VISIT TO SOUTH AriiiCA. 229 
richest soil, water in abundance, and hands to Avork. The orange, 
and other fruit-trees, appear in great perfection. The Boschbeig. 
rising immediately behind the garden, is a beautiful mountain, of 
considerable height, intersected by many kloofs, filled with wood, 
the intermediate eminences, like buttresses, supporting the moun- 
tain. They swell, towards the bottom, into hills of fanciful shape, 
covered with green sod of the richest hue, excepting where the 
wood stretches from the kloofs over part of them. At the top of 
these buttresses runs a horizontal ledge of rock, partly covered 
with bushes and creepers. A precipice of a red colour, with grey 
veins, and overhanging a wide kloof filled with timber-trees, has a 
singular effect. The region, beyond the rocky ledge, is rough, but 
grassy. The mountain recedes to the right and left, and, towards 
the north-east, seems to rest upon another range, of similar cha- 
racter. It has an even outline, and, beyond the summit, on the 
side of Graaf Reynet, is said to shelve off more graduall}'. 
We observed two large baboons, sitting separately on projecting 
rocks, probably placed there by the troop, as centinels, to guard 
against surprise. Though somewhat intimidated by our shouts and 
menacing gestures, they seemed determined to keep their station, 
sometimes slowly retreating a few paces, and then returning to their 
seats, show'ing their teeth and grinning defiance. 
When we left the garden, passing by a low shed, a serpent, of 
the most vivid green colour, beautifully marked upon the back, and 
spangled with silver-coloured spots, reared its head from the 
thatched roof, and hissed at Brother Schmitt. He killed it with 
his stick, and brought it out. The Dutch call it, Dachslange, 
(roof-serpent), as it seems to like to hide in old thatch, and is 
said to be very venomous. 
We now visited the shop, containing every article, of which either 
the boors, the Hottentots, or Caffres in the neighbourhood nijght 
stand in need. It is under the superintendency of Dr. Mackrill. 
Here may be had iron and tin-ware, cloth, muslins, silks, pots and 
pans, and even tobacco and snuff. Government, in promoting this 
