considerable magnitude, called by the natives the Gariep, but by the colonists the Orange river. Numbers of Hottentots came forward to meet them, and on the opposite bank they could perceive an extensive village, composed of decent looking huts. After passing the long and dreary Karroo desert, it was an interesting and cheerful event to mix with a very considerable population, apparently of a much superior class of beings, though probably of the same race, to those few miserable creatures who had hitherto occasionally shewn themselves in the course of the journey.

The

A river of such unusual magnitude, in this quarter of the globe, was also an object which afforded them no small degree of pleasure. At this spot it was divided into two branches, by an island in the middle, each of which was not less than six hundred yards in width. water, by sounding, was found to be deeper than the height of the bottom of the waggons: it became necessary, therefore, to raise their contents, by means of billets of wood, in order to keep them dry. The whole cavalcade got safely over the two streams, except one waggon, the oxen of which, having by some accident turned their heads down the stream, got into deeper water, where they soon began to swim; and the whole machine being swept away with great violence, both oxen and waggon would inevitably have been lost, but for the active exertions of the native Hottentots, who by cutting the yokes and traces, freed the oxen, and brought all, except one, safe to the shore, and afterwards succeeded in dragging out the waggon, which was overturned by the stream. "The Dutch boors," observes MR. TRUTER, 66 were as helpless as children, and afforded no manner

of assistance whatever.".

The native inhabitants who are settled on the banks of the Orange river, where our travellers crossed it, (namely, in latitude 29° south, and longitude 23° and 24° east,) are a variety of the Hottentot race, whose particular horde, in their own language, is called the Koras. In estimating their comparative condition with the different tribes of this nation, they may fairly be reckoned to rank much higher than any of the others that are known on the southern extremity of Africa. The wide desert Karroo, between them and the colony, has hitherto protected them in a considerable degree, though not altogether, from the oppression of the Dutch boors, under whose lash their brethren less remote from the colony have so severely suffered. Their abode being stationary on the banks of the Orange river, their huts are constructed with greater care, and with a view to being more durable; in their persons they are more cleanly, and in their dress, and domestic utensils, neater than the Hottentots usually are. This superiority may probably be owing, in a certain degree, to the advantages of local situation. A running stream in South Africa is a great rarity. To the want of water may probably be attributed the origin of the custom of greasing the skin, which this grand river renders unnecessary. The Koras accordingly exhibit none of that filthy and squalid appearance, which characterizes the Hottentots on the skirts of the colony. Their features are also of a superior cast. What the Gonaquas were, on the eastern coast, the Koras seem to be to the VOL. XLIV. AUGUST, 1821.

A JOURNEY TO LEETAKOO." northward a mixed breed between the Hottentot and the Kaffer. Their dwellings, in the shape of hemispheres, generally about six feet high, and eight in diameter, are constructed on the same principle as those of the Namacqua Hottentots, and are covered with several folds of neat matting, made of rushes or coarse grass. They used vessels of wood, hollowed out from blocks of willow, for containing milk and water. They seemed to have no knowledge of agriculture, but had considerable possessions of horned cattle, sheep, and goats. They had also plenty of dogs. Like the Kaffers they live in a great measure on curdled milk, berries, and roots; and are also particularly attentive to their cattle, which they train in habits of strict subordienation and command.

Their dress consisted of skin cloaks, like the other Hottentot tribes; and the women wore square ornamented aprons, suspended from the waist with copper chains, and beads of glass round the neck, the wrists, and legs. These chains were probably procured from the "Damaras, a nation of Kaffers to the north-westward, dwelling at the foot of the copper mountains. This metal, indeed, is said to be found in many places near the banks of the great Orange river; and the party picked up what appeared to be a specimen of native gold but mines are of little value in a country where there are no materials necessary for working them, no navigable rivers, nor passable roads, by which their produce could, at any reasonable expense, be transported to a market. Those who set any value on this part of Southern Africa, for the mines it contains, know very little of the nature of the country.

In swimming across this wide and rapid river, and transporting, at the same time, their sheep, or other articles, the Koras make use of a curious contrivance. They take a log of wood, from six to eight feet in length, and at the distance of a few inches from one of its ends, fix a wooden peg. On this log, the person intending to cross the river stretches himself, at full length, and holding fast by the peg with one hand, whilst with the other, and occasionally with his feet, he strikes, to keep the end of the log in a certain direction, (which is that of an angle, of about 45 degrees with the stream,) the obliquity of the log, opposed to the current, causes it, in floating down the stream, to push gradually over to the opposite side, in the hypothenusal line of a triangle, whose base is the width of the river.

