FIRST JOURNEY. 
7 
we arrived about nine, at the refidence of a Mr. De Wall. ^J777- 
' ^ Uttobcr. 
This was formerly a place belonging to Governor Adrian ' — 
. Vander Stell, who had introduced many foreign plants into 
this country, as particularly the Camphor tree. Many of thefe 
are from forty to fifty feet in height, and from twelve to 
thirteen feet in circumference.. Hottentot Holland is iituated 
on the north-eall fide of the Bay Falfe, and furrounded on 
three fides by lofi:y mountains ; but open to the fouth-wefi:,., 
where we have a view of the bay. The foil here is not fa 
good for vines as mod other places on this fide the mountains, 
being wet and marfliy ; but it produces excellent corn^ The 
mountains afforded me many beautiful plants, particularly Xe- 
ranthimums, Geraniums, Gladiolufes, and many others quite 
new to me. Here may be faid to be one of the moll difficult 
pafies into the country, called Hottentot Holland's Kloaf.^' It 
is a narrow road cut through the hill, the fummit of which 
appears to be nearly of a height with the Table Land. This 
is part of the chain of mountains which have their beginning 
at Cape Falfe, or the Hang Lip, and continue to the north- 
v/eft for near three hundred miles ; and from twenty to forty 
miles from the fea, feveral other branches from this chain ex- 
tend to the interior parts of the country, which I lliall after- 
wards have occafion to defcribe in the courfe of my narrative. 
After fending our baggage through the pafs, we purfued our 
journey, on the twelfiih, rovmd the Hang Lip, and proceeded 
to examine the fmall bays and rocks in the mouth of the Bay 
Falfe ; which at that time were but little know ; in particular 
* KIcaf, fignifies a narrow pafs through the mountains. 
