Ourroutetothenorthlaynearthecentreofthecone-shapedmassoflandwhichconstitutesthepromontoryoftheCapeIfwesupposethisconetobedividedintothreezonesorlongitudinalbands，wefindeachpresentingdistinctpeculiaritiesofclimate，physicalappearanceandpopulation。
ThesearemoremarkedbeyondthanwithinthecolonyAtsomepointsonedistrictseemstobecontinuedinandtomergeintotheother，butthegeneraldissimilaritywarrantsthedivision，asanaidtomemory。
Theeasternzoneisoftenfurnishedwithmountains，wellwoodedwithevergreensucculenttrees，onwhichneitherfirenordroughtscanhavethesmallesteffect`Strelitzia’，`Zamiahorrida’，`Portulacariaafra’，`Schotiaspeciosa’，`Euphorbias’，and`Aloesarborescens’；
anditsseaboardgorgesarecladwithgigantictimber。
Itisalsocomparativelywellwateredwithstreamsandflowingrivers。
Theannualsupplyofrainisconsiderable，andtheinhabitantsCaffresorZulusaretall，muscular，andwellmade；
theyareshrewd，energetic，andbrave；altogethertheymeritthecharactergiventhembymilitaryauthorities，ofbeing“magnificentsavages“。
Theirsplendidphysicaldevelopmentandformofskullshowthat，butfortheblackskinandwoollyhair，theywouldtakerankamongtheforemostEuropeans。
Thenextdivision，thatwhichembracesthecentreofthecontinent，canscarcelybecalledhilly，forwhathillsthereareareverylow。
Itconsistsforthemostpartofextensive，slightlyundulatingplains。
Therearenoloftymountains，butfewsprings，andstillfewerflowingstreamsRainisfarfromabundant，anddroughtsmaybeexpectedeveryfewyearsWithoutartificialirrigationnoEuropeangraincanberaised，andtheinhabitantsBechuanas，thoughevidentlyofthesamestock，originally，withthosealreadymentioned，andcloselyresemblingtheminbeinganagriculturalaswellasapastoralpeople，areacomparativelytimidrace，andinferiortotheCaffresinphysicaldevelopment。
Thewesterndivisionisstillmorelevelthanthemiddleone，beingruggedonlynearthecoastItincludesthegreatplaincalledtheKalahariDesert，whichisremarkableforlittlewaterandveryconsiderablevegetation。
Thereason，probably，whysolittlerainfallsonthisextensiveplainisthattheprevailingwindsofmostoftheinteriorcountryareeasterly，withalittlesouthingThemoisturetakenupbytheatmospherefromtheIndianOceanisdepositedontheeasternhillyslope；
andwhenthemovingmassofairreachesitsgreatestelevation，itisthenonthevergeofthegreatvalley，or，asinthecaseoftheKalahari，thegreatheatedinlandplains；there，meetingwiththerarefiedairofthathot，drysurface，theascendingheatgivesitgreatercapacityforretainingallitsremaininghumidity，andfewshowerscanbegiventothemiddleandwesternlandsinconsequenceoftheincreasedhygrometricpower。
Thisisthesamephenomenon，onagiganticscale，asthatwhichtakesplaceonTableMountain，attheCape，inwhatiscalledthespreadingofthe“table-cloth“Thesoutheastwindcausesamassofair，equaltothediameterofthemountain，suddenlytoascendatleastthreethousandfeet；thedilatationproducedbyaltitude，withitsattendantcold，causestheimmediateformationofacloudonthesummit；thewaterintheatmospherebecomesvisible；
successivemassesofgliding-upandpassing-overaircausethecontinualformationofclouds，butthetopofthevaporymass，or“table-cloth“，islevel，andseeminglymotionless；ontheleeside，however，thethickvolumesofvaporcurloveranddescend，butwhentheyreachthepointbelow，wheregreaterdensityandhighertemperatureimpartenlargedcapacityforcarryingwater，theyentirelydisappear。
Nowif，insteadofahollowontheleesideofTableMountain，wehadanelevatedheatedplain，thecloudswhichcurloverthatside，anddisappearastheydoatpresentwhena“southeaster“isblowing，mightdepositsomemoistureonthewindwardascentandtop；
buttheheatwouldthenimparttheincreasedcapacitytheairnowreceivesatthelowerlevelinitsdescenttoleeward，and，insteadofanextendedcountrywithafloraofthe`Disagrandiflora’，`gladiolus’，`rushes’，and`lichens’，whichnowappearonTableMountain，weshouldhaveonlythehardyvegetationoftheKalahari。
WhythereshouldbesomuchvegetationontheKalaharimaybeexplainedbythegeologicalformationofthecountryThereisarimorfringeofancientrocksroundagreatcentralvalley，which，dippinginward，formabasin，thebottomofwhichiscomposedoftheoldestsilurianrocks。
