KAFFRARIAN BOTANY. 
193 
flowers, bestudding the surface of the earth, 
and, occasionally perfuming the air. 
u To give some idea of the botanical riches 
of this country/ 5 writes Mr. Burchell, "I need 
only state, that, in the short distance of an Eng- 
lish mile, though the most favourable season 
had passed, and many of the bulbous and her- 
baceous plants had disappeared under the in- 
fluence of the drought, I collected, in four hours 
and a half, one hundred and fifty distinct species ; 
and I believe that more than double that num- 
ber may, by searching at different times, be 
found on the same ground." 
It is no exaggeration to describe this portion 
of South Africa, as nature's botanic garden ; for, 
at every footstep, some fresh novelty presents 
itself, delightful to the eye, and astonishing the 
beholder. If, indeed, the indigenous tribes of 
Africa — the Hottentots — be among the most de- 
graded and mis-shapen of our fallen race ; yet 
surely did the Almighty Disposer of the worlds 
grant to them the most perfect earthly habitation 
— the most enchanting and romantic landscape 
to dwell upon. And thus it is that we may 
learn, that he witholds from his creatures only 
what might be injurious, and gives to all an 
equal distribution of his bounties. It is of 
little import whether we ramble on the wild 
and rugged mountains of the Zwartebergen 
o 
