River. Gibeon is at present the home of Hendrik Witbooi, whose 
