APRIL.] JOURNEY TO ALBANY. 133 
At ten, A.M. we crossed Zwartkop's river, and a 
little afterwards we halted at a salt lake, about a mile 
and a half in circumference, which supplies all the 
surrounding country with that necessary article, by the 
collecting and transporting of which, some of the setders 
at Bethelsdorp obtain part of their living. It exactly 
resembled a field of snow, and immediately reminded 
me of the regions of the north during winter. Though 
we only halted for a few minutes, our people filled 
two sacks with salt to serve us on our journey. The 
water at this time was about eighteen inches deep, 
and the whole bottom was covered with a crust of salt 
about an inch and a half thick ; but what we collected 
was found lying loose at the side, being driven thither 
by the little waves raised by the wind. 
At noon we crossed the Cougha river, and halted 
at one P.M. for the sake of water, an excellent foun- 
tain of which was on the side of a brook of brack- 
ish water, which had a nauseous taste; yet this 
fountain has probably remained for centuries past 
choaked up and almost invisible by rushes and weeds, 
because it would require ten or twenty minutes labour 
to remove these obstructions. On viewing it through 
the rushes, a spade was sent for, and all present in- 
vited to assist in clearing away what concealed it, 
while Messrs. Read and Bartlet dug out the mud, 
and formed it into a proper shape. In a very short 
time it assumed the appearance of a neat and clean 
wdl, inviting to all who viewed it. We named it 
