VISIT TO SOUTI-I AFRICA. 537 
tions, thai South Africa remains, and I fear, must in a great degree 
remain, a ^vilderness. After all the observations I have been able 
to make and to collect, during my journey through great part of the 
colony, I must ascribe this deficiency to the character of the South 
African mountains. Almost all tiieir summits consist of precipitous 
rocks. Very little earth, consequently very few morasses are 
found upon them, and the rain, Avhich is abundant in the rainy 
season, instead of falling on a spungy soil, retaining the water 
for a considerable time, and gradually dealing it out in rivulets 
and brooks, dashes with violence, from the rocks, down the steep 
, declivities, and in destructive torrents svv-eeps along the kloofs and 
Tallies, frequently and suddenly destroying the labours of many 
years in places, where, in summer, a small streamlet scarcely fur- 
nishes water sufficient for the use of a family. The bushes, cover- 
ing a great part of the waste, preserve, by their shade, some moisture 
on the ground, and are providentially furnished with roots of dis- 
proportionate thickness, which, imbibing the water, give them 
sustenance, and maintain their verdure in the dry season. It is 
also said, that in many beds of torrents, by digging, water may 
be found, though the heat of the sun has banished all appear- 
ance of it from the surface. 
4th, Though the rain had continued violent ail night, we ventur- 
ed to proceed. Heavy showers occurred all day; but Avhen we 
proposed to spend the night at the Riet Valley, the friendly 
farmer advised us rather to push on, and, avoiding the Drift, 
which was by this time an unsafe fording-place, to cross the Sand- 
hills, and drive along the beach. We followed his advice, found 
the beach a good hard road, and though the suif looked rather wild, 
and in some places rushed in upon us as high as the axle-trees, we 
got on Avell, Mr. Melville and his groom Jephtha riding before us. 
By God's mercy, m'c passed safely through the little Drift, and the 
broad sheet of water at the Great Salt river, which were both of 
considerable depth. 
6th. My friend, Mr. Hancke, informed me, that owing to the 
XX 
