68 
TRAVELS IN 
poultry in a farm-yard ; and of korhaens, the otis afra of 
Linnaeus, and white-eared baftard of Latham, which, unlike 
the partridge, not only fly to a diftance at the approach of the 
fportfman, but keep up, while on the wing, a violent fcream- 
ing, as if to give notice to other birds of the impending 
danger. There are alfo plenty of Cape fnipes, Scolopax Capeti- 
fis^ and three fpecies of wild ducks, the anas Capenfis, or Cape 
widgeon, the Dominican duck, and the common teal. Among 
the quadrupeds that inhabit the valley are the duiker and the 
griefbok, already defcribed ; and the mountains abound with a 
curious fpecies of antelope, which, from its amazing agility, is 
called the kUp-fpringer^ or rock-leaper. Its cloven hoofs are 
eacU of them fubdivided into two fegments, and jagged at the 
edges, which gives it the power of adhering to the fteep fides 
of the fmooth rock without danger of flipping. The color is 
cinereous grey, and its black horns are fhort, flreight, eredt, and 
annulated one third of their length from the bafe. The hair is 
very fmgular, being fo brittle that it breaks infhead of bending, 
adheres loofely to the fkin, and is fo very light that it is ufed as 
the befl article that can be procured for fluffing faddles. 
A few miles beyond the Paarl, the Berg or Mountain-river 
crolTes the road. It is here fo large and deep in the winter fea- 
fon as to make a pont or floating bridge neceflary. A little 
lower down, however, it is fometimes fordable ; and the pea- 
fants, to avoid the toll at the ferry, frequently crofs it, though at 
the hazard of their own lives and of their cattle. At this time 
the river was pretty full; yet two farmers, rather than pay four 
Ihillings for the pafTage at the ferry of their two waggons, 
ventured 
