SOUTHERN AFRICA. 
293 
On the evening of the thirtieth we joined the waggons that 
had proceeded along the bank of the Sea-Cow river to that 
part where it pafled through an opening in a clufter of hills, 
which opening was called the Jirjl poort. Here the late Colo- 
nel Gordon, who had proceeded beyond the Governor, met 
with an accident which alfo put an end to his journey : his 
horfe fell with him into one of the deep holes made by the 
Bosjefmans for taking fea-cows, and was flaked. From the 
north fide of the Snowy mountains to thefe hills, there was 
fcarcely an inequality in the furface of the country. Here it 
began to be broken ; and blue mountains appeared in the hori- 
zon to the northward. The following day we reached the 
fecond poort or pafs, through which alfo the Sea-Cow river 
bent its courfe. The hills now began to increafe very confi- 
derably in height, and their fummits were capped with a ftra- 
tum of fand-ftone. They were alfo lengthened out into a con- 
tinued chain, fo as to prevent the poffibility of waggons paffing 
to the northward. 
Though none of the party had ever been beyond the 
entrance of the fecond poort, yet they willingly accepted the 
propofal of making a day's journey within it, following the 
courfe of the river as far as it might be practicable or advifeable 
to proceed. The kloof we found to be in general fo very nar- 
row, and the river ferpentized fo much from fide to fide, paffing 
clofe under the fteep rocky points, that we were obliged to pafs 
it a hundred times, and had almofl: abandoned the hope of mak- 
ing much progrefs, when we fell into a large beaten track made 
by the hippopotami or fea-cows. This carried us, without 
further 
