In the southern part of this district, a little west of the Sunday river, is one of those salt water lakes which abound in Southern Africa, and which are called zour pans, or salt pans. It is about three miles in circum ference, and is the most extensive in the country, and resorted to by the inhabitants of very remote parts, in the slimmer, for their yearly supply of salt. It is situated in the midst of a wood of frutescent plants, at a con siderable elevation above the level of the sea. The salt which is taken out for use is broke up with picks, and is between four and five inches thick ; and during the dry south-easterly winds of summer, the agitation of the water produces on the margin of the lake a fine powder ing salt, like flakes of snow, which is equally beautiful with the refined salt of England.
On the banks of the Fish river in Voor Sneuwberg, or the fore part of the Snow Mountain, are two hepatic wells, of the temperature of 88° of Fahrenheit, which are visited by the sick, and held in as high repute as the mineral springs of any country, however civilized, for their virtues in curing rheumatic disorders of every kind and degree, cutaneous eruptions, sprains, bruises, and all other bodily ills that flesh is heir to.
This short sketch of the different districts may not be improperly succeeded by the following table, which contains an exact statement of the extent, stock, produce, and population of the whole colony, as taken from the Opgaaf * lists of 1798.
This extensive colony is in no circumstance more worthy of notice, than in the wonderful variety of animals which inhabit its stied surface of mountain and valley, wood and Karroo plains. Amongst these are to be men tioned, the lion, the elephant, the rhinoceros, the buffalo, the oippopononus, the leopard, panther, hyena, \VIM; jackal, the zebra, the (patellas, the gnoo, and the numerous fionily of antelopes, from the stately eland or elke, to the pigmy aIfielopt. From the increase of population, IlOWCNI.T, the antelope, together with every other sort of game, has gradually become more scarce ; and some species are extirpated fi °In parts or the country in which they abounded. The spring-bucks still tra verse the plains of Graaf Ilrynet in flocks, consisting of many thousands. The gnoo, !lose generic chaI'actm r is so marked, or. we nett moil accurately say, the goon, which possesses those characteristics by which naturalists have thought propel to draw limits the families of nature, and have by them been assigned to different families, is one of the most beautiful animals that have been found in An•ca, to whatever genus he may belong. Ills head bears some resemblance to that of the African buffalo ; he has an erect mane, and a mane, if we may call it so, under the neck, descending front the breast between the fore legs ; his shoulders and body are somewhat like those parts of the horse ; while he has the elegant limbs of the antelope. But he has
what he ought not to have had, if lie had been a good natoralist,—hc has the subocular sinus, which, by all the of natural history, is the exclusive property of antelopes. There are also several species of hares; and in the mountains to the eastward is found the das, or rock-rabbit, with short cars and no tail. Among the birds are eagles, vultures, kites, pelicans, flamingos, spoon-bills, cranes, ibises, wild geese and ducks, teals, snipes, quails, bustards, and partridges. 'Turtle cloves, of many sorts, thrushes, humming birds, and an immense variety of other small binds, of the most exquisitely plumage, arc found in the woods. Ostriches in considerable numbers inhabit the Karroo plains : their eggs are less strong in taste than the eggs of ducks or geese. It is a remarkable peculiarity in the natural history of the ostrich, that it not only is gregarious, in the ordinary sense of the term, but it very often happens that two or three females deposit their eggs in a com mon nest, and incubate together, attended by the fathers of the brood. It is not nnusual to find thirty-six eggs in a nest, the common stock of three females. Along the coast are various kinds of sea-fish, such as perches, stone-breams, rockfish, mackerel. soles, and skate ; and abundance of muscles and oysters. The domestic animals of the Cape are not numerous, as none arc reared but what arc absolutely necessary. Their horses are not indigenous, but were first introduced from Java. Those from South America, however, are preferred, both for their beauty and hardiness; and though small are capable of susttining great labour. A scientific English breeder would say, that the oxen at the Cape run to waste too ranch in their make, that is to say, they have long legs, long horns, and high shoulders. The sheep are remarkable for their broad, flat and massy tails, usually weighing about six pounds, though, in some rare instances, they have amounted to 14 ; they have long legs, pendulous cars, and a small scraggy neck. The wool is hairy, and of no value ; but that of the mked breed of Spanish and English, which was first introduced into the colony by Colonel Gordon, is very beautiful, and might he rendered a lery profitable article of commerce. The 1.frican gnat is a %cry prolific and valwable animal. Dogs are almost unknown, and poultry is very searee.