SOUTHERN AFRICA. 
321 
Cape there happens lefs thunder and Hghtning than perhaps in 
any other part of the world, the ifland of St. Helena excepted, 
where they are fcarcely known to the inhabitants. 
Faffing over a rough mountainous country, we halted on the 
thirtieth near the fource of the Bavian's, or Baboon's river. It 
rifes out of a chain of mountains in the KalFer country, and 
joins the Great Tufli river. Tall fpreading mimofas were here 
fcattered over the face of the country, and, with their new 
foliage of lively green, difplayed a very beautiful appearance ; 
they were alfo ft udded with clufters of golden flowers, not more 
pleafing to the eye than agreeable to the fmell. Thoufands of 
bees were bufily employed in colledling from thefe flowers their 
winter's ftore. This part of the country feemed to abound in 
honey ; it was hanging in large clufters from almoft every rock, 
and this was the feafon of its greateft plenty and perfection. 
The Hottentots have a common obfervation among them, that 
when the Doom boom blofToms the honey is fat. 
Quick as the Hottentots are in obferving the bees, as they fly 
to their nefts, they have ftill a much better guide on which they 
invariably rely. This is a fmall brownifli bird, nothing remark- 
able in its appearance, of the cuckoo genus, to which naturalifts 
have given the fpecific name of Indicator^ from the circumftance 
of its pointing out and difcovering, by a chirping and whifl:ling 
noife, the nefts of bees ; it is called by the farmers the honey 
bird. 
T T 
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