SOUTHERN AFRICA. 
245 
being at length dlffipated by the fun, the Compafsberg fhewed 
itfelf white near the fummit with fnow. 
The diviiion of Sneiiwberg comprehends a great extent of 
country. The moment we had afcended from the plains be- 
hind GraafF Reynet to thofe more elevated of Sneuwberg, the 
difference of the face of the country and its natural produc- 
tions were remarkably ftriking. One of the chara£ters of the 
African mountains, as already has been noticed, is that of hav- 
ing one of their fides fteep and lofty, whilft the oppofite one 
gradually floped off in an inclined plane. The Compafsberg is 
the laft to the northward that prefents a bold and high front 
to the fouthern horizon. Beyond this the northern afpeds of 
the mountains are the highefl. 
It was an obfervation fufEciently ftriking, and which muft 
have occurred to every one who has been the leaft attentive to 
the mountains and rivers of South Africa, that the afcent of 
the former invariably increafes with the defcent of the latter ; 
or, in other words, that the highefl fides of the mountains face 
that quarter towards which the rivers flow, whilft their floping 
fides are oppofed to the ftreams. That fuch, indeed, are the 
appearances, which ought to prefent themfelves on the furface 
of every country of Neptunian origin, is conformable to what 
may every day be obferved, on a fmall fcale, in the beds of 
rivers and moft water-courfes. The banks of earth or fand, 
that the current of waters has there depofited, have always 
their higheft points down the ftream. The reafon is too 
obvious to require an explanation. The formation of fuch 
banks 
