42 
JOURNEY ACROSS THE 
[1820. 
past five o'clock we were ready to continue our 
journey. After taking leave of Mr. Anderson 
and his family, we proceeded to the Great Orange 
River by a nearer way than we had before in- 
tended. In some parts we were surrounded by 
thousands of springboks, but so shy that we were 
not able to kill any. At eleven a.m. we halted 
again near the channel of the Brak River, where 
there was a pool of water almost as salt as the 
sea, but by digging at a little distance we ob- 
tained a small quantity that was less salt. Every 
where the footsteps of lions were visible, having 
been without doubt attracted to those parts by 
the abundance of game. Therm, at noon 89. 
We hastily departed at four p. m. being anxious 
to reach the Great River as soon as possible, 
that the oxen might be supplied with water. 
This we happily accomplished at eight in the 
evening, and beheld it with considerable interest. 
To me it afforded peculiar pleasure, for on the 
banks of no other river had I travelled so much. 
The sight was new to all our Hottentots, none of 
them having before seen so great a body of fresh 
water. 
A little after sunrise I repaired to the river, 
whose superiority in breadth and depth to all the 
other rivers known in South Africa, causes it to 
command respect and to excite pleasant sen- 
