

THE PLAINS. 



143 



as from their situation could not have been 

 acted upon by rain. We slept this night at an 

 estate, where there were several houses forming 

 a hamlet, having passed through a considerable 

 quantity of wooded land. 



The next morning we again proceeded over 

 some lands that were covered with wood ; and, 

 near twelve o'clock, reached the town of Acu. 

 Oh, the joy of again seeing a church ! of the 

 sight of a regular village, and civilised persons ; 

 if even these can be called civilised, according 

 to European ideas. 



The country I passed over from Natal, never 

 can, in any state of civilisation, or from any in- 

 crease of population, be rendered a fertile track ; 

 but it might be, without doubt, much improved, 

 if proper wells were sunk, reservoirs made for 

 rain water, and trees planted ; much might be 

 done. The plains I crossed are of three kinds ; 

 those of which the soil is a loose sand, pro- 

 ducing the acaju, the mangaba, and several 

 kinds of palm or cabbage trees ; upon them the 

 grass is short, and of a kind which is not rec- 

 koned nourishing ; in these situations are like- 

 wise produced several creeping plants, similar to 

 those growing upon the common lands, near the 

 sea-shore, in England, and the trees are thinly 

 scattered. The fruit of the acaju or cashew 

 tree, and of the mangaba *, are most delightful, 



* Vide Appendix. 



