SOUTHERN AFRICA. 385 
than four thoufand feet above the plain, on the weftern fide, that 
fibped gently to the fea-fhore. Thefe mountains, in their nature 
and compofition, differed from all others in the colony. Except 
the high point juft mentioned, they were neither peaked, nor 
tabular, nor ftratified, but were compofed of large rounded maffes 
of granite, a whole mountain fometimes confiding only of one 
naked rock. To two of this fort, from their fimilarity to thofe 
remarkable ftones already noticed under the names of the Pearl 
and the Diamond, but ten times their fize, as a point of diftiiidion 
in the chart, I gave the name of the Namaaqua Pearls. 
The loofe fragments of ftone on the fides of the Khamies berg, 
whether detached pieces of granite, or greafy quartz, or flinty 
pebbles, had almoft invariably that fide which lay next the 
-ground, tinged of a blue or green color, moft frequently the 
latter. The veins that ran through the mountainous maffes of 
granite, were generally filled with femi-tranfparent quartz, among 
which were both metallic chryftallizations and arborizations. 
In feveral places were curious flat rocks, colored red and yellow, 
which might be taken up in fuch large flags, and were fo eafily 
cut with a knife, that they had obtained the name of plank-ftone. 
In the veins of this ftone .were alfo metallic plates of a pyramidal 
form, and a greenifti color. All thefe appearances indicated the 
exiftence of abundance of copper in the Khamies berg. In fadt, 
this is the commencement of what are called the Copper 
mountains, from the quantity of Malachite that is faid to be 
ftrewed over their furface. In thefe mountains is alfo found, in 
large blocks, that fpecies of ftone to which mineralogifts in. 
Europe have given the name of Prehnite. It poffeffes moft of 
3 1> the 
