402 
TRAVELS IN 
radiated beams of the fun, and made it appear as when feen 
through a mift. Like a thin cloud alfo, they caft a confufed 
fhadow on the ground. In the Bokkeveld and the Khamies berg, 
for the two laft years, thefe infeds have been particularly 
troublefome. After repeated experiments to get rid of them, 
they at lafi; hit upon one that at leafl: faved their corn. This 
they effefted by making fires of four acrid plants, by the fmoke 
of which they v/ere driven away ; having, however, repeatedly 
extinguiflied the fires by the myriads that flev/ into them. 
The Hantam mountain, like the bold fronts of Camdeboo 
that fupport the Sneuwberg, is compofed of a number of hori- 
zontal ftrata of fandftone. In fadt it may be confidered as 
forming a part of the fame ridge, being the moft elevated line in 
the colony j this evidently appears from the different courfes 
of the ftreams, that rifing out of its fides, flow from it towards 
every point of the compafs. The great elevation of courfe 
renders it exceedingly cold during the winter months. Even 
in the beginning of May, and at the foot of the mountain, the 
thermometer was down to the freezing point for five fucceeding 
mornings, and the whole furface of the country was covered 
with a white froft. 
Leaving the Hantam, and proceeding fouth-eafterly, I 
afcended the heights of Roggeveld, that are feparated only 
from the former by a narrow chafm or opening. Thefe heights 
are fo called from a fpecies of rye-grafs that is found very 
plentifully in mofi: of the hollows, and on which the cattle, 
during the fummer feafon, in a great degree fubfift. In fome 
places 
