88 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
iruary bufFaloes ; they were about an hundred in number ; 
five of them we fhot; the others fled into a wood, which was 
about a mile to the eaftward of us. Mr. Kock had the animals 
fkinned ; their hides making fuch excellent thongs for oxen 
that they are preferred to every other material for this purpofe. 
At night we arrived at the Filh River, where we flayed two 
days. During the night we had heavy fliowers of rain, with 
loud claps of thunder. Here the river aflumes a fouthern di- 
re 61 ion, and empties itfelf into the great Indian Ocean, at about 
twenty miles dillance. The deepeft parts of the river are 
inhabited by the FJippopotamus, and the adjacent woods by 
Elephants, Rhinocerofes, and Bufhdoes. We fliot feveral of 
the buffaloes, which were much heavier than an European 
bullock. 
Seeing no poffibility of proceeding farther with our waggon 
through the impenetrable woods, we agreed that Mr, Van 
Renan fliould continue with it, while' Mr. Kock and I procee¬ 
ded eafleiiy towards the Caffres, being informed that we could 
reach their country in two or three days. Moil of the ar¬ 
boreous plants in thefe parts were unknown to me, except the 
Euphorbia Antiquorum, Erythrina Corallodendron, and the 
Gardenia Stellata. We took with us a Hottentot who was 
perfectly acquainted with the language of the Caffres. In 
paffing through the thickets, on the banks of the Fifli River, 
we encountered confiderable difficulties, till we fortunately got 
into an Elephant’s path, in which we continued till noon. 
AVe then croffed the river and entered a fj^acious plain, which 
afforded us great variety of the moft beautiful evergreens I 
