26 TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
»777- different fpecles of Rhus. We continued our iourney till late 
Oftober. ^ , i r 
in the evenuig, when our waggon overturned, from a preci' 
pice upwards of fifty feet high, which compelled us to remain 
till day-light. A draughtfman of Captain Gordon's, who was 
in the waggon, had his thigh much bruifed ; but was not fo 
much injured as might have been expefted from fuch a fall. 
We left our baggage lying at the foot of the precipice till the 
following day ; and obferving a houfe on the oppofite fide of 
the river, we agreed to ftay there the remaining part of the 
night. At day-light we examined our waggon, and found 
every thing perfectly fafe. The whole of this country is ex- 
tremely barren, except a few farms which are fituated on fmall 
ftreams of water, and produce corn, though not in great 
abundance. This uncommon degree of fterility mull be prin- 
cipally afcribed to the want of water ; for the fupply of which 
the inhabitants wholly depend upon the rain ; there being 
very few natural fprings, and the water which thefe afford is 
in general very brackifh. 
We began the month of November, by directing our courfe 
eafl by fouth, and at eleven came to the houfe of an European, 
where we refled all day. Here I made fome addition to my 
colle£tion of plants, which continued in tolerable order. 
From this place our courfe was eaflerly, during the whole 
of the next day, leaving the Comnaflia^^ Berg on our right 
hand, and the Swart Berg on our left. We found here fome hot 
* A fpecies of Rhus, 
