194 TRAVELS IN 
tinued my journey. We iiTued from the moun- 
tains through a fort of paffage, or defile, which 
h called the Poort^ and entered a vaft plain, the 
extent of which I could not difcern, as the day 
was declining. It was quite night when we 
arrived at Brajid Kraal (Burnt Kraal), the 
ancient feat of a horde of Nimlquas. 
' The reads were fo bad, that my caravan had 
fpcut a whole day in travelling feveh leagues 
and a half. Our oxen dropped down with 
fatigue ; and, to complete our dlflrefs, I beheld 
not a drop of water, or a fmgle branch of a 
tree. Yet it was neceffary to m.ake fires for 
the night. I had not yet forgotten the preced- 
ing night; and, though we ran lefs rifk in the 
open plain, I was refolved, if poffible, to fub- 
jed myfelf to none. For want of wood, there- 
fore, we colleded dry cow-dung, and kindled 
fires, which feived both to keep oif wild beafls, 
and to proted us from a piercingly cold fouth- 
eaPc v\dnd, which made us fhiver. The ele- 
vation of the ground at Brand- Kraal muft have 
o 
contributed not a little to the cold we felt ; for, 
from my obfervations, I found that it flood at 
leaf!: three thoufand feet above the level of the 
fea. 
a The 
