18 
SINGING BIRDS.— THE WHITE-STEM. 
29 Feb. 
multitude of birds, which every where inhabit the groves of the 
Gariep, commenced their early song, and charmed me with their 
soft enlivening notes. Notes which, though they presume to no 
comparison with those of our thrush or nightingale, delight and 
soothe the ear not less, and are equally expressive of the peace of 
nature, and the happiness of the feathered tribe, the unmolested 
tenants of these woods. 
Having waited at this spot till more than two hours after midday, 
in fruitless expectation of seeing Riizo, we took our departure ; and 
had scarcely advanced a mile when we met the Bushman who had 
yesterday been sent to the kraal lower down the river. He brought 
a message from Riizo, that we should come to that place and wait 
till he returned from the village at the Asbestos mountains, whither 
he was going to fetch some tobacco which he was to receive from 
the Hottentots at that place. Hearing this, I immediately sent off 
Ruiter, to bring him to us without delay ; promising that he should 
be well supplied with tobacco from our own stock. 
We then proceeded in a southward direction, and, leaving the val- 
ley of the Gariep, ascended a rocky cliff', at the top of which the surface 
of the country continued at the same level. Hence we had a command- 
ing view of the river and its winding course for several miles ; and of 
the Asbestos mountains to the north, and some other distant moun- 
tains on the west. The most remarkable feature of this plain was a 
number of scattered trees, distinguished from all I had hitherto seen, 
by the color of their trunks, which appeared at a little distance as if 
they had been whitewashed. From this singular character, they have 
gained the name of Wit-gat boom,, which may be represented in 
English by that of White-stetn. * 
After quitting this plain and crossing an extensive level covered 
with abundance of fine grass three feet high, we came to the bed of 
a considerable periodical river, where, as it was now past sunset, we 
unpacked our oxen and took up our station for the night. This 
* Capparis albitrunca, B. — Vide p. 343. Vol. I. 
