124 TRAVELS IN 
able to walk for the lafl; twelve years of her life ; nor, what 
was ftill more extraordinary, to raife herfelf to a fitting pof- 
ture upon the bed without the help of a flick, tied by the 
middle with a ftring, and fufpended from the roof. Her arm, 
above the elbow, meafured 23 Dutch inches, or 234- Englifti, 
in circumference. Yet, in this helplefs and deplorable fituation, 
Mademoifelle, for flie was an unmarried lady, contrived to 
fulfil the end of her creation, by bringing into the world a 
fine healthy child. The fate, however, of this extraordinary 
perfon, as I have fince been informed, was attended with very 
melancholy circumftances. In the fubfequent wars between 
the boors and the Hottentots, the houfe in which (he lived was 
attacked and fet on fire. All the reft of the family eifed:ed their 
efcape, except this unfortunate creature, whom they found it 
impoflible, on account of her fize, to get through the door, 
and were therefore under the neceflity of leaving to perifti iij 
the flames. 
From Bruyntjes Hoogte we proceeded to the Kaffer frontier. 
The .Great Fifh River was now fo low, that except in thofe 
places where it ftood in deep holes, we could crofs it without 
wetting our feet. Not a fingle hippopotamus was now to be 
feen in any of thofe holes, where, on my former vifit, they were 
fo abundant. I fufpedt they occafionally migrate to other rivers, 
and if fo it muft be over land, as the fea affords no fubfiftence 
for them, nor does it appear that they can long remain in fait 
water near the mouths of rivers. It is certain, at leafl, that 
they always quit fuch fituations at night, and travel over land, 
fometimes many miles,, in fearch of frefh water. So that the 
Dutch 
