SOUTHERN AFRICA. 363 
The firft might hideed be fupplied, to a certain degree, from 
the adjacent country. In the fand hills, that furround a part of the 
bay, grow feveral kinds of fhrubby plants, whofe long and thick 
roots are eafily drawn out of the loofe fand, and in fuch abun- 
dance, as fcarcely to be credited. They form a kind of fubter- 
ranean foreft. The fides of the hills alfo, and the extenfive 
plains, are covered with fruitefcent plants. Was the country 
planted with the oak, poplar, filver tree, and others that grow 
near the Cape, plenty of firewood might, in a very few years, 
be furnifhed for any number of fhipping that would ever 
frequent the bay. 
The fcarcity of water is a much more ferious evil than that of 
wood, and perhaps more difficult to obviate. There are two 
fmall fprings towards the fouth end of the bay, but the water of 
both is flightly impregnated with fait. The farmers feem to 
have no idea of digging wells, or of opening a fpring to let it 
run ; on the contrary, the ufual practice is that of making a 
large dam clofe to the fpring : by fo doing, they expofe a greater 
furface to the adion of the fun, which is certainly an unwife 
meafure, on a foil fo ftrongly impregnated with faline fubftances, 
and in a climate where evaporation is fo powerfully carried on. 
On a trial being made, by order of the late Admiral Sir Hugh 
Chriftian, to obtain water by digging near the landing-place of 
Hootjes bay, a mafs of granite rock, of a fteel blue color, was 
entered to the depth of thirty or forty feet, and the fmall quan- 
tity of water that oozed through the feams, was found to be 
impregnated with fait. 
3 A 2 
The 
