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TRAVELS IN 
that induced the choice of this place for the residence of the 
landrost. It could not proceed from any personal comfort of 
convenience that the place held out ; perhaps those of the 
inhabitants have chiefly been consulted, being the situation 
nearly central Avith respect to the district ; though it is more 
probable that some interested motive, or a want of judgment, 
or a contradictory spirit, must have operated in assigning so 
wild, so secluded, and so unprofitable a place for the seat of 
the Drosdy. 
On the eleventh of August v/e set out from GraafFReynet 
on our projected expedition^ accompanied by two hemraaden 
whom the landrost thought it advisable to take, as he in- 
tended to assemble the farmers of the distant divisions of his 
district as he passed through them, to read his commission, 
administer the oath of allegiance, and to proclaim such parts 
of his public instructions as might particularly relate to the 
respective inhabitants. He thought by doing this to spare 
them the trouble and expence of a long journey to the 
Drosdy. 
Our first route lay directly to the southward towards the sea- 
coast, through a country as sandy, arid, and sterile as any part 
of the Great desert, and equally ill supphed with water. Two 
farm-houses only were passed on the first day's journey, which 
was in the division called Camdeboo, a Hottentot word, sig- 
fying green elevations, a term applied to the projecting but- 
tresses which support the Snowy Mountains, and which are 
mostly covered with verdure. The farmers here are entirely 
graziers ; and to enable them to feed their numerous herds, 