Both the banks of the Orange river, were, at this part of it, thickly covered with mimosas and willows, and a great variety of other trees, whose names and descriptions are not mentioned. A little beyond the right bank, the great quantity of a species of shrubby mimosa, seldom higher than seven or eight feet, with a small white leaf, was very remarkable. It was the prevailing feature, on the surface of the country, for twenty or thirty miles, though not a single plant of the kind had appeared on the Cape side of the river. Here also they found, growing in great abundance, a species of wild onion, of a taste as strong and pungent nearly as that of garlic; notwithstanding which, it was so highly acceptable to the travellers, that they laid in an ample supply for future use on their journey. The leaves, flowers, and seeds resembled those of the common cultivated species.

On the margin of the river they found, in great plenty, a small and delicate orange-coloured poppy; and, creeping over a great extent of surface, a very fragrant species of Clematis, or virgin's bower. The agate, onyx, sardonyx, and chalcedony, abounded on the pebbled bed of the river; of which they collected some very beautiful specimens. Several hippopotami were observed rolling about, blowing and snorting in the deep parts of the river, at a little distance below the ford; and one was severely wounded by a musket ball, but it escaped.

Leaving the river on the 6th, they travelled till the 8th, before they met with any water; when, after pushing their way where neither traces of waggons, nor tracts of any kind appeared, and in constant anxiety and suspense, whether they might not be entangled and finally stopped by mountains, deep chasms, or thickets, they came to a village of the Kora Hottentots, situated in a deep defile of the mountains; and a little farther on, to a second horde of Bastards and Bosjesmans, under a chief of the former description, whose name was Kok.* This man was a kind of volunteer Missionary, who, to the great astonishment of our travellers, delivered a very able discourse to his people in their presence, from a text in the Gospel of St. John, on the subject of Regeneration; which was preceded and followed by an extemporary prayer, and by singing of hymns. The missionary EDWARDS and his wife, and a boor of the name of KRUGER, had joined the party on the right bank of the Orange river; and a little beyond the Kraal of Kok, was the Aakaap, or Rietfontein, the then residence of MR. KICHERER. On their arrival at this place on the 8th, being Sunday, they found this zealous Preacher of the Gospel engaged in the duties of his office. His church was a temporary building of poles, wattled with twigs, plastered over with clay and cow dung, both within and without, and covered with a thatch of reeds. A smaller hut of the same construction served for a school, A number of other huts, of an inand a third for his habitation. ferior kind, shaped like bee-hives, and consisting chiefly of grass matting, were scattered over the plain; but on the strangers approaching towards them, the inhabitants, men, women, and children, all fled and hid themselves in the bushes. MR. KICHERER received the travellers with the greatest kindness and affability. He was assisted in the labours of his mission by two other missionaries, of the names of ANDERSON and KRAMEE. Every account that has been given of the Bojesmans, [or Bushmen] tends to confirm the opinion, that they are among the most miserable of the human race. number, however, is very inconsiderable. In their persons they were all diminutive, but well made, and of the colour of a faded leaf: the joints, and prominent parts of their bodies, are almost black with a thick coating of hardened dirt: their hair was clotted: their faces were smeared over with red ochre and fat; and their little eyes, scarcely visible, were always in motion, and ever on the watch. Their whole property was very portable; consisting generally of a bow, a quiver

Their

Probably CORNELIUS KOK, so frequently alluded to in the Reports of the London Missionary Society.

* 3 Y 2*

of arrows, and a belt of skin; and sometimes half a cloak, and two or three thin grass mats; which, when fixed between two sticks, over a round hole dug in the ground, serve for a dwelling; and a wild gourd, or an ostrich's egg-shell, to carry a little water in. Sometimes they are accompanied by little dogs, not unlike a species of jackall, having a ruff of long hair round the lower part of the neck.

