STALACTITE OF HUYT’S BAY. 
307 
mountains, of horizontal strata of sandstone resting on granite. In 
passing over it, our attention was arrested by an immense vein of red 
oxyde of iron, six feet wide, and which we traced for upwards of 
one hundred feet. 
Having crossed the Steinberg, we came within view of the 
mountain which was the object of our visit ; and when about a 
quarter of a mile from it, reached a broad creek, formed by the 
sea ; and were on the point of entering its shallowest part, when 
we were stopped by a man running towards us in great haste, and 
calling out to us not to stir. On coming up, he told us that we 
were on the verge of a quicksand, and directed us to take the 
deepest part of the rivulet close to the sea, where, he said, is always 
the firmest ground. Our friendly informant proved to be one of 
the Dutch boors, and invited us to his house close by, on our return 
from the mountain. Having crossed the creek, we were much gra- 
tified with the appearances which the mountain exhibited ; but were 
prevented, by the apprehension of the flowing of the tide, from 
examining them with all the attention that I wished. 
The face of the mountain fronting the sea, had all the appear- 
ance of a limestone rock ; but when broken, proved a sandstone 
precisely similar to that which forms the horizontal strata of 
the rocks near Simon’s Town, but was cased with a stalactical 
deposition by water which constantly overflows it. We also found 
in a deep ravine some beautiful examples of stalactite, formed by 
a calcareous deposit on the fibrils of roots, penetrating the roofs 
of small caverns worn in the rock. A floor of tabular stalactite 
also covered the ground for several yards about the base of the 
mountain, and beautiful imitations of moss produced by the splashing 
of water falling from a great height, were also abundant. 
I was unable to account for these appearances at the period of 
my visit, as I could discover no limestone from which the water 
could derive its calcareous impregnation. I have been since as- 
sured that the top of the mountain is covered with a bed of com- 
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