SOUTHERN AFRICA. 19 
malis also very distinct. The male has horns i'oiii- inches long, 
Streight, smooth, tapering to a point, black : I lie female hfls no 
horns. This animal frequents the thickets on the sides of the 
hills, and descends into the vineyards by niglit, where it does 
no small injury to the infant shoots of the vine. The mountains 
abound with a curious species of antelope, which, from its 
amazing agility, is called the klip spi^in^r, or rock-Ieaper. A 
dog has not the least chance of taking this animal, but he is 
easily shot as he bounds from rock to rock, and exposes him- 
self to the sportsman's aim on the highest and most conspi- 
cuous pinnacles of the mountains. Its cloven hoofs being 
each of them subdivided into two segments, and jagged at 
the edges, give it the power of adhering to the steep sides of 
the smooth rock, from which it sometimes even hangs sus- 
pended without any danger of slipping or falling. The color 
is cinereous grey, and its black horns are short, streight, erect, 
and annulated one third of their length from the base. The 
hair has the singular quality of being so brittle that it breaks 
instead of bending, adheres loosely to the skin, and is so verj 
light that it is used as the best article that can be procured 
for the stuffing of saddles and mattresses. 
A few miles beyond the Paarl, the Berg or Mountain-river 
crosses the road. It is here so large and deep in the winter 
season as to make a pont or floating bridge necessary. A 
little lower down, however, it is sometimes fordable ; and the 
peasants, to avoid the toll at the ferry, frequently cross it, 
though at the hazard of their own lives and of their cattle. 
At this time the river was pietiy full ; yet two farmers, rather 
than pay four shillings for the passage at the ferry of their 
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