288 Mr . masson’s Botanical Travels. 
\ 
intermixed with rotten rock, and intirely di veiled of 
grafs ; but enriched with an infinite number of evergreen 
ihrubs, both frutefcent and fucculent : among the latter 
we found many new fpecies of crajfula , cotyledon , euphor- 
bia, portulaca , mejembryanthemum . We refolved to 
vifit the fea fhore, and particularly MofTel-Baay; when, 
late in the evening, we came to the houle of an European, 
who received us very hofpitably. He was a native of 
Swedifh Pomerania, about feventy years old; had been 
fhipwrecked on the coaft of England fifty years ago, and 
fpoke much of the hofpitality of the Englifh. He was a 
man of learning, and exprelied many fenfible reflexions 
on the tyranny of his native country, which had forced 
him to feek for an afylum in the delarts of Africa. His 
houfe was very mean, built of mud, and miferably fur- 
nifhed; not having a bed to lie on, though he had feveral 
hundred oxen and fome thoufands of fheep. He had a 
number of Hottentot vaflals, whofe huts were fituated 
round his folds, where they kept feveral large fires all 
night long, to frighten away the wolves and tigers. 
1 6th, We came to MofTel-Baay, which is very large, 
open, and expofed to the S.E. and E. The fhore is co- 
vered with fhrubs of various kinds ; the greateft part of 
which were unknown to us, and many we did not find 
in flower. To the N.E. of MofTel-Baay lies a woody 
country, called Houtniquas Land; whofe woods, inter- 
cepted by rivers and precipices, are fo large, that their 
extent is not perfectly known. Thefe woods are a great 
treafure to the Dutch, and will be very ferviceable to the 
5 inhabitants 
