SOUTHERN AFRICA. 141 
This is nothing more than a piece of firm bone of fome animal 
made into an oval fhape and burnt round the edges fo as to 
leave a whitifli fpot in the middle. The country-people, who 
purchafe this remedy under the idea of its being a ftone taken 
out of the head of a certain fpecies of ferpent, w^ere very much 
aftonifhed on being told that it was only a piece of bone ; and 
the more fo on finding that this fubftance ftood their teft of the 
goodnefs of the Jlange Jlcen^ which was that of throwing out 
bubbles on the furface when immerfed in water. To the poro- 
fity of the bone may be afcribed its healing qualities, if it 
actually polTefTes any ; for which reafon any other fubftance 
made up of capillary tubes, as common fponge for inftance, 
might produce the fame effed. 
About twenty miles to the weftward of Zwart-kop's bay 
commences another wide, open, unfheltered indent in the coaft 
called Camtoos bay, into which fall the Kromme river, the 
Camtoos river, Van Staaden's river, and feveral other inferior 
ftreams. At the mouth of the Kromme river two or three 
fhips may ride at anchor in tolerable good fhelter from moft 
winds except the fouth-eaft. The country that furrounds this 
large bay is covered with thick brufliwood, and in places with 
clumps of foreft-trees. Near the mouth of Van Staaden's river 
we found, in the fteep fides of a deep glen, feveral fpecimens of 
a lead ore. It was of that fpecies known by the name of 
galena, which is lead mineralized with fulphur. The malTes 
had no appearance of cubic chryftallization, but were granular 
and amorphous in fome fpecimens, and the furfaces in others 
were made up of fmall facets. This fort of galena is fometimes 
called 
