SOUTHERN AFRICA. 197 
account of its detached situation. It was separated from aii 
the circumjacent mountains, on four sides, by as many large 
level meadows abundant in springs of water. It forms one 
of the higliest points of South Africa. The waters flow from 
the surrounding meadows in every direction ; a circumstance 
from which Colonel Gordon probably was induced to give it 
the name of the Compass Mountain. On the south-east side is 
the source of the Sunday river. On all the others are springs 
whose streamlets unite at no great distance from their sources, 
and flow directly to the north. The general surface of the 
country, on the northern side of the mountain, is at least 
fifteen hundred feet above the source of the Sunday river ; 
and the height of the peak above this general surface was. 
found, by trigonometrical measurement, to be also very nearly 
fifteen hundred feet. 
The rills of water that meandered through the meadows 
were covered with the common reed, and these were fre- 
quented with vast flocks of small birds, particularly with the 
hxia orir, called by English ornithologists the grenadier, and 
by the French, the cardinal of the Cape of Good Hope. The 
male is remarkable for its gaudy plumage during the spring 
and summer months : in these seasons the neck, breast, back, 
upper and under part of the rump, are of a bright crimson ; 
the throat and abdomen are glossy black. During the other 
six months it is stripped of its gaudy attire^ and adopts the 
modest garb of the female,- which is at all times that of a 
greyish brown. They are gregarious, and build their nests in 
large societies. Another remarkable bird we observed in the 
reeds. This was the long-tailed finch,, described in the Systema 
2 
