THIRD JOURNEY. 
83 
fail to attract the attention of travellers. This lake is a plain /779- 
•L January. 
much above the level of the fea, and between three and four '^^^—^ 
miles in circumference. At fome feafons of the year it is 
formed into an entire mafs of fine white fait, which has a \'ery 
ftriking appearance. The heavy rains had diffolved the middle 
part of it, a fliort time before my arrival, but round the fides 
was a hard cruft of fait exactly refembling ice. 
The adjacent country is covered with variety of fruitefcent 
and fucculent plants, many of which w^ere quite new, in par- 
ticular fome of the Euphorbia. Here we were vifited by two 
Caifres, the firft we had feen ; for they very feldom venture 
fo far out of their own country. At night we arrived at a 
place, called by the Hottentots Kow Cha, which is much fre- 
quented by Lions, Rhinoceroles and Buffaloes. The foil is of 
a fandy loam, and produces excellent pafture for cattle, but no 
corn ; there is, however, no proof that the land is not fitted to 
produce grain, for no pains is taken, at this diftance from the 
Cape, to cultivate the ground. 
We proceeded, on the twenty-ninth, to the eaftward, towards 
the Sondags Rivier, or Sundays River. The face of the coun- 
try, at this place, has a very barren appearance ; but it produces 
a variety of arboreous plants, though yery few of any confider- 
able height or fize, which demonllrates the poverty of the 
foil. On our way we faw great numbers of wild Dogs, which 
travel in flocks, and are verv deftruftive when thev p'et where 
there are flocks of ilieep. Wild Dogs are alio found very 
near the Cape. They are much larger than the Jackal, with 
