GRANTED TO THE SOCIETY. 379 
aloug the valley as far as the sea, a distance of about 
four miles. The hills forming the sides of the valley 
for the first two miles were thickly clothed with trees, 
whose foliage is always green. A small river runs, in a 
serpentine course, along the middle of the valley, seldom 
exceeding a quarter of a mile in breadth. Little spots 
on the hills and the valley had evidently been cultivated, 
but were afterwards destroyed by the ravages of the 
Caffres. Towards the ocean, the river becomes a stand- 
ing water, in consequence of a bar of sand running 
across its mouth, and so completely damming it up that 
the fresh water can only reach the sea by oozing through 
the sand. 
Arriving at the shore we found a smooth, sandy beach, 
extending to a considerable distance on each side of the 
opening by which we entered, and surmounted by a 
range of low, steep, and remarkably green hills, present- 
ing an insurmountable barrier to the furious waves of 
the ocean. The constant succession of rolling billows 
perpetually breaking upon the sands, with the spray 
proceeding from them, driven before the wind, added 
much to the sublimity of the scenery. 
The termination of Theopolis River resembled a con- 
siderable lake, separated from the Indian Ocean by 
perhaps an hundred feet of smooth sandy beach. 
Cranes, and various kinds of beautiful sea-fowls, were 
standing in the lake and on the shore. These and all 
the surrounding objects wearing at that time a golden 
hue from the rays of the evening sun, rendered the scene 
extremely interesting. Our enjoyment, however, was 
checked by the reflection that probably some of those 
savage CafiFres, who had so lately attacked Theopolis, 
might be lurking among the neighbouring cliffs or 
bushes. 
After great rains the river acquires such an accession 
of power as to be able to open a way for itself to the 
ocean ; but no sooner does its waters decrease in strength 
