AFRICA. 37.7 
greafe and Iklns would not have been fuffi- 
cient. My carriages alfo were in a moft 
wretched condition ; for, as they had not been 
molftened for a long time, they made a noife 
when they moved forwards like fo many rat- 
tles. Though we fell in with different foun- 
tains, and the beds of feveral rivers or torrents 
which we crofTed in our way, and from which 
we hoped for relief, we were ftill deceived in 
our expectations. Our animals were reduced 
to the neceffity of putting their nofes to the 
earth, and of licking fuch places as feemed ftill 
to retain fome moifture ; being befides de- 
prived of every kind of fucculent grafs, no 
other refource was left us but to colled: a few 
coarfe parched herbs, which occafioned acute 
pains in their bowels, fo that they entirely 
loft their flefh, and feemed to be converted 
into flveletons. 
In this diftrefling fituatlon we continued 
till the 24th in the evening. Having crofted 
the Swart Rivier^ or Black River, which had 
no more water in its bed than the reft, we 
were juft on the point of unyoking our oxen, 
when I perceived a flock of ftieep. I imme- 
diately ran up to the ftiepherd, and being in- 
formed that he belonged to a planter who 
refided 
