320 TRAVELS IN 
The weather had been, exceffively fultry for many days; 
and towards the fetting of the fun on this day, as we were de- 
fcending the mountahi, the heavens became fuddenly over- 
fpread with heavy black clouds that .momentarily threatened to 
burft. The waggons juft reached in time a fpot in the valley, 
in fome meafure fheltered from the wind, when the ftorm 
opened with incredible fury. The violence of the wind was fo 
great, that it fwept away every thing before it ; and it was fol- 
lowed by a burft of thunder that feemed to " fhake the foun- 
" dations of old earth." Peal after peal incelTantly rufhed on 
each other, and roared in the mountains as if tearing and riving 
in pieces their maffes of rock ; and ftreams of livid fire flew 
with terrible fwiftnefs to every part of the horizon. Heavy 
rain, mingled with hailftones of unufual bignefs, and violent 
fqualls of wind feemed to be contending for the maftery with 
the thunder and the fire. 
" — Since I was man 
Such (heets of fire, fuch burfts of horrid thunder, 
** Such groans of roaring wind, and rain, I never 
" Remember to have heard." 
The ftorm continued a great part of the night ; and on the 
following morning fome of its effeds were feen in the wreck 
of a grove of tall mimofas, the greateft part of which was torn 
up by the roots. Such like ftorms are faid to be very frequent 
in thefe great chains of mountains during the fummer months ; 
but the fouth-eaft winds, which blow with fuch ftrength at the 
Cape, are not felt in the interior parts of the country. At the 
Cape 
