SOUTHERN AFRICA. 359 
the Great Chain mentioned in the former part of this chapter ; 
and the vallies and meadows within them appear to have 
been the beds of lakes, in which there still remains a number 
of springs and swamps, that never fail to furnish a copious 
supply of water in the very driest seasons. The ground is 
productive of good grass, and yields abundant harvests. The 
cold in winter obliges the inhabitants to drive their cattle 
•upon the Karroo plains, but not to quit their houses, as is 
the case with those of the Roggeveld. 
On the twenty-seventh of May I repassed the great chain 
of mountains, through a ravine called the Eland's kloof. 
Here once more I had an opportunity of contemplating the 
venerable ruins that lay scattered around, strongly dis- 
playing the havoc of old Time. The road over this part 
of the mountains was much better than I had any reason 
to expect from the representations of the peasantry. In- 
deed at this time it was by much the best of the four 
passes through which I had now crossed this great range 
of mountains. 
The Olifant's river runs along the feet of the great chain on 
the west side, and is hemmed in between it and a parallel 
range of high hills, called the Kardouw. From one of these 
issues a plentiful spring of chalybeate water, of the tem- 
perature of 108° of Fahrenheit's thermometer. The Dutch 
government caused a house to be erected at this place for the 
accommodation of such as might be inclined to use the waters, 
but, like all the public buildings of the colony, it has been 
suffered to go out of repair. 
