54 TRAVELS IN 
From the Little Loory fonteyn, the place where we halted for 
the refreshment of our cattle upon the shrubbery that grew 
there, we advanced on the following day near thirty miles 
over a bed of solid clay, and late at night pitched our tent ia 
the midst of a meadow covered completely with herbage knee- 
deep. A transition so sudden from unbounded barrenness, that 
on every side had appeared on the preceding day, to a verdant 
meadow clothed by the most luxuriant vegetation, felt more 
like enchantment than reality. The hungry cattle, impatient 
to satisfy the cravings of nature, made no small havoc in libe- 
rating themselves from the yokes and traces. The name of 
this spot was De Beer Valley ; it was .a plain of several miles 
in diameter, stretching along the feet of the Black Mountains, 
and seemed to be the reservoir of a number of periodical rivers, 
whose sources are in the mountains of Niewveldf, of Winter- 
berg, and Camdeboo. One of these running at this time with 
a considerable current, was as salt as brine. To the taste it ap- 
peared to be as strongly impregnated as the water of the Eng- 
lish Channel ; that is to say, it might contain about a thirtieth 
part of its weight of salt. Another river, with little current, 
called the Karooka, joined the salt river at the head of the 
valley, the water of which was perfectly fresh, but combined 
with earthy matter. The surface of the valley was entirely 
covered with two or three species of coarse rushy grasses ; 
and all the swamps and springs were buried in large clumps 
of the arundo phragmites or common reed. The streams that 
fell into the valley were finely skirted with tall mimosas, which, 
at their confluence, spread out into a forest of evergreens. 
Such a delightful spot in the midst of a barren desert, afford- 
ing shelter, and food, and water, could not fail of attracting to 
