SOUTHERN AFRICA. 113 
properly fo called. It occupies about ten miles on every fide 
of the village. On the north and eaft it is terminated by the 
Sneuwberg or Snowy mountains, and on the fouth and w^eft is 
inclofed by the divifion of Camdeboo. It contains only 
twenty-fix families, twelve of whom inhabit the village : the 
reft are fcattered over a wild barren country almoft deftitute of 
tree or fhrub, and very little better than the Karroo defert. The 
Sunday river, in its pafTage from the Snowy mountains, winds 
round the fmall plain on which the Drofdy is placed, and fur- 
nifhes it with a copious fupply of water, without v/hich it 
would produce nothing. The whole extent of this plain is not 
more than two fquare miles, and it is furrounded by mountains 
two thoufand feet in height, from whofe fteep fides projed:, like 
fo many lines of mafonry, a great number of fand-ftone ftrata ; 
fo that the heat of lummer, increafed by the confined fituation 
and the refledtion of the fun's rays from the rocky fides of 
thefe mountains, is intenfely great ; v^^hilft the cold of winter, 
from their great height, and the proximity of the Snowy 
mountains, from whence the northerly winds rufh with great 
violence through the kloof that admits the Sunday river, is 
almoft intolerable ; not merely on account of the decreafed 
temperature, but from the total impoflibility of ftirring abroad 
during the continuance of thefe winds, which in whirling 
eddies carry round the plain a conftant cloud of red earth and 
fand. 
The village of Graaff" Reynet is in latitude 32" 11' fouth^ 
longitude 26° eaft, and the diftance from Cape Town about 
500 miles. It confifts of an affemblage of mud huts placed at 
fome 
