76 
JOURNEY TO BETHELSDORP. [1813. 
insurmountable, we returned to the margin of the 
wood. We attempted reaching the river by another 
part of the wood, but we were equally unsuccessful ; 
yet our attempts to penetrate the wood were not alto- 
gether fruidess, for thereby we had many views which 
were very gratifying. In our excursion we came to 
a tree which had apparently many thick ropes hanging 
from its highest boughs, which were really as pliable as 
an ordinary rope ; but how they ascended to so great a 
height, without twisting round the tree or being aided 
by its branches, we could not conjecture. It is called 
by the natives Bavian s low, or Baboon's rope. The 
wild vines were also abundant, some of which might 
have measured two hundred feet in length. Returning 
a second time to the skirts of the wood, we proceeded 
in search of some path by which we might reach the 
river, and such a path at length we found. It was 
six or eight feet wide, arched over by the branches of 
trees, and sometimes by superannuated trees lying 
across. Along this path we walked about half a 
mile before we reached the river. This we found to 
be about thirty feet broad. We got upon a small 
island in the middle, where we halted a little to observe 
the surrounding scenery. The steep sides of the hills 
were compleatly covered with ancient trees, and ap- 
peared to hang over us. The first words on looking 
up to them, which I almost felt impelled to utter, were, 
grandeur upon grandeur ! Indeed I found our language 
inadequate to convey an idea of my feelings while 
viewing these wonderful works of the Lord. The sun, 
