3i8 TRAVELS IN 
" one of them ; a thing which has never yet 
happened." 
I fhall not wafte my time in combating art 
opinion, which merits not the honour of being 
combated. I fhall merely allow myfelf to 
explain this circumftance of waters alternately 
frefh and fait. 
At the Cape, only two feafons are known : 
the dry feafon, which conftitutes fammer ; 
and the rainy feafon, which is called winter. 
If, during the latter, the waters in queftion 
become drinkable, it is becaufe they are frefli- 
ened by the quantity of rain-water continually 
pouring into them. In the fummer, on the 
contrary, great part of them is evaporated by 
the cxtrem.e heat ; and the little that remains^ 
being concentrated, refumcs all its faltnefs. 
I know not whether the planters were ac- 
quainted with any falt fprings in Kolben's 
time : but they might have prefumed, that 
feveral muft neceffarily exift in a country 
where there were fo many brackifh ones. I5 
who did not look for them, found two within 
the fpace of eight-and-forty hours : for, the 
day before I difcovered this in the bed of 
Lion- 
