SOUTHERN AFRICA. 
59 
fands of thofe cellular maffes of earth by a fmall 'm(e€t of the 
ant tribe, to which naturalifts have given the name of termes, 
different, however, from, and much lefs deftrudive than, that 
fpecies, of which a curious defcription has been given by Mr. 
Smeathman in the Philofophical Tranfadlions. The ant-hills 
in this part of Africa feldom exceed the height of three feet. 
The plain to the eaftward, at a dozen miles beyond Stick- 
land, is terminated by two mountains, between which the road 
leads into a valley better cultivated and more thickly inhabited 
than any part between it and the Cape. Simonfberg, on the 
right, is among the higheft of the mountains that are feen from 
the Cape. Its forked ParnalTian fummit is frequently, in win- 
ter, covered with fnow, and in the fouth-eaft winds of fum- 
mer is generally buried in the clouds. It alfo has its Helicon 
trickling down its fides, as yet a virgin fpring untafted by the 
Mufes. It held out more charms, it feems, for Plutus, than for 
Apollo. A man in the time of the governor, whofe name the 
mountain perpetuates, intent on making his fortune by impof- 
ing on the credulity and ignorance of the Company's fervants, 
melted down a quantity of Spanifh dollars, and prefented the 
mafs to the governor as a fpecimen of filver from a rich mine 
that he had difcovered in this mountain. Enraptured at the 
proof of fo important a difcovery, a refolution was pafled 
by the governor in council that a fum of money fhould be 
advanced to the man to enable him to profecute his difcovery, 
and work the mine, of which he was to have the fole diredion; 
and in the mean time, to convince the public of the rifmg 
wealth of the colony, the mafs of filver was ordered to be 
I 2 manu- 