Thisbasinhasbeenburstthroughandfilledupinmanypartsbyeruptivetrapsandbreccias，whichoftenbearintheirsubstancesangularfragmentsofthemoreancientrocks，asshowninthefossilstheycontainNow，thoughlargeareashavebeensodislocatedthatbutlittletraceoftheoriginalvalleyformationappears，itishighlyprobablethatthebasinshapeprevailsoverlargetractsofthecountry；andasthestrataontheslopes，wheremostoftherainfalls，dipintowardthecentre，theyprobablyguidewaterbeneaththeplainsbutillsuppliedwithmoisturefromtheclouds。
Thephenomenonofstagnantfountainsbecomingbyanewanddeeperoutletnever-failingstreamsmaybeconfirmatoryoftheviewthatwaterisconveyedfromthesidesofthecountryintothebottomofthecentralvalley；
anditisnotbeyondtheboundsofpossibilitythatthewonderfulriversysteminthenorth，which，ifnativeinformationbecorrect，causesaconsiderableincreaseofwaterinthespringscalledMatlomagan-yanatheLinks，extendsitsfertilizinginfluencebeneaththeplainsoftheKalahari。
Thepeculiarformationofthecountrymayexplainwhythereissuchadifferenceinthevegetationbetweenthe20thand30thparallelsoflatitudeinSouthAfricaandthesamelatitudesinCentralAustraliaThewantofvegetationisastrueofsomepartstoointhecentreofSouthAmericaasofAustralia；
andthecauseofthedifferenceholdsoutaprobabilityforthesuccessofartesianwellsinextensivetractsofAfricanowunpeopledsolelyonaccountofthewantofsurfacewaterWemaybeallowedtospeculatealittleatleastonthefactofmuchgreatervegetation，which，fromwhateversourceitcomes，presentsforSouthAfricaprospectsoffuturegreatnesswhichwecannothopeforinCentralAustraliaAstheinteriordistrictsoftheCapeColonyaredailybecomingofhighervalue，offeringtohonestindustryafairremunerationforcapital，andhavingaclimateunequaledinsalubrityforconsumptivepatients，IshouldunhesitatinglyrecommendanyfarmeratallafraidofthatcomplaintinhisfamilytotrythiscolonyWiththemeansofeducationalreadypossessed，andtheonwardandupwardmovementoftheCapepopulation，heneedentertainnoapprehensionsofhisfamilysinkingintobarbarism。
Therouteweatthistimefollowedranalongthemiddle，orskirtedthewesternzonebeforealludedto，untilwereachedthelatitudeofLakeNgami，whereatotallydifferentcountrybegins。
Whileinthecolony，wepassedthroughdistrictsinhabitedbythedescendantsofDutchandFrenchrefugeeswhohadfledfromreligiouspersecutionThoselivingnearthecapitaldifferbutlittlefromthemiddleclassesinEnglishcounties，andaredistinguishedbypublicspiritandgeneralintelligence；whilethosesituatedfarfromthecentresofcivilizationarelessinformed，butareabodyoffrugal，industrious，andhospitablepeasantry。
AmostefficientsystemofpublicinstructionwasestablishedinthetimeofGovernorSirGeorgeNapier，onaplandrawnupinagreatmeasurebythataccomplishedphilosopher，SirJohnHerschel。
Thesystemhadtocontendwithlesssectarianrancorthanelsewhere；
indeed，untilquiterecently，thatspirit，exceptinamildform，wasunknown。
ThepopulationheredescribedoughtnottobeconfoundedwithsomeBoerswhofledfromBritishruleonaccountoftheemancipationoftheirHottentotslaves，andperhapsneverwouldhavebeensohadnoteverynowandthensomeRipVanWinklestartedforthattheCapetojustifyinthepublicprintsthedeedsofbloodandslave-huntinginthefarinteriorItisthereforenottobewonderedatifthewholeraceisconfoundedandheldinlowestimationbythosewhodonotknowtherealcompositionoftheCapecommunity。
PopulationamongtheBoersincreasesrapidly；theymarrysoon，areseldomsterile，andcontinuetohavechildrenlate。
IoncemetaworthymatronwhosehusbandthoughtitrighttoimitatetheconductofAbrahamwhileSarahwasbarren；sheevidentlyagreedintheproprietyofthemeasure，forshewaspleasedtohearthechildrenbyamotherofwhathasbeenthoughtaninferiorraceaddressherastheirmotherOrphansareneverallowedtoremainlongdestitute；
andinstancesarefrequentinwhichatender-heartedfarmerhasadoptedafatherlesschild，andwhenitcameofageportioneditashisown。
