350 JOURNAL OF A 
lady the girls belonging to her school, did every thing in their 
power to show their affection and esteem for her, and I was again 
delighted with the sincere and well-merited expression of their 
gratitude for her faithfulness and kindness towards them. 
We had an agreeable visit from Mr. StoU, landdrost of the 
Cape district, Dr. Liesching, and Mr. Gieh, who walked through 
every part of the settlement with approbation. It afforded a 
desirable opportunity of giving explanations, and rectifying 
some erroneous notions. 
25th. Having heard much of the singular appearance of the 
range of Diinen, or sand-hills, along the coast, I rode thither with 
Brother Fritsch, and was struck with surprise, when we entered 
among them. Their appearance from Groenekloof is rather 
unpleasant, and not unlike a low sandy dyke, skirting the waste 
in a straight line. But I found them occupying a very wide field, 
extending to several miles from the sea-coast. The fine sand, 
which is chiefly pulverized quartz, and as white as snow, is here 
blown about, like sleet on a frozen surface, forming hillocks of 
considerable height, and in shape, resembling huge drifts of snow. 
The flats between them are destitute of any verdure, the surface 
being almost constantly in motion. To-day the south-rast wind 
blew pretty strong, and small parallel ridges were continually 
forming over the whole surface, by its operation upon the sand. 
In other parts, especially where deep recesses or glens are defended 
by the hillocks, the waxberry-bush has found shelter, and grows 
in great abundance. To a superficial observer, it appears not 
unlike box. Some of the stems are as thick as a man's leg, and 
the bushes from eight to ten feet in height. 
Our path wound round between the hillocks, sometimes over 
soft sand, through which the horses waded heavily, and again 
over a hard bottom, like frozen snow. In a deep glen, we saw 
several of our people from Groenekloof, diligently employed in 
gathering wax-berries. They sent a little boy to show us the 
way to a place surrounded by high banks, where they had erected 
