A F R r C A. trj 
defign, that I might not be diftant from fprlngs 
and ftrcams, or forced to defcend continually 
from eminences to quench our thirft in the 
valleys, which would have occafioned at the 
fame time much fatigue and much languor. 
We had already enough to fulfer from the con- 
tinual afcending and defcending required ia 
paffing from one mountain to another, without 
being ftill forced to repeat feveral times a-dayj 
under a fcorching fun, this laborious exercife. 
Happily however it was not necefiary. During 
the five days that my journey lafted, I found 
in the clifts and holes of the rocks fome excel- 
lent rain water, and thefe fmall natural cifterns 
were fulFic-ently numerous, and had a fulBcienS 
abundance for all our v/ants. 
From the foot of the Table mountain to the 
point of Africa, the diftance is generally reckoned, 
bythe commcnroute,to be eight leagues; I made 
it, by my windings and turnings, from twenty- 
five to thirty : but I experienced no cbftacle,. 
and I at length arrived at the formidable pro* 
montory, the moil celebrated and moft ftormy 
of all thofe of the antient world. The dangers 
of a fea almoft always raging occafioned it to 
be called, by the firft Portuguefe navigators, 
the 
