25

thunberg’s account of the cape of good hope.

After dining with the land-droll, M. Mentz, by whom we were received with thegreateft hofpitality, we continued our journey acrofs the broad river, known by thename of Buffeljagt’s Rivier, to one of the Company’s polls, called Riet Valley (ReedValley), where we Hayed feveral days, to arrange the collections we had made, and torepair our wretched carriage, which had been fluttered to pieces by the llrong andmountainous road; a cart fo fmall, old, and crazy, that probably nobody, either be-fore or after us, can boalt of having made, in fuch a vehicle, fo long and dangerousa journey into this mountainous country.

The plains now began to abound more in grafs, and looked fomething like meadows.The mountains which had followed us, as it were, all the way from Roode Zand, nowterminated gradually in large declivities like Heps and hills. In the fame proportion,likewife, the herds of cattle became larger, and occurred more frequently ; while thevineyards and corn-fields which, however, were not wanting as yet, grew more andmore fcarce.

We were told that infeftious diftempers frequently prevailed among the cattle here,and that the Boandziekte was not uncommon. It was defcribed as firft attacking thelungs and liver, and then the other parts of the body; in confequence of which theflefh became: fo foft and tender, that there was hardly any cohefion left between thefibres.

Not far from this farm of the Company’s, which particularly furnilhes it with largetimber, in a cleft in the mountains, flood a large wood, called Grootvader’s Bofch,or Grandfather’s Wood . To this we made an excurfion, with a view of becomingacquainted with the indigenous trees of Africa . After palling by a farm-honfe calledRietkeul, we arrived at Duyvenhoek’s Rivier, at a fpot which had obtained the nameof Helle (or hell) on account of the mountain at this part forming a very deep valley.The forefl was very thick and lofty, but unfortunately the trees at this feafon had nei-ther bloffom nor fruit on them, to fatisfy my curiofity.

Camaffie-hout was a very fine fort of wood, ufed for the borders of chefts of drawers,and of other pieces of furniture.

Stink-hoot ((link-wood), which refembles the walnut-tree, is a tall tree, and is ufedfor making writing-delks and chefts of drawers.

Geel-hout, or yellow wood (ilex crocea), is a large tree, the wood of which is veryheavy, more or lefs of a pale yellow colour, and is ufed for making tables.

A rock cryftal that was found here was Ihown to me, of the length of the little fin-ger, and pointed at both ends.

A fpecies of pepper (piper capenfe) that was found in abundance in the wood here,was called by the country people Staart Pepper or tail-pepper, and ufed by them asa fpice.

We left our cart at the Company’s poll, and in the place of it procured a large wag-gon tilted oyer with fail-cloth, together with ten frefli oxen to continue our intendedexpedition to the coaft of Caffraria.

Not far from this farm there lived a few Hottentots, who were fometimes employedin the fervice of the farm and the Company. They were quite mad after brandy andtobacco, and feemed to place their whole delight in filth and flench. Their bodieswere befmeared all over with greafe, and powdered with the powder of Bucku( diofma ) ; and to fhow us refpetft as ftrangers, they had painted themfelves befides withred and black ftreaks. The women wore a triangular piece of fkin, and the men abag or pouch, on the fore-part of their bodies, for the fake of decency. Round theneck, arms, and waift, they were decorated with firings of blue, white, red, and

vol. xvi. e motley