SOUTHERN AFRICA, 
261 
into Saldanha Bay ; nor has any fpring yet been dlfcovered in 
the vicinity of its fliores, that has been confidered as fufficient 
to fupply the demands of a fmall fquadron for frefli water. I 
muft obferve, however, that the trials hitherto made have been 
very infufficient. Indeed, I knov\r of none but that of the 
late Sir Hugh Chriftian, whofe failure in this attempt I have al- 
ready had occafion to notice. It may be obferved, in the an- 
nexed chart of the coafts from Table Bay to Saldanha Bay, that 
in every part there are abundance of fprings fpontaneoufly 
burfting out of the ground, for not one of thefe have ever been 
dug for, nor a fpade put into the ground in order to open the 
conduits and fuffer them to run more freely. If, indeed, we 
confider for a moment the fituation of this low fandy belt of 
land, ftretching along the northern rnaft, common fenfe muft 
convince us that there is plenty of water at no great diftance 
below the furface. It is bounded on the eaft, at the diftance 
only of feventy miles by a chain of mountains, whofe fummits 
are from two to nearly five thoufand feet high ; and all the 
waters, from both fides of thefe mountains, fall upon this nar- 
row plain. A great part of them, it is true, fmk into the Berg 
River, but the Berg River itfelf is on a level with Saldanha 
Bay, into which, indeed, the whole body of it might, vvdth 
great eafe, be carried, as I mentioned in the firft volume, where 
I alfo noticed the objedlions againft fuch a meafure. The 
fpring at Witte KUp^ the White Rock, about fix miles to the 
northward of Hoetjes Bay, feems amply fufficient for the fup-^ 
ply of a large fleet of fhips, if colleded and brought to the bay 
in pipes, the expence of which could not exceed a few thou- 
I fand 
