SOUTHERN AFRICA. 73 
ground, now totallj negleded, might be planted with vineyards 
within fighi of the Table Mountain. 
Our march along the Lange Kloof was delightfully pleafant. 
The road was extremely good, the country cheerful, being 
moftly covered with grafs or (hrubby plants, exhibiting from a 
diftance a continuance of verdant lawns, which are not fre- 
quent in this colony, by much the greater portion of the furface 
being either extenfive waftes of karroo almoft Vvdthout a veftige 
of vegetation, or naked ranges of mountains. Here too there 
was a fufficiency of water to admit of farm-houfes being placed 
at the regulated diftance of three miles. The floping fides of 
the valley w^ere covered with a great variety of fplendid heaths, 
in the height of their blolTora, of the fhrub called gnidia^ of the 
fhowy and everlafting Xerafzthemum^ and a profufion of other 
plants that the eye of a botanift w^ould have feafted upon with 
avidity. But the nature of our expedition would only admit of 
a glance in paffmg. 
Having proceeded along the Kloof to that part which is nearly 
oppofite to Plettenberg's Bay, we found it neceffary to halt a 
few days in order to refrefh the horfes. In the mean time I 
crofted the mountains, agreeably to my inftrudlions, and aftem- 
bled the wood-cutters in the vicinity of the bay, to enter into a 
contradl with them for a fupply of timber for the public fervice 
at the Cape. Independent of the wants of the government, it 
was confidered advifeable, at this jundure, to furnifti thefe peo- 
ple with employment, in order to keep them at home; for 
fuchis the natuieof an African boor, that, having nothing par- 
VOL. II. L ticular 
