1812. 
A REMARK ON THE CISGARIEPINE. 
211 
present journey, from the Sunday river to this place, not a single 
Acacia had been seen ; and if this fact be coupled with another already 
noticed *, that this tree does not exist between the Roggeveld Moun- 
tain and the Gariep, a very singular geographical circumstance will 
be discovered : — that although that part of Southern Africa which 
has fallen under my observation, every where else abound in acacias, 
there appears to be one large and central region perfectly destitute of 
every trace of that plant. This region is bounded on the south, 
by the ridge of mountains, or rather cliffs, which extends in one 
continued, though irregular, line from the Farther Bokkeveld, along 
the northern side of the Great Karro, connecting the Roggeveld 
Mountains with those of the Nieuwveld and Sneeuwberg ; as may be 
more clearly seen by inspecting the map. It is bounded, on the east 
by the Rhenosterberg and the Nugariep, and on the north by the 
Gariep, and does not, probably, extend so far westward as to the sea- 
coast. This region, so remarkably by nature distinguished in several 
respects from the other parts of Extratropical Africa, is in fact that 
which I have attempted to distinguish in a geographical view, by the 
denomination of the Cisgariepine,\ The sciences of Geography and 
Botany here elucidate each other : the generally great elevation, and 
consequently colder climate, of this region, will not allow the Acacia 
to thrive : and the absence of this, being one of the species of a 
numerous genus the whole of which are the inhabitants of warm 
climates, affords some proof of the greater cold, and consequently 
of the greater elevation of this region. As it is evident that these 
conclusions can only be drawn from remarks made along my own 
course, it remains to be confirmed by future observation, whether my 
supposition that the whole of this region contains no acacias, be 
either literally, or only generally, correct. 
Those of my men who had never before seen this stream, were 
astonished at its magnitude, and declared that they had no notion of 
* At page 314. of the first volume. 
f See Vol. I. p. 581., and also page 324. 
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