FOURTH JOURNEY. ir 
apparent vegetation ; but in the plain part of the country to ^^779^ 
the weftward, I found a variety of the moft beautiful plants, ' — ^— 
particularly Geraniums and Afclepias ; but very few of the 
fucculent kind. The banks of the river produce lofty trees 
peculiar to this country, fuch as Mimofa, Salix, and a fpecies of 
Rhus, called by the Dutch, Rezyne Houd. There are alfo a 
few trees of Ebony ; but to the eaftward it grows in ftill greater 
abundance. In the afternoon our waggon not being arrived, 
we returned the fame way we came, and found our people 
had taken a different direction. We followed their track, and 
overtdbk them near the mouth of the river. 
In the evening we launched Colonel Gordon's boat, and 
hoifted Dutch colours. Colonel Gordon propofed firft to drink 
the States' health, and then that of the Prince of Orange, and 
the Company ; after which he gave the river the name of the 
Orange River, in honour of that Prince. We agreed to remain 
in this fituation a few days, and to vifit the oppofite fliore, as 
we had in this place very good pafture for our cattle. 
The following day, therefore, we employed ourfelves in 
fifliing, and towards the evening had the great fatisfaftion of 
once more beholding our loft companion, Mr. Pinar, who arri- 
ved with three of the Plottentots. They looked dreadfully ill, 
having travelled five days through fultry defarts, over fandy 
hills and rocky mountains, without tafting food or fwallowing 
a drop of water. On the fifth day they difcovered a fmall 
fountain, where they left one of the Hottentots, who was fo 
^xhaufted that they had no expedation he could farvive the 
