184 
SPITSKOP. — LAST COLONIAL HABITATION. 
5, 6 May, 
discover that our course would be more direct, if we kept more to 
the eastward of that track, leaving Geranium Rocks to the left. 
Accordingly we quitted our former road, at Pond Station, and 
proceeded across a plain of a mile and a half; at the termination of 
which I halted to take the bearings of Spitskop * and Groote Tafelberg, 
which were both in sight. These, but more especially the former, 
will be found of great use whenever a survey is made of this part of 
the colony, as they are too remarkable to be mistaken, and can be 
seen in different directions, from a very great distance. 
At the distance of an hour and a half farther, we passed a farm 
named Wortel Fontein (Carrot Fountain) ; but none of its inhabitants 
had any communication with us. At about six miles and a quarter 
beyond this, we found the last colonial habitation on our road ; and 
as no one was residing here at this season, we took possession of the 
empty house. 
So large a party occasioned a rapid consumption of our stock of 
provisions, and we were obliged to kill a sheep, which, had we waited 
half an hour longer, we might have spared. For Keyser, desirous of 
proving that he was a good marksman, had immediately on our 
halting, taken his gun to go in search of game, and soon returned to 
let us know that he had shot a quakka. This circumstance was 
doubly pleasing, as, besides giving us a large supply of meat, it showed 
that this Hottentot had at least one useful qualification. 
I climbed the rocky hill close behind the house, to get a view of 
the country and take some bearings for the construction of my map, 
and was pleased at distinguishing on the horizon, the i?Ms/i»zan Table- 
Mountain near Kraaikop's Kraal, although at the distance of not less 
than sixty-seven miles by the road. This remark is a sufficient proof, 
* The vis;nette at the end of this chapter, represents the mountain of Spitskop, or the 
Peak of Sneewijoherg, as viewed from the south-east, at the distance of about twenty miles 
in a direct line. The sketch from which this engraving has been made, was taken about 
eleven months afterwards when on my final return into the Colony. The intervening 
country here shown, consists of lofty rugged mountains, which appear to shut in one 
behind the other, and above which, this lofty and remarkable mountain stands highly 
pre-eminent. 
