364 
SOUTHERN AFRICA. 
to remount the excited and restive steed, when 
my companion was seen far up the hill, urging 
me on by vehement signs of impatience. Off 
therefore in an instant I went again, and soon 
was by his side, when, galloping on together, 
we shortly reached the summit of the hill. 
The scene there awaiting us is not easily to 
be forgotten. We were upon the farthest point 
of a long ridge of mountain land, which ran 
out into the valley beneath. Both sides of this 
were clothed in dense bush. The point on 
which we stood was the extreme edge of a 
huge precipice, which dropped perpendicularly 
into the bed of the Blue Exantz river, to be 
seen flowing at its foot, as it meandered through 
the valley. On the opposite side of the hill 
from that by which we had ascended, the slope 
was more gradual and ended in a ravine, which, 
formed by the side of another range of mingled 
bush and u krantz" ran down to the banks of 
the river, at a point where it took a broad and 
graceful sweep. The slanting banks of the 
river were here low and gentle, and clothed in 
long reeds, sedge, and grass; while, on the 
opposite shoulder of the bend, a broad valley, 
covered with rich pasturage, and dotted with 
"mimosa" bushes, stretched out over several 
acres, but having a gradual descent to the 
water. 
