192 
TRAVELS IN 
That part of the Keifkamma where we had encamped was 
not fordable by waggons ; had it even admitted a paflage, the 
country on the oppofite fide was fo very mountainous and 
w^oody, that, fo far from wheel-carriages making the attempt, 
it was fcarcely paffable by horfes. It was therefore concluded 
to fend forwards, on the following day, three or four Hotten- 
tots with prefents, and to proceed from the place of encamp- 
ment on horfeback. Thou2;h the diftance from the Keifkamma 
to the refidence of the king was not more than fifteen miles, it 
took us above four hours in riding. The hills were moftly 
covered with thick underwood, and on the plains were fo 
many ftraggling trees of the thorny mimofa, juft diftant enough 
from each other for their fpreading branches to meet and annoy 
pafTengers, that we were obliged to quit the dired: road, which 
was no more than a foot-path, every moment. In the courfe 
of the journey we paffed a number of villages containing from 
ten to thirty huts each, fome of which were deferted, but others 
were very populous. A great crowd of people of all defcrip- 
tions flocked down on every fide and followed us along the 
road. The weather being warm, the men had thrown afide 
their cloaks and were entirely naked. But the women referved 
their cloaks of calf-fkin and clofe leather caps, which, with the 
heat of the weather, and their exertion to gratify their curiofity 
by the fight of the ftrangers, feemed to incommode them not a 
little. 
On arriving at his place of refidence, we found that the king, 
not having expected us until the following day, had gone to his 
grazing 
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