86 
peared of an extraordinary height ; but in 
the course we pursued, not a human foot- 
step could be traced; no cattle, no sign 
of cultivation, could be observed. We 
were not interrupted by any beast of prey, 
although we constantly perceived their 
dung. At length, after travelling about 
thirty-five miles, we began to feel the want 
of water. 
After searching for this indispensable ali- 
ment with the utmost anxiety and atten- 
tion, we were so fortunate as to discover, 
before sun-set, a brook that run near the 
corner of a wood ; and here we determined 
to rest for the night. We began, there- 
fore, to prepare a sufficient quantity of 
fuel. The wood was chiefly composed of 
trees that partook in some degree of the 
nature of our thorn : we cut several, and 
arranged our fires. One of the CafFrees 
struck a light, and the whole, in a few 
minutes, was in a blaze. The tinder which 
he provided was of a particular descrip- 
tion ; it consisted of a pithy substance ex- 
tracted from a reed, and so tenacious of 
fire, that a single spark from the steel 
caught it in a moment. 