TwocenturiesoftheSouthAfricanclimatehavenothadmucheffectuponthephysicalconditionoftheBoersTheyareashadedarker，orratherruddier，thanEuropeans，andarenevercadaverous-looking，asdescendantsofEuropeansaresaidtobeelsewhere。
Thereisatendencytothedevelopmentofsteatopyga，socharacteristicofArabsandotherAfricantribes；anditisprobablethattheinteriorBoersinanothercenturywillbecomeincolorwhatthelearnedimagineourprogenitors，AdamandEve，tohavebeen。
Thepartsofthecolonythroughwhichwepassedwereofsterileaspect；
and，asthepresentwinterhadbeenprecededbyaseveredrought，manyfarmershadlosttwothirdsoftheirstockThelandscapewasuninviting；thehills，destituteoftrees，wereofadarkbrowncolor，andthescantyvegetationontheplainsmademefeelthattheydeservedthenameofDesertmorethantheKalahariWhenfirsttakenpossessionof，thesepartsaresaidtohavebeencoveredwithacoatingofgrass，butthathasdisappearedwiththeantelopeswhichfeduponit，andacropofmesembryanthemumsandcrassulasoccupiesitsplace。
Itiscurioustoobservehow，innature，organizationsthemostdissimilararemutuallydependentoneachotherfortheirperpetuation。
Heretheoriginalgrassesweredependentfordisseminationonthegrass-feedinganimals，whichscatteredtheseeds。
When，bythedeathoftheantelopes，nofreshsowingwasmade，theAfricandroughtsprovedtoomuchforthisformofvegetation。
ButeventhiscontingencywasforeseenbytheOmniscientOne；
for，aswemaynowobserveintheKalahariDesert，anotherfamilyofplants，themesembryanthemums，stoodreadytoneutralizetheariditywhichmustotherwisehavefollowedThisfamilyofplantspossessesseed-vesselswhichremainfirmlyshutontheircontentswhilethesoilishotanddry，andthuspreservethevegetativepowerintactduringthehighestheatofthetorridsun；butwhenrainfalls，theseed-vesselopensandshedsitscontentsjustwhenthereisthegreatestprobabilityoftheirvegetatingInotherplantsheatanddroughtcausetheseed-vesselstoburstandshedtheircharge。
Oneofthisfamilyisedible`Mesembryanthemumedule’；anotherpossessesatuberousroot，whichmaybeeatenraw；andallarefurnishedwiththick，fleshyleaves，havingporescapableofimbibingandretainingmoisturefromaverydryatmosphereandsoil，sothat，ifaleafisbrokenduringaperiodofthegreatestdrought，itshowsabundantcirculatingsap。
Theplantsofthisfamilyarefoundmuchfarthernorth，butthegreatabundanceofthegrassespreventsthemfrommakinganyshow。
There，however，theystandreadytofillupanygapwhichmayoccurinthepresentprevailingvegetation；andshouldthegrassesdisappear，animallifewouldnotnecessarilybedestroyed，becauseareservesupply，equivalenttoafreshactofcreativepower，hasbeenprovided。
Oneofthisfamily，`Mturbiniforme’，issocoloredastoblendinwellwiththehueofthesoilandstonesaroundit；anda`gryllus’ofthesamecolorfeedsonitInthecaseoftheinsect，thepeculiarcolorisgivenascompensationforthedeficiencyofthepowersofmotiontoenableittoeludethenoticeofbirdsThecontinuationofthespeciesisheretheendinview。
Inthecaseoftheplantthesamedeviceisadoptedforasortofdoubleend，viz。，perpetuationoftheplantbyhidingitfromanimals，withtheviewthatultimatelyitsextensiveappearancewillsustainthatrace。
Asthisnewvegetationisbetteradaptedforsheepandgoatsinadrycountrythangrass，theBoerssupplantthelatterbyimitatingtheprocessbywhichgraminivorousantelopeshavesoabundantlydisseminatedtheseedofgrassesAfewwagon-loadsofmesembryanthemumplants，inseed，arebroughttoafarmcoveredwithascantycropofcoarsegrass，andplacedonaspottowhichthesheephaveaccessintheevenings。
Astheyeatalittleeverynight，theseedsaredroppedoverthegrazinggroundsinthissimpleway，witharegularitywhichcouldnotbematchedexceptatthecostofanimmenseamountoflabor。
Theplacebecomesinthecourseofafewyearsasheep-farm，astheseanimalsthriveonsuchherbageAsalreadymentioned，someplantsofthisfamilyarefurnishedwithanadditionalcontrivanceforwithstandingdroughts，viz。，oblongtubers，which，burieddeepenoughbeneaththesoilforcompleteprotectionfromthescorchingsun，serveasreservoirsofsapandnutrimentduringthoserainlessperiodswhichrecurperpetuallyineventhemostfavoredspotsofAfricaIhaveadvertedtothispeculiarityasoftenseeninthevegetationoftheDesert；