76 TRAVELS IN 
craft, in the winter months ; but, in the fummer feafon, fhips 
may remain without any danger. There is, however, an arm 
of the fea, at the diflance of about i8 miles to the weftward of 
Plettenberg's Bay, which may one day become an important 
ftation. It is called the Knyfna. In a former vifit to this coun- 
try, I obferved that the tide fet into it through a narrow paffage 
or portal, as into a dock : that this paffage, though narrow, and 
not quite clear of rocks, would admit of fmall veflfels. Since 
that time, Mr. Calandar, a gentleman formerly belonging to 
the navy, has made a particular furvey of this arm of the fea, 
of which the annexed is a plan. He obferves that the depth of 
water, and great extent, of the Knyfna, running into the very 
centre of fine forefts, render it a moft eligible place for building 
and repairing fhips. That vefTels of five hundred tons and up- 
wards, deeply laden, may pafs the portal ; and that much larger 
might be built therein and fent out light, to be completed in 
Plettenberg's Bay. That the forefts contain feveral different 
kinds of durable and well grown timber, fit for that valuable 
purpofe, as well as abundance of mafts and yards. The native 
fir, called geel hout (Ilex crocea), grows to upwards of fixty 
feet in length, and to five, fix, and even eight feet in diameter ; 
which is alfo the cafe with the native oak, bearing an acorn ex- 
actly like that of Europe, but called here, on account of a ftrong 
and difagreeable fmell which it emits when green, the ftinkwood 
tree (Quercus Africana). That the fmell, however, is attended 
with the peculiar advantage of preventing the worm from at- 
tacking it. 
The 
