42 
TRAVELS IN 
long as any figns of life remained in the criminal, fentenced him 
to be torn limb from limb, and the feveral parts to be hung upon 
pofts erected for the purpofe in the moft public parts of the 
high road. Many of fuch pofts ftill remain, rather as deplorable 
memorials of what vindifiive malice could invent, than as ex- 
amples for preventing fimilar crimes. 
If in any inftance they relax from cruelty to the brute crea- 
tion, it is in the mode of flaughtering cattle, which they learned 
from the Hottentots, and which I underftand has lately been 
put in practice in England under the name of laying. This is 
done by thrufting a pointed inftrument into the commencement 
of the fpinal marrow juft behind the horns. The animal drops 
without a groan, and dies almoft without a ftruggle ; after this 
the throat is cut to let out the blood, and it is pretended that the 
effedt on the flefh is, like that of crimping fifh, to make it clofe 
and firm. 
The firft river we had occafion to crofs, beyond the moun- 
tains, is called by the Dutch the Palmiet, the name of a ftrong 
boggy plant that grows abundantly in this and fome other 
rivers of the colony. The name arifes from its rcfemblance to 
fome of the palm tribe, but, if I miftake not, it is a fpecies of 
Acorus. For eight months in the year it fcarcely contains a 
drop of water, but is moftly impalTable the other four ; which 
is alfo the cafe with the Bott river about ten miles beyond 
the Palmiet. Both of thefe periodical ftreams are unfafe in the 
winter feafon, and fatal accidents have happened to perfons at- 
tempting to crofs them when full. Among thefe may be men- 
I tioned 