In this mixed society, the party had the good fortune to meet with two persons, who had it in their power to render them essential services. The one was a native Booshuana, of the name of Miklango, who spoke a little Dutch, and who willingly engaged to accompany them as interpreters; but he was wholly unacquainted with the road which led to his own country. The other was his comrade Makauta, who was well acquainted with the country, and readily undertook to be their guide. A Dutch boor, also, of the name of Kruger, joined the expedition at this place: he had been pointed out to them as a man of great resource, and likely to be of use. Having at this place, besides the above-mentioned persons, added twelve Kora Hottentots to the expedition, and procured forty-eight draught oxen, in lieu of the seventy-six already worn out with fatigue, the party proceeded on the 12th, and, after separating in the dark, and losing their way on the desert, the whole fortunately rejoined at a spring of water, on the evening of the 15th. The next day they were accosted by six naked Bosjesmans, craving, as usual, a little food. This night they halted at the Mukatanie, or Duck-Spring, near to which their attention was attracted by a singular cone-shaped hill, where they discovered a deep cavern, occupied by whole flocks of turtle doves, whose nests loaded the bushes that nearly choaked up its mouth. The bottom of the cavern was strewed over with a reddish brown ochraceous earth, abounding with mica, which is used both by the Koras, who are brown, and the Booshunas, who are black, for painting their bodies; after which the skin has a glossy appearance, not unlike the surface of a bronze statue.

A little beyond this hill they came to the Magaaga fontein, or the Spring of the Iron mountain; the name of which induced some of the party to ascend the heights, and examine the rocks and stones on the surface, taking with them a pocket compass. The masses of rock were composed generally of ponderous stone, which evidently abounded with iron; and they found that the compass was very materially affected. By placing the needle on some of the iron-stones, it appeared completely to have lost its polarity; pointing differently on differently stones, sometimes in an opposite direction, vibrating at one time with great violence, and again whirling entirely round; from which they concluded that the mountain contained native iron, or other substances that were impregnated with magnetic matter. It does not appear, however, that they discovered any specimens which could be considered as containing iron in its native state.

After chasing in these mountains, and in the passes through which their route led them, a variety of the larger kind of game, as hartebeests, springboks, and ostriches, the travellers came, in the dusk of the evening, to the banks of a lake called Koussie, the circumference of which was several thousand feet. A belt of tall reeds sur

rounded its margin, in several parts of which were growing very beautiful knots of the Karroo mimosa. Near the brink of the water, they observed a number of holes that had been made by the Bushmen, with a view to entrap the wild beasts of the desert, coming thither to quench their thirst; and in one of them they found a dead Steenbok, which had apparently fallen in not many hours before. Just as they were leaving the lake, a herd of wild buffaloes were observed at a distance, advancing towards the place where they were posted, on which preparations were immediately made to receive them. When these huge animals had approached sufficiently near, the party fired a volley among them, and had the satisfaction to see three of them fall to the ground, of so large a size that one of them was found sufficient to feast the whole company. Continuing their journey till night, without finding any water, they were nevertheless compelled to halt, by the fatigued state of the oxen. In the morning, before day-break, they resumed their journey over a wide and desert plain, on which, however, a few trees were thinly scattered. In the course of this day our travellers, it seems, were highly gratified with the sight of a novel and interesting object: It was a giraffe, or camelopardalis, trotting before them at no great distance, in a very singular and awkward manner, apparently at a slow pace; but on being chased, it was found to clear the ground with such celerity as to leave its pursuers far behind. Presently after this a herd, consisting of nine full-grown animals, and two young foals, made its appearance; upon which the whole party immediately gave chase, in the hope of being able, at least, to take the foals; but their speed was so great, that they presently outstripped the fleetest horse, and vanished out of sight.

Having now travelled eighteen hours without halting, and more than thirty hours since the cattle had tasted any water, they at length arrived, to their inexpressible joy, at the most copious, transparent, and delightful spring of water that had occurred in the whole of their journey; and two miles beyond this, they discovered another still superior, which indeed is probably not to be matched in the whole of Southern Africa, as far as it is hitherto known. It not only gushed from a cavern of the rocks, as from the sluice of a milldam, but in innumerable springs spouted up out of an extensive bed of white crystallized pebbles, and quartzose sand, forming, at not more than a hundred paces from its source, a stream of at least thirty feet wide, and two feet deep, called the Kourmanna, or Booshuana river, whose direction was to the northward.

(To be continued.)

POPE'S ESSAY ON MAN.

The Creed or System of Lord BOLINGBROKE, seems to have been an intermixture of that of SPINOSA and LEIBNITZ; or, to ascend higher, of the Pythagoric or Platonic, and the Eleatic schools; and hence the celebrated Essay on Man, which was certainly planned by himself, and composed by MR. POPE, without his having been aware