SOUTHERN AFRICA. 281 
also, and the extensive plains, are covered with frutescent 
plants. If the country, indeed, was planted with the oak, 
poplar, silver tree, and others that grow near the Cape, 
plenty of firewood might, in a very few years, be furnished 
for any number of shipping that would ever frequent the 
bay. 
The scarcity of water is a much more serious evil than that 
of wood, and perhaps more difficult to obviate. There are 
two small springs towards the south end of the bay, but the 
water of both is slightly impregnated with salt. The farmers, 
however, seem to have no idea of digging wells, or of opening 
a spring to let it run ; on the contrary, the usual practice is 
that of making a large dam close to the spring : by so doing, 
they expose a greater surface to the action of the sun, which 
is certainly an unwise measure, on a soil so strongly impreg- 
nated with saline substances, and in a climate where evapora- 
tion is so powerfully carried on. On a trial being made, by 
order of the late Admiral Sir Hugh Christian, to obtain water 
by digging near the landing-place of Hootjes Bay, a mass 
of granite rock, of a steel blue color, was entered to the 
depth of thirty or forty feet, and the small quantity of water 
that oozed through the seams was found to be impregnated 
with salt. 
It may be observed, in the annexed chart of the coasts 
from Table Bay to Saldanha Bay, that in every part there are 
abundance of springs spontaneously bursting out of the 
ground, for not one of these have ever been dug for, nor a 
spade put into the ground in order to open the conduits and 
VOL. II. 00 
