282 Mr. masson’s Botanical Travels. 
tains; the fides of which are covered with fragments of 
rocks that have tumbled down from the fummits at dif- 
ferent times. We faw few plants here, only fome trees 
of the protea grandiflora thinly difperfed along the ikirts 
of thefe mountains. We croffed, in this paffage, feveral 
fmall rivers of the pureft water 1 ever beheld, which af- 
forded us no fmall relief during the heat of the day. 
Towards the evening we entered the Koud Bocke Veld ; 
and afterwards came to a peafant’s houfe, where we re- 
mained that night. 
1 8th, 19th, 20th, We travelled through the Koud 
Bocke Veld, where we found but few plants: the face 
of the country being exceedingly barren, and not fo much 
as a fhrub to be feen. The feafon here appeared to be 
tw'o months later than in the neighbourhood of the Cape 
Town, although the diftance be not above a hundred, 
miles, in a direct line in a Northern direction. This coun- 
try is but fmall, containing about nine or ten Dutch places, 
the inhabitants of which fubfift intirely by then' cattle. 
Their winters are often fo fevere, that the ground is co- 
vered with fnow for ten days together; and their early 
calves and lambs are often killed by the inclemency of the 
w r eather. Neither orange trees nor vines will live here, 
owing to the bleaknefs of its fituation ; and the boors in- 
formed us, the fummers are often fo unkindly, that their 
wheat is blighted while in ear, fo that they purchafe 
corn with their cattle from the low country farmers. The 
country is encompafled on all hides with very high moun- 
tains, almoft perpendicular, conjifting of bare rocks, w ith- 
out 
