SOUTHERN AFRICA, i8i 
The route from Haffagai-bofch river had been taken out of 
the common track in order to fpeak with the KafFer chiefs, as 
well as to have a view of that part of the coaft where the Bof- 
jefman and the Kareeka rivers difcharged themfelves into the 
fea. Over the graffy plains of Zuure Veldt there is little diffi- 
culty in finding a road, where the deep glens, through which 
the branches of rivers run, can be avoided ; and we had met 
with no obftacle till our arrival at the Kowie^ which falls into 
the fea a little to the eaftward of the Kareeka. In order to 
crofs this river it was necelfary to defcend from the plain into 
a deep chafm two miles in length ; not only down a fteep pre- 
cipice ftrewed over with fragments of rock, but in feveral places 
we had to cut a road through thick clumps of brufhwood. A 
more difficult and dreadful place was certainly never attempted 
by wheel-carriages* A fingle falfe ftep might have been 
attended with the total deftrudion of waggons and cattle. In 
the fpace of two hours, however, we found ourfelves in the 
bottom, where we pafl'ed along a narrow defile, hemmed in on 
either fide, fometimes by woods of tall trees creeping up the 
fteep faces of the mountains, and at others between two walls 
of naked rock. The difficulty of the defcent had confiderably 
exhaufted the oxen ; but to rife the oppofite hill, *' hie labor^ 
" hoc opus fuit.^'' In vain the animals ftrove ; the drivers 
Ihouted, and ftamped, and flogged with their enormous whips,, 
and the Dutchmen fwore. The firft waggon got about a hun- 
dred yards up the afcent, which was near a mile in length, but 
was unable to be moved a ftep higher. After an hour's trial, 
bruifing and fatiguing the oxen to no purpofe, they had re- 
courfe to the method that ought in. the liril iiillance to have 
been 
