53 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
^77S.^ The following day, we continued our journey north by weft, 
* — V— ^ through a mountainous country ; and towards the evening 
came to a fmall fountain of brackifla water, lituate under a 
naked rock of a conical figure, upwards of five hundred feet 
high. Here we remained till morning, and then proceeded 
north by eafc, after crolfing a river, called the Coufie, or Sand 
River, where we found an European with his cattle, who lived 
here during the winter feafon. This man polTeffed neither 
houfe nor hut, but lodged under the flicker of a large Aloe 
Dichotoma, v/hich is a very common plant in thefe regions. 
I have meafured feveral which were twelve feet in circumfer- 
ence, and above twenty feet high ; and I have feen fome above 
four hundred feet round the extremity of the branches, which 
extend themfelves in the form of a crown. This plant is 
called the Koker Boem, or Quiver Tree ; and has its name 
from the ufe to which it is commonly applied by the natives. 
In the afternoon we continued our journey to the northward ; 
and in the evening came to the houfe of one Jan Vander Hi- 
ver, fituate on the Copper Berg Rivier, vv^here we refted a 
few days, and were hofpitably entertained. I made feveral 
excurfions through the country, where I found a variety of 
plants ; among thefe was the Geranium Spinofum, with yellow 
flowers. The foil about this part is a red fand. 
At this place I furniflied myfelf with fome frefli oxen, part 
of mine being unferviceable. We next direded our courfe 
north, through a rugged country, in w^hich we faw feveral of 
the natives at a diflance. In our way we palled the Copper 
Mountain, which was difcovered in the year fixteen hundred 
