MOUNTAIN-SCENERY. 153 



noon, it merely resembled a thick mist ; but quickly 

 increasing in density, it became impenetrable to the 

 light of the sun, and surrounded us with midnight 

 darkness. Standing in the open air, I could only 

 discover objects at the distance often yards. Within 

 the houses, persons could not see each other, it being 

 as dark as in a closed room at night with the lights 

 extinguished. The Hottentots, who were sitting in 

 their huts, were immersed in total obscurity, and 

 many persons were filled with violent fears. The 

 thickest darkness did not last beyond a quarter of an 

 hour, but the cloud of dust did not pass over in less 

 than an hour and a half." 



After halting for some time, until the violence of 

 the tempest had somewhat abated, we again moved 

 forward ; and, although the dust and heat rendered 

 travelling very uncomfortable, we continued our pro- 

 gress, in the hope of reaching Coles-Berg the same 

 evening. Following a winding path which led into 

 small plains, where hundreds of gnus were feeding 

 and frisking about in every direction, enclosed by 

 low hillocks of sand covered with short stunted 

 bushes and thick grass, we entered at length upon 

 a more open tract of country, bounded in the dis- 

 tance by mountainous scenery of a wild and pic- 

 turesque character. On our left, the lofty peak 

 of Coles-Berg stood prominently erect in bold and 

 naked relief, rising immediately behind a table- 

 topped mountain of sandstone, which concealed its 



