VISIT TO SOUTH AFRICA. 315 
and ill the evening, took a short ride with them to Sea Point and 
Green Point, on the coast, west of the Lion's head. 
Since the English have been liere, the great consumption of 
grain had encouraged many inhabitants to cultivate the land be- 
tween the mountains and the sea, though rather unfruitful, the 
sward of earth upon the rocks being only between one and two 
feet in thickness. Trees, therefore, will not thrive, but the situa- 
tion is well studded with small neat houses and villas, and with 
gardens and hedges of low bushes. Mr. Alexander's premises on 
Green Point exhibit some very beautiful geraniums, from three 
to four feet in height. liere we alighted, and walked to the rocks. 
Limpets, of from four to five inches in diameter, cleave to them, 
which, when cleaned and polished, have brilliant colours. At Sea 
Point, the rocks are chiefly granite, in huge masses, or in strata. 
Blue schistus appears to lie under them, and inserts itself into 
the fissures and crevices of the granite. Some men of science here 
insist upon it, that this schistus is the ground-work of all these 
mountains, and that the Lion's head and other granite mountains 
are strata lying upon it. I will not attempt to decide the ques- 
tion, from the imperfect observation I had an opportunity of 
making. The situation we had visited, not having a single spring 
of fresh water in it, is denominated, De Kleene Zwartland. The 
inhabitants either collect rain-water, or send for water to the 
town. The coast is a favourite promenade of the town's-peoplc, 
and we met several parties on foot, or in carriages. 
22d. Having paid short morning-visits to some friends, I took 
kave of my kind hostess, Mrs. Disandt about ten o'clock, and 
left Capetown, in company of Mr. Melville, on horseback, intend- 
ing to reach Groenekloof to-night. We halted at a farmer's house, 
to the right of the main road, but not finding him at home, would 
not be troublesome to his family. A dead ox, just skinned, lay 
near the house-door, a sight not well calculated to create an ap- 
petite, nor to give a very elevated idea of the gentility of the in- 
habitants. We therefore, after a short rest, proceeded, trusting to 
