AFRICA. 195 
The next morning, day-light enabled me to 
perceive the wide arid plain on which we en- 
camped. I fhuddered with terror, while mea- 
furing with my eye the immenfe fpace we had 
to crofs. All was fand and pebbles. Here 
and there I could with difficulty difcover a 
kooker-boom ; but the plain abounded with 
vaft clumps of euphorbia. A few low hills 
rofe above the furface of this fea of fand ; but 
thefe diminlfhed in height as they advanced 
towards the north, and the horizon appeared to 
be the end of the vv^orld. 
The more hideous this defert, the more ne- 
cefTary it was for us to be eager in quitting 
it. We direded our courfe towards a little 
clufler of hills, which at a diftance feemed 
to me to refemble that at Falfe-bay, called 
Hanging-Lip, and on account of this refem- 
blance I gave it the fame name. I flattered 
myfelf with the hope of finding there fome 
hollow or bafin containing water for my cattle ; 
and my hope w^as ftrengthened by the appear- 
ance of four men defcending from it. To make 
them hear and obferve me, I fired off a gun. 
I intended, if the rock had no water, to afk 
them where I could find fome. They per- 
O 2 ceived 
