VISIT TO SOUTH AFRICA. 97 
my old friend, whom Sister Clemens and I had visited on our 
journey to Gnadenthal. (p. 56). Hither we had sent relay-horses 
which were ready to carry us forward. But I was in no hurry to 
proceed, and had serious doubts, whether exposing myself longer 
to the rays of the sun were not sporting with my health, for by 
the time we reached this place, I felt quite overcome with heat 
and fatigue. 
Our host, however, treated us with so excellent a dish of tea, 
which, as he said, had been given him by an English traveller some 
days ago, that it greatly revived my spirits, and a plate of fine 
grapes completed my recovery. Having forded the bed of the 
river, in which there was hardly a few inches depth of water, we 
reached the foot of a long hill called the Haue Hoek, where the 
English have established a turnpike, to cover the expense of 
mending the road across the mountain, which formerly was very 
rough and dangerous. We had resolved to take up our night's lodg- 
ing at a German farmer's house, on the east-side of the mountain, 
of the name of Urie, who keeps a kind of inn, and has good accom- 
modations: but when we reached his place, as it was yet early, I 
was disposed to proceed. The road is in general pretty even, but 
here and there carried along a steep slope, which makes it danger- 
ous for a loaded waggon, if not driven with great care. The view of 
the mountains near Hottentots-Holland is grand, and the variety 
of their shapes forms a singular outline. After fording the Palmite- 
Revier, we rode up to a farm on the waste, the appearance of which 
was not in its favour, nor . did we find the master and mistress at 
home. We therefore determined on proceeding to the next farm, 
belonging to a German of the nameof Sibran. 
He received us with a hearty welcome, and though every part 
of his premises betrayed poverty and a disregard of order, he gave 
us a good dish of cofiee with milk, (a rare article in this part 
of Africa), and a good supper: but his accommodations for sleep- 
ing Avere bad. Brother Lemmerz and I were jammed into a nar- 
row bedstead, and our Hottentot groom, contrary to the usual eti- 
o 
