192 
HEX-RIVER KLOOF. 
5 July, 
to ten feet high, armed at all points with exceedingly strong branch- 
ed thorns. It produces little bunches of small white flowers, which 
have both the form and the scent of the jasmine, and are succeeded 
by berries resembling those of the berberry. The Hottentots call 
this shrub ''Nwnnum (or Noomnoom, agreeably to English ortho- 
graphy), each syllable preceded by a guttural clap of the tongue. 
They eat the berries ; but I always found them very insipid. 
At the same place, I first saw the Eupliovhio, Jl^ctuTitttnicctf grow- 
ing in bushes, as they might be called, from three to four feet 
in height. The milky juice of its branches forms, when inspissated, 
a frequent ingredient in the poisonous composition which the Bush- 
men (or Bush-Hottentots) apply to their arrows. 
The Hex-river Kloof is a winding defile through a range of very 
lofty mountains. Through this opening, the Hex-river (Witches' 
river) forces a passage, and soon after joins its waters with those of 
the Breede river. On each side, the mountains rose in majestic 
and bold forms, clothed with numerous plants, among which an 
arborescent species of Cotyledon was curious and remarkable. In 
growth, it resembled a small tree, having a disproportionately thick 
fleshy trunk. It was called the Boterboom (Butter-tree) ; probably 
from the soft fleshy nature of its trunk and branches. 
The strata of these mountains seemed to have been thrown into 
confusion, and often appeared inclined at an angle of forty-five de- 
grees. As our road, if it could be called one, followed the course of 
the river, we crossed this frequently, and in many places it was three 
feet deep, the greatest depth which we could venture to pass without 
the risk of wetting the contents of the chests. The way was plenti- 
fully strewed with large stones, which caused the waggon to jolt so 
violently that it was not possible to endure riding in it : I was there- 
fore forced to follow on foot, excepting when we went through the 
river. The huge rounded pieces of rock, rolled down by the moun- 
tain torrents, and the depth of the ravines, were marks sufficient to 
inform the traveller that this pass is often visited by heavy floods, 
sweeping every thing away before them. 
The kloof was, throughout, a very picturesque, wild scene. Its 
