SOUTHERN AFRICA. 253 
the waggons, and, abandoning the idea of penetrating farther 
to the northward, to content ourselves with striking off in the 
opposite direction towards the Kaffer country. 
The general breadth of tliis river, when free from inunda- 
tions, appeared to be about three hundred yards. Jn many 
places it extended to five hundred, and in others was con- 
tracted to two hundred yards. The volume of water was 
imniense, and, in the narrow parts, forced its way with great 
rapidity. Yet from this place to the embouchure on the 
western coast, supposing it to be the Orange river, the dis- 
tance was not less than five hundred miles. On each side, 
the surface of the country was as naked and barren as the 
Karroo, and infinitely more disagreeable, being covered with 
loose sand ; but at the distance of a couple of miles on the 
south side, were extensive plains well clothed with herbage. 
In several places the inundations had extended beyond a 
mile from the river, as was apparent by the wreck of large 
trees, roots, shrubs, and ridges of sand, lying in a long con- 
tiimed line. The elevation of the ground, at such points of 
the inundation, could not be less than thirt}^ to forty feet 
above the level of the river at its ordinary state. 
The Orange river, like the Nile, has, as it would seem, its 
periodical inundations, and, as well as that liver, might be 
made subservient, by the help of canals, to the fertilization 
of a vast extent of adjoining country. It also has its cataracts. 
One of these made a prodigious roaring noise, not far from 
one of the places where we halted ; but as it was not ap- 
proachable v\^ithout a great deal of fatigue and trouble, we 
