FIRST JOURNEY. 
different journeys in this country, I have fometimes been 
under the necelTity of ufing them as food, and found them 
far from difagreeable. Thefe infe£ls are very particularly de- 
fcribed by the late Mr. Smeathman, under the name of Termites, 
Great differences are obferved in the white ants, according to 
the foil and climate in which they are found. In the Eaft 
Indies they prove extremely deftruiEtive to the wood ; but at 
the Cape they are never known to injure any vegetable fub- 
ftance, except the grafs in thofe places where they moft abound. 
It is not by devouring the grafs that they occafion its deftruc- 
tion, but by raifing a number of hills which impede the pro- 
grefs of vegetation. In my obfervations on India, I fliall 
mention them more particularly. We now proceeded to leave 
this uncommonly delightful and fertile territory, extending 
along the fouth fide of the range of mountains, and terminating 
near the Krome* Rivier, to enter into a country which is, per- 
haps, one of the moft barren in the world. This is called, the 
Channa Land ; and derives its name from a fpecies of Mezem- 
bryanthimum, which is called Channa by the natives, and is 
exceedingly efteemed among them. They make ufe of it both 
in chewing and in fmoaking ; when mixed with the Dacka 
is very intoxicating, and which appeared to be of that fpecies of 
hemp which is ufed in the Eafl Indies by the name of Bang. 
We were fuppHed on the morning we fet out with frefli 
oxen, to take our waggon over the movmtain, which proved 
fo rugged, that our waggon overfet ; but it received no damage. 
* Crooked River, 
