360 KLAAKWATER. Oct. 
primitive formation ; and on this, rest the laminated argillaceous 
mountains. This limestone rock in no place rises into mountains, 
but often forms the surface of a great extent of country. I never 
saw in it any marks of extraneous fossils. The soil on the higher 
grounds surrounding the valley, is remarkably red, being a mixture 
of sand and clay, which produces bushes and a variety of plants ; but 
is subject to great drought during the summer. 
The number of Hottentot houses immediately round the church, 
is not greater than twenty-five * ; but at a distance, within the same 
valley, nearly as many more are scattered about ; and there are three 
* The view of Klaarwater, represented in Plate 8, was taken from the rocky ridge 
above-mentioned, and shows the whole of the village, and the surrounding country. 
The mat-houses of the Hottentots may be distinguished by their hemispherical form. 
The largest oblong building is the church, or meeting-house ; in a line with which stand 
the dwellings of the missionaries, and their storehouses. In a line just above the church, 
are seen the trees of Xhegarderiy the tallest of which are the Gariepine willow ; the rest are 
peach-trees. The waggon on the left, is proceeding on the road towards Ongeluks Fojitein, 
a part of which is seen crossing the ridge in the distance. Above the waggon is the 'willoisc- 
tree, the history of which is given under the date of the 9th of December following. Be- 
hind the waggon, the foundations of a new meeting-house are conspicuous ; near which is 
the conical thatched hut used as a storehouse. Another round thatched building, in a line 
below the fire, is also a storehouse. Various hitts of the Hottentots are scattered in the 
distance. Near the church and dwelling-houses, the missionaries' waggons are/ according 
to the practice of the Cape colony, stationed in the open air ; sheds for such purposes being 
very rarely seen among the boors. The centre of the picture is occupied t\}e kraals, or 
pounds, for oxen and sheep, fenced in with large bi-anches of trees. The mead is distin- 
guished by a more verdant colouring. In the distance, my own station is pointed out by 
the two waggons, and the party of visitors assembled round our fire. Behind a low rocky 
hill on the right, in the middle distance, the top of a waggon marks the spot of the sleep- 
ing scene represented in the engraving at the end of this volume ; and the waggon a little 
further to the left, at the point of the same hill, shows the place where my waggons were 
stationed during my absence to Graaffreijnet. On both sides of this rocky hill, the waters 
collected in the mead find an outlet along the valley to Leetiwenlcuil (Lion's-den). The 
road from the Asbestos Mountains descends just behind the bushy ridge on the left of the 
picture. In the foreground, various groups of Hottentots are seen basking in the sun ; 
some sitting smoking or conversing at the door of their huts ; some stretched out upon 
sheepskins spread on the ground; one on the left of the picture preparing a skin for 
leather ; three on the right, beating a large vel-kombuars (or sheepskin coverlet), a fre- 
quent and very necessary operation. Of the bushes on the foreground, some are of the 
kind described at page SiS, under the name of Spartium cuspidosum, and others, a new 
Rhus, specifically designated by that of concinnum. 
