S£?T.] KAMACQUA LAND. 419 
facing the sun. The lively green of the trees which 
line the river on both sides, forms a striking contrast 
with the melancholy, deatli-like appearance of these 
mountains. The structure of the mountains is their 
only beauty, which is so diversified and stupendous 
as to compel one to view them with wonder, though 
I believe they have had but few admirers since their 
creation. We rode along the south bank of the river 
about five or six miles down, wlien we turned up, 
by a narrow cut, through the mountains, about two 
miles of which resembled a giants staircase — we 
ascended on horseback, step after step, which was 
very troublesome to our horses, as some of the steps 
were about two feet high, and many of the broad 
flint rocks over which ' they had to go, were smooth 
and slippery o The sun was nearly down before we 
reached the summit of this narrow pass, which in most 
places was only a few yards wide; though the sides 
were many hundred feet hi perpendicular height 
Some parts of the country at the summit were so 
thickly strewed with saltpetre, that it appeared 
covered with snow. By digging in the sand at one 
place we found water to allay our thirst. Then we 
rode for two hours at a quick rate before we came in 
sight of the lights of Pella, where we arrived about 
eight o'clock. We took this circuitous way home, 
to examine a fountain which Mr. Albricht wished us 
to see, but our guide forgot to point it out to us when 
we were passing near it, and as night was coming on 
before we discovered the error, we could not return to 
search for it. 
3 H S 
