1812. 
PURSLANE. 
545 
I here saw it, growing unheeded and exposed on a wild rocky moun- 
tain, and pruned only by the goats who cropped its leaves and blos- 
soms, thus constantly restrained from acquiring its proper size. 
Abundance of common Purdane grew every where on these 
mountains, and I ordered a quantity to be picked and boiled for my 
dinner. It very rarely happened during my travels, that I could 
convert the wild vegetables to culinary use, as, from the heat and 
dryness of the climate, they were too tough and juiceless to be ren- 
dered eatable by boiling. The purslane is one of those few plants, 
the seeds of which have been scattered by the hand of nature in 
various and very distant parts of the earth. In the Island of St. 
Helena, at the rainy season of the year, the rocky hills are covered 
with it, and are in a few weeks rendered verdant by this plant alone. 
Just in the same situation, and under the same circumstances, it 
grows on the Asbestos mountains, and, I believe, in most other parts 
of the world where it has been observed. This was the only time, 
during my travels in Africa, that it was noticed in a truly wild state ; 
but as it is a plant which entirely vanishes for the greatest part of 
the year, it is possible that it may be indigenous to many other spots 
which were passed over in the dry season. 
\^tli. At my former visit to this village, the number of mat- 
huts was twenty, it was now twenty-five. This increase of population 
was occasioned by the return home of those families who had been 
residing with their cattle on the banks of the Gariep during the dry 
season. 
Observing the appearance of heavy rain in the direction of 
Wittewater, I delayed our departure till the sky became clear in that 
quarter ; and, after being detained still longer by the loss of one of 
my oxen, which was at last found to have strayed to a great distance 
up between the mountains, we commenced our return to Klaarwater 
at half past four in the afternoon. 
Old Cobus, mounted on one of his own oxen, accompanied us ; 
arid I was glad at perceiving, that, notwithstanding his age, he bore 
the rough motion of the animal as well as any of the younger Hot- 
tentots, This old man, as well as Hans Lucas and Captain Berends, 
4 A 
