1812. 
WINTER THE RIVER KRUMAN. 
299 
Although the sun shone pleasantly the whole day, the air 
was cold, and the thermometer not higher than 56. [IS'S Centig. ; 
or lO'G Reaum.) It was now the middle of winter, or, more properly 
speaking, cold season : for the word, winter, seems to an English ear, 
to imply a severity of cold, and to raise ideas not consistent altogether 
with the weather of these latitudes. Occasionally, however, a degree 
of cold is felt, which the contrast of intervening warm days, renders 
almost as chilling as the wintry weather of our own latitudes. 
During the month of June, as may be seen by the ' Register,' the 
thermometer sunk several times below the freezing point ; on one 
day the ground was whitened with snow ; and hoar-frost at sunrise, 
was not unfrequent. The middle of the day was generally pleasant 
and moderately warm: but the mercury never rose higher than 71 ; 
(17*3. R. ; 21*6 C.) and for the greater part of the four-and- twenty 
hours, was below the temperate point. 
At a little after sunset, we came to the Kruman, a beautiful 
little river running in a plentiful stream of the clearest water. At 
this part of its course it was fifteen feet broad and abounded in tall 
reeds. A sight so delightful for African travellers, had not been seen 
since we left the Gariep. This river, small as it was, as far surpassed 
all the others in the intermediate country, if rivers they could be called, 
as the Gariep surpassed this. It is formed by the Klibbolikhonniy the 
most copious spring which I have seen in Southern Africa. Unlike 
other rivers, the Kruman is largest at its source, and rises from the earth 
a full and broad stream, which, by the combined powers of evaporation 
by the sun and of absorption by the sandy soil, is gradually lessened as 
it flows on ; till at last after a course of a few days-journeys, it is lost 
in the sands, and entirely disappears. It is said, that in the wet 
season, it is joined by the Moshaa (Moshowa) ; and that, in those 
years when an unusual quantity of rain has fallen, the united streams 
find their way to the Gariep. 
We continued for an hour, travelling westerly along the banks 
of the Kruman, till, it becoming too dark to venture farther, we were 
obliged to halt and unyoke for the night, at a spot distinguished on 
Q Q 2 
