3ic TRAVELS IN 
ported it, were encrufted with a coating of clear white falt-petre, 
that came oft in flakes from a quarter of an inch to an inch or 
more in thicknefs. The fradlure refembled that of refined 
fugar : it burned completely away without leaving any refi- 
duum ; and, if diflblved in water, and this evaporated, chry- 
ftals of pure prifmatic nitre were obtained. This fait, in the 
fame flate, is to be met with under the fand-flone flrata of 
many of the mountains of Africa ; but perhaps not in fuflicient 
quantities to be employed as an article of export. There was 
alfo in the fame cave, running down the fides of the rock, a 
black fubflance that apparently was bituminous : the peafantry 
called it the urine of the Das. The dung of this gregarious 
animal was lying upon the roof of the cavern to the amount of 
many waggon-loads. The putrid animal matter, filtering 
through the rock, contributed, no doubt, to the formation of 
the nitre. 
The hepatic wells and the native nitre-rocks were in the di- 
vifion of Agter Sneuwberg which joins the Tarka to the fouth- 
weft. Part of it refembles the other Sneuwberg j but the fide 
adjoining the Fifh river is Karroo ground, and the plains there 
are covered with tall bufhes of the falfola. The foap that the 
inhabitants make from the afhes of this plant, and the fat of 
fheep's tails, is a confiderable article of their revenue. Cattle 
and fheep are purchafed by the butchers upon the fpot ; but 
foap and butter are carried in waggons to the Cape. The corn 
of this divifion was wholly confumed by the locufts ; and the 
grafs and the flirubs w^ere fo much devoured that the cattle 
were 
