THIRD JOURNEY 
79 
Apricots, &c. which he dries and fends to the Cape for fale. ^»779- 
A ' ^ January. 
About three weeks before our arrival, there had been a very " — . — 
heavy ftorm of hail and wind ; the hail-ftones, which were of 
an enormous lize, and the impetuous wind, had deftroyed 
every thing about his houfe. His corn, vineyard, and fruit- 
trees, were totally fpoiled ; one of his children, who was at 
the time keeping a flock of flieep at fome diftance from any 
fhelter, was very much hurt, and many of the llieep were 
killed. 
In the cool of the evening we travelled to a fmall river, 
about fix miles diflant from this place, where we continued all 
night. 
We proceeded in our courfe to the eaftward, on the four- 
teenth, and in the evening arrived at the houfe of one Rulof 
Comphor. This is the beginning of the Lange Kloaf, which 
Mr. Mafon remarks, is about an hundred miles long, and about 
two miles in breadth ; the foil is a flrong reddilli clay, and 
the pafture very unwholefome for cattle. Since the year feven- 
teen hundred and feventy-four, this part of the country has 
been much improved, the farmers have cultivated corn-land, 
gardens, and vineyards, and in general are polTelTed of very 
good houfes. Vv^e profecuted our journey along this valley, 
making fhort ilages, where I collected many plants and fpe- 
cimens. 
On the twentieth, we arrived at the Krome Rivler, or 
Crooked River, which runs through a long marfhy valley 
