2^6 
TRAVELS IN 
banks in the beds of rivers fupplies alfo another obfervation 
that is generally found to take place on the grand fcale. They 
continue to elongate at both extremities : the upper increafes 
by the diminution of the ftream, which it has divided and 
thrown on each fide, and the lower by the eddy caufed from 
the meeting again of this divided current. Analogous to this 
effect, the point of land between the confluence of two rivers 
has been obferved, by an able geographer, always to travel 
downwards towards the fea ; and the point of land that di- 
vides a river, to travel upwards towards the fource. 
The clufters of mountains that form what is ufually called 
the Sneuwberg, are compofed of fand-ftone lying nearly in 
horizontal ftrata ; few of them were obferved to have the 
quartzy fummits that prevailed in the great ranges near the 
Cape, and that of Zwarteberg ; but their bafes, like thefe, 
refted on blue fchiftus. The foil of the Sneuwberg was gene- 
rally clayey, frequently clodded together in indurated maffes 
that appeared greafy to the eye, and fuch mafles contained a 
large portion of dark foliated mica. The plants that chiefly 
prevailed on the elevated parts were tufts of long grafs, fmall 
heathy fhrubs, a beautiful mefembryanthemum with large 
clufters of fmall, bright, red flowers, and another that feemed 
to differ in nothing from the former, except in the color of the 
petals, which were white. Befides thefe were alfo a fmall 
diofma, and two fpecies of the iris with tall fpikes of flowers, 
one blue, the other yellow. The lower parts of the plains 
were charmingly embroidered with alraofl: the whole tribe of 
fyngenefious plants. Of thefe were mofl: abundant various 
fpecies 
