88 
TRAVEL S 
IN AFRICA. 
February' tackcd tlic buffalocs ; they were about an hundred in number ; 
\ f^ve of them we fliot ; the others fled into a wood, which was 
about a mile to the eaftward of us. Mr. Kock had the animals 
ikinned ; their hides making fuch excellent thongs for oxen 
that they are preferred to every other material for this purpofe. 
At night we arrived at the Fiili River, where we flayed two 
days. During the night we had heavy fliowers of rain, with 
loud claps of thunder. Here the river aflumes a fouthern di- 
rection, and empties itfelf into the great Indian Ocean, at about 
twenty miles diilance. The deepell parts of the river are 
inhabited by the Hippopotamus, and the adjacent woods by 
Elephants, Rhinocerofes, and Buffaloes. We fliot feveral of 
the buffaloes, which were much heavier than an European 
bullock. 
Seeing no poUibility of proceeding farther with our waggon 
througli the impenetrable woods, we agreed that Mr. Van 
Renan fliould continue with it, while Mr. Kock and I procee- 
ded eailerly towards the Caffres, being informed that we could 
reach their country in two or three days. Moft of the ar- 
boreous plants in thefe parts were unknown to me, except the 
Euphorbia Anti(|uorum, Erythrina Corallodendron, and the 
Gardenia Stellata. We took with us a Hottentot who was 
perfedly acquainted with the language of the Caffres. In 
paffmg through the thickets, on the banks of the Fifli River, 
we encountered confiderable difiiculties, till we fortunatelv got 
' J CD 
into an Elephant's path, in which we continued till noon. 
We then croffed the river and entered a fpacious plain, which 
afforded us great variety of the moft beautiful evergreens I 
