SOUTHERN AFRICA. 
319 
During the years 1772-5, Thunberg, who af- 
terwards visited Japan, resided at the Cape of Good 
Hope, and made several excursions to different 
parts of the colony. In 1777-8, also, Mr Pater- 
son accompanied Captain Gordon in an expedition, 
in the course of which he penetrated to the Sneuw- 
berg, or Snowy Mountains, and into the coun- 
try of the Bosjesmans. The narratives of both 
these travellers, as well as that of Sparmann, con- 
tain many interesting particulars ; but as they went 
over the very same ground which was afterwards 
traversed by Mr Barrow, whose report is general- 
ly allowed to be the most valuable and authentic 
yet published, it appears more eligible to make it 
known to our readers through his medium, than to 
incur a series of repetitions by minutely following 
those who preceded him in the same tract. 
Between the years 1780 and 1785, Mr Vaillant 
performed his well-known travels. Few writers 
have so well succeeded in making their narrative 
lively and entertaining, in which respect it is little 
inferior to the most interesting works of fiction. 
These, indeed, it has been strongly suspected to 
resemble in other respects. The French, however, 
maintain that the imagination of Vaillant has ope- 
rated, not in materially altering the truth of facts, 
but merely throwing over them a colouring and 
embellishment which may amuse and flatter the 
