SOUTHERN AFRICA. 
405 
I broke the wing of one of that fpecles called by Ornithologifts 
the Condor, of an amazing large fize. The fpread of its wings 
was ten feet and one inch. It kept three dogs for fome time 
com.pletely at bay, and having at length feized one of them 
with its claws, and torn away a large piece of flefli from its 
thigh, they all immediately retreated. 
Having proceeded for twelve days along the fummit of the 
Roggeveld, till I fell in nearly with the track that had carried 
me on a former journey to Graaff Reynet, I defcended to the 
Karroo plains, which, in this part, employed me three days in 
croffing. Thefe plains are every where of the fame nature, 
prefenting to the traveller " a fcene of dreadful uniformity ; 
*' where a barren level is bounded only by the horizon ; where 
*' no change of profped:, or variety of images, relieves the 
" traveller from a fenfe of toil and danger; of whirlwinds, 
*' which, in a moment, may bury him in the fand; and of 
" thirft, which the wealthy have given half their pofTelTions to 
allay." 
Bordering thefe arid plains, on the weft fide, are feveral 
clumps of high mountains, enclofmg meadows and values, 
covered with good grafs, that are alfo called the Bokkeveld, but 
diftinguifhed from the other by the names of Little Bokkeveld 
and Cold Bokkeveld. Thefe are ramifications of the Great 
Chain mentioned in the former part of this chapter ; and the 
vallies and meadows within them appear to have been the beds 
of lakes, in which there ftill remains a number of fprings and 
fwamps, that never fail to furniih a copious fupply of water in 
the 
