3B0 
JOliRNtY ACROSS tHE [181^. 
- ----- , - - - - r . , . 
24th. We had rested at what may be called an 
elbow of the river, for instead of itinniiig to the west- 
ward It here turns towards the north. The place, 
which we hariied Fmser Place, (after the Latlddrost 
of Albany) Hes between a hill of rocks thrown together 
in a confused mass and the river, and is a most charm- 
ing spot. We left it at eight, A.M. and travelled over 
sand, and sometimes small gravel, till half past nine, 
A.M. when the heat became so oppressive that we 
were obliged to halt near the river at the foot of a 
small hill, composed chiefly of loose rocks of blue 
flint and white marble. Here we killed a black ser- 
pent four feet and a half long, and eight inches in cir- 
cumference : the day before we killed a similar one, 
two feet and a half long. The birds here seem to 
live in kraals like the people, for twenty or thirty nests 
frequently appear on a tree, without any others in the 
immediate vicinity. W^e were tolerably shaded by the 
trees during the hottest part of the day ; that under 
which we dined formed a complete canopy and cur- 
tain around by its hanging branches. 
At three, P.M. we went forward, travellitig over 
sand, in which were many large stones and some 
small sharp ones, which are very injurious to the 
hoofs of the oxen. The dry beds of rivers which run 
in the rainy season, from the steepness of their sides 
were sometimes very troublesome. We had hills on 
our left the whole day, to get round which occasioned 
the winding of the river and our being obliged to tra- 
vel N. We halted, at seven, P.M. Our fires were 
