JOURNEY III. 315 
egg s of a large fpecies of ant, which they dig out of the 
ground in great quantities, wafhing them in water, and 
afterwards boiling them. They are commonly called Hot- 
tentot’s rice. This is an excellent country for fheep; 
but the inhabitants breed few oxen, and thofe only for 
their own ufe. We found few plants here; but thofe 
we found were all new. I did not fee an erica or protea 
in the whole country. 
2 2d, The ground was white with froil, and the 
wind fharp. At firft we propofed to continue our jour- 
ney along the top of thefe mountains to the N.E. ex- 
tremity; but our waggons were fo fhaken by the rug- 
gednefs of the road, and our horfes and oxen fo tender- 
footed, that they became unferviceable, and we were 
obliged to drive them loofe a great part of the way home. 
Dec. 2d, We thought of defending the mountain, 
and directing our courfe to the Cape; but it blew a 
violent ftorm, and was extremely cold. The next 
morning the ground was white with froft, and there 
was ice upon the pools as thick as a crown piece. This 
alarmed the peafants, their wheat being then in blof- 
fom, which they expected would be entirely de~ 
ftroyed: a circumftance that often happens in this 
country. 
3d, We were furnifhed with frefh oxen, and feveral 
Hottentots, who, with long thongs of leather fixed to 
the upper part of our waggons, kept them from over- 
turning, while we were obliged to make both the hind 
S f 2 wheels 
