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300 EXCURSION INTO THE INTERIOR. [1828. 



CHAPTER IV. 



Excursion into the Interior — Description of the Natives — Face of the Country — 

 Natural Productions — Sudden and transitory Vegetation — Droves of Elephants 

 — Return to the Vessel — Sail from Walwich Bay — Arrive at Mercury Island — 

 A most afflicting Disaster, in the Loss of Ogden — Tribute to his Memory — Ar- 

 rive at Point St. Helen — Wreck of the English Brig Columbine — An Offer to 

 save her Cargo rejected — Arrive at Table Bay — Description of the Place — Sail- 

 ing Directions — Phenomenon of • the Tablecloth — Sail from Table Bay, and 

 again steer to the North. 



As the season was not yet sufficiently advanced for the seals to come 

 up in their usual numbers on the islands and rocks to the south of our 

 present position, or between Walwich Bay and the Cape of Good Hope, 

 I determined to improve the interim by making a deep excursion into 

 the interior of the country, in order to acquire all the information that 

 could be obtained respecting the feasibility of my favourite project. In 

 pursuance of this object, I proceeded from the head of the bay, in the 

 direction of east-south-east, to the distance of nearly one hundred and 

 fifty miles ; occasionally falling in with several different tribes of the 

 natives, who all treated me with marked kindness and hospitality, 

 evincing a willingness to share with me every thing they had. Some 

 of their principal men volunteered to accompany me as guides and 

 companions from one village to another, and furnished me with a tame 

 bullock to ride on, after the fashion of the country. This animal was 

 changed for a fresh one every fifteen or twenty miles. 



From the many deserted villages which we passed, it would appear 

 that these people shift their ground ; and when the pasturage becomes 

 exhausted in one valley, conduct their flocks and herds to another, by 

 which means their cattle and sheep are kept in such excellent order 

 for the market. Fifty miles from the seashore, the land becomes very 

 rich, and the grazing fields or plains are covered with heavy grass, of 

 a fine soft fibre. I think I speak within bounds in saying, that some 

 of these valleys contain from five to ten thousand head of cattle, all 

 perfectly tame, " sleek and well favoured," besides three times that 

 number of sheep. And there are hundreds of valleys between the four- 

 teenth and twenty-fourth degrees of south latitude containing immense 

 wealth in other things, as well as herds of cattle, most of which may 

 be purchased at a very low price, and paid for in the manufactures of 

 our own country. 



The face of the country here is much diversified, and abounds with 

 limestone, without petrifactions ; clay, slate, sandstone, quartz-rock, 

 granite, &c. In the hills are vast bodies of limestone, lying in hori- 

 zontal strata upon granite and slate. In the valleys, and on the sum- 

 mits of some of the hills, not more than fifty miles from the seashore, 

 are extensive beds of coral, the most elevated of which is at least seven 



