254 TRAVELS IN 
moned to meet us here, in order that the commandant might 
felect as many as fhould be deemed fufficient to enable us to 
march through the country. He took fixteen farmers and 
eight armed Hottentots, which, with our own party and the 
other Hottentots employed as drivers and leaders, amounted 
all together to about fifty perfons. There were feven wag- 
gons, about a hundred oxen, and fifty horfes, befides a troop 
of fifty or fixty fheep for confumption on the journey. The 
people whom the commandant made choice of, were all young 
men, who, reludlantly as at all times they take the fervice of 
the regular expeditions, feemed delighted on the prefent occa- 
fion, which they confidered in the light only of a party of 
pleafure. 
On the evening of the twenty-fixth we colleded our forces 
at the commencement of the Sea-Cow river, which was about 
fix miles to the northward of the laft habitation. This river 
is formed from the colleded branches that fall to the north- 
ward from the different parts of Sneuwberg, and from the 
Roode-berg^ or Red mountain, which is in fadl an arm of the 
former, ftretching to the northward. The Sea- Cow river, and 
indeed all the ftreams that behind the Snowy mountains ran 
northerly, were remarkably diftinguifhed from thofe whofe 
currents took an oppofite diredion, by having their banks 
covered with tall reeds, the arundo phragmites^ and deftitute of 
a fhrub or tree ; whereas the latter were always inclofed by mi- 
mofas, willows, and other tali arboreous plants. The northern 
rivers confifted generally of a chain of deep ftagnant pools con- 
nected by the beds of narrow channels that for the greateft part 
of 
