368 TRAVELS IN 
in the dark across the wide heath, we did not reach before 
midnight. 
The 9th of March was the hottest and most oppressive day 
I ever experienced in Southern Africa. I had no thermome- 
ter with me, but I afterwards learnt that, during the whole day 
nearly, the temperature in Cape Town was 104° of Fahren- 
heit's scale. In the whole of this day's march, of about 
twenty miles, we were not able to procure a drop of water for 
the horses, except once just after starting, nor even any shade 
from the scorching rays of the sun ; for trees in this part of 
the country are as rare as Doctor Johnson found them to be, 
of as great an age as himself, in Scotland. The horse on 
which I was mounted was so much overcome by the heat, 
that it literally dropped down under me, and was unable to 
carry me any farther. 
Wearied and exhausted we reached, at length, the hovel of 
a shoemaker, near which we found a few puddles of muddy 
water, stagnating in the clayey bed of a rivulet, but it was so 
much impregnated with earth and salts that the horses, thirsty 
as they were, would scarcely touch it. At this place we con- 
trived to pass the night, but we experienced a most uncom- 
fortable lodging. Unluckily for us it happened to be Sunday, 
and, the shoemaker being known to all his neighbours, living 
within the circuit of twenty miles, and particularly to his 
nearest neighbours of three or four miles, to be a jolly good fel- 
low, who always kept a glass of wine, and a strong sopie to 
regale his friends, the house was crowded with people. There 
were but two apartments, one of which was filled with the 
