300 
TRAVELS IN 
the current. From alternate expofure to water and the fun, 
they had contraded a glofly black color, bearing a refemblance 
to black, glazed, earthen ware. The mountains that were con- 
tiguous to the river had generally their fummits of grey 
quartz j under this a ftratum of iron-ftone, then fand-ftone, 
and laftly flate. The ftrata were laid horizontally, or very 
nearly fo. 
The fifhing-tackle of the Bosjefmans, lying in feveral places 
on the banks of the river, and in good order, {hewed plainly 
that many of them were in the neighbourhood, and had cer- 
tainly been difturbed in their occupation by our party. They 
confided of bafkets made of ofiers, and the ftems of reeds alter- 
nately worked in : one being white, and the other dark-brown, 
gave them a very pretty appearance. The workmanfliip was 
firm and neat, and the contrivance fufficiently clever, being of 
the fame nature as thofe wicker-bafkets ufed in Europe for the 
like purpofe. We found alfo feveral harpoons of wood, fome 
pointed with bone, and fixed to ropes made apparently of fome 
fort of grafs. Deep holes were dug along the fide of the river 
in vaft numbers, and moft of them were covered over with fo 
much care that they were not eafily difcoverable, which made 
it dangerous to ride along the fea-cow paths. One of our 
horfes fell into a hole near nine feet deep, which, fortunately, 
had no flake in it, otherwife he mufl inevitably have been 
killed. 
In what part foever we approached the river, hippopotami 
were fnorting and playing in vaft numbers. Of thefe animals 
our 
