238 TRAVELS IN 
evening. The wind blew frefli, and the thermometer had de- 
fcended to forty-five degrees. On the preceding day, at GraafF 
Reynet, it flood at eighty- five in the fhade till near fun-fet, 
and at feventy-iix during the night ; and in the courfe of this 
day's journey it was at eighty-three. The fudden change was 
probably occafioned, not fo much by the difference of eleva- 
tion, which in a Dutch manufcript journal is eflimated at 
4800 feet, as by the fudden evaporation of the moifbure 
caufed by a heavy fall of rain that had here continued 
during the preceding day and night. An extraordinary de- 
creafe of temperature is always the confequence of continued 
rain in South Africa. 
The following day brought us to Waay Hoek^ or Windy Cor- 
ner, the habitation of the late provifional landrofl of GraafF 
Reynet, who had fignified an inclination to accompany us on 
the intended expedition. He had attended Governor Van 
Plettenberg on his journey northwards, and had fmce been 
commandant for many years on expeditions againfl the Bof- 
jefmans, which had given him an opportunity of being ac- 
quainted not only with the different parts within, but alfo with 
much of the country beyond, the limits of the colony. Hav- 
ing prepared himfelf for the journey, we remained with him 
only for the night ; and on the following morning fent forward 
the waggons, while we made an excurfion into the mountains 
on our left in fearch of Bosjefmans. A large party of thefe 
people had carried off a number of cattle but two days before, 
and another was fuppofed to be flill ho^^ering about in thefe 
mountains. The places of their ufual haunts are eafily difco- 
verable, 
