356 TRAVELS IN 
the great north and fouth chain of mountains, but infinitely 
lefs fo than either the Duyvil's kop, or the Kayman's river. 
From the portal, or entrance of the kloof, is a grand 
view of the Cape peninfula, the fweeping fhores of the two 
great bays, and the intermediate dreary ifthmus appearing like 
a fea of fand, and enlivened only by a few neat farm houfes, 
fcattered over the fore-ground, at the feet of the great 
chain of mountains. The middle of the ifthmus is inhabited 
only by a few poor people, who gain a fubiiftence by collecting 
the ftems and roots of the fhrubs that grow in the fand, and 
fending them in fmall carts to the Cape, where they are fold for 
fuel. The diftance from Hottentot's Holland's kloof to Cape 
Town, is about thirty-fix miles, or an eafy day's journey, which 
we made on the eighteenth of January ; not forry to have 
brought to an end a feven months' tour, in the courfe of which 
many perfonal inconveniences and difficulties had occurred, 
to be borne and furmounted only by a determination to gratify 
curiofity at the expence of comfort. 
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