466 EXTENSIVE VIEW. — WILD GARLICK. 18 Nov. 
of mint, having a very pleasant smell, grows here by the water, and is 
a plant frequently met with in similar situations, both on this, and 
on the southern side of the Gariep ; and it deserves remark, that it 
has been found to endure the hardest winters of England equally 
well with any of the British species. 
At noon our waggons began to ascend the mountain, and safely 
reached the top of the pass, without any of the difficulty which had 
been expected. From the summit, the view to the southward was 
most extensive, and much resembling the prospect from the top of 
the Roggeveld mountain, looking over the Karro. The country 
beyond the Yellow River, appeared at this elevation and distance to 
be flat ; but hills of moderate height could not have been distin- 
guished through the blue vapor of so great a depth of atmosphere. 
From such situations, a country may appear level to the eye of the 
spectator, which, in reality, is far otherwise, but a little experience 
will be sufficient to caution the traveller against forming his opinion 
under such circumstances. 
Having gained the summit of the mountain, the country was 
found level and open, and without any descent on that side. Just 
above the pass, are the springs already mentioned ; copious rills of 
clear water were flowing in every direction ; and one of them, 
issuing from out of a rock, was colder than the others. The sur- 
rounding soil abounded in Wilde Knqflook (Wild Garlick) *, the 
smell of which, as we walked over it, was strong and disagreeable, 
and remarkably like garlick ; but towards evening the flowers give 
out a sweet and pleasant odor. 
Knowing from my observations, that the latitude of this place 
was nearly the same as that of Klaarwater, I had now an oppor- 
tunity of convincing the Hottentots of the value and utihty of my 
compass, of which, I recollected, they had a few months ago some 
doubts. By the aid of this instrument, I placed a long stick on 
the ground, exactly in the direction of west ; and told them 
* Tulbaghia alUacea. 
