SOUTHERN AFRICA. 
309 
On the right bank of the river were two wells of hepatized 
water, eafily diftinguiQied by the ftrong fmell they emitted, 
not unlike that of the rinfings of a foul gun-barrel. The v>^ells 
were only a few paces afunder, and differed one degree of Fah- 
renheit in temperature, the larger being 88° and the fmaller 87°. 
The latter boiled up uniformly ; but the former threw up the 
water by ftarts. This was about three feet deep, and rounded 
like a pot ; it confifted of a hard craft of cemented rock, 
formed of minute pebbles of various colours, of fmall quartz 
chryftals worn round in their fubterranean pafTage, and ferru- 
ginous globular pyrites. The cement appeared to be chiefly 
fine emery-fand. The foil of the adjacent country, and of the 
banks of the river, was a firm blueifh clay. On every fide of 
the wells, and not many yards diftant from them, were feveral 
circular bogs puffed up to the height of four or five feet above 
the common furface. Thefe were highly elaflic, and gave out 
fprings of water that was cold, and clear, and taftelefs. The 
waters of thefe hepatic wells are faid to have been found very 
efficacious in healing bruifes and fprains, and favorable alfo to 
rheumatic complaints, to which, from the great changeablenefs 
of the climate, the peafantry are very fubjedt. 
About twelve miles to the weftward of the wells, in a kloof 
of a detached mountain, we found a confiderable quantity of 
native nitre. It was in a cavern fimilar to thofe ufed by Bof- 
jefmans for their winter habitations, and in which they make 
the drawings above, noticed. The under furface of the pro- 
jelling ftratum of calcareous fand-flone, and the fides that fup- 
ported 
