on the backs of the bulls, a number of excellent vocal performers, with martial music of clarionets and trumpets.  They sung the “Watery Dangers,” and the “Pomp of Deep Cerulean!” The sun shone glorious on the water while the procession advanced toward the land, under five hundred arches of ice, illuminated with coloured lights, and adorned in the most grotesque and fanciful style with sea-weed, elegant festoons, and shells of every kind; while a thousand water-spouts danced eternally before and after us, attracting the water from the sea in a kind of cone, and suddenly uniting with the most fantastical thunder and lightning.

Having landed our whole retinue, we immediately began to proceed toward the heart of Africa, but first thought it expedient to place a number of wheels under the ark for its greater facility of advancing.  We journeyed nearly due north for several days, and met with nothing remarkable except the astonishment of the savage natives to behold our equipage.

The Dutch Government at the Cape, to do them justice, gave us every possible assistance for the expedition.  I presume they had received instruction on that head from their High Mightinesses in Holland.  However, they presented us with a specimen of some of the most excellent of their Cape wine, and showed us every politeness in their power.  As to the face of the country, as we advanced, it appeared in many places capable of every cultivation, and of abundant fertility.  The natives and Hottentots of this part of Africa have been frequently described by travellers, and therefore it is not necessary to say any more about them.  But in the more interior parts of Africa the appearance, manners, and genius of the people are totally different.

We directed our course by the compass and the stars, getting every day prodigious quantities of game in the woods, and at night encamping within a proper enclosure for fear of the wild beasts.  One whole day in particular we heard on every side, among the hills, the horrible roaring of lions, resounding from rock to rock like broken thunder.  It seemed as if there was a general rendezvous of all these savage animals to fall upon our party.  That whole day we advanced with caution, our hunters scarcely venturing beyond pistol shot from the caravan for fear of dissolution.  At night we encamped as usual, and threw up a circular entrenchment round our tents.  We had scarce retired to repose when we found ourselves serenaded by at least one thousand lions, approaching equally on every side, and within a hundred paces.  Our cattle showed the most horrible symptoms of fear, all trembling, and in cold perspiration.  I directly ordered the whole company to stand to their arms, and not to make any noise by firing till I should command them.  I then took a large quantity of tar, which I had brought with our caravan for that purpose, and strewed it in a continued stream round the encampment, within which circle of tar I immediately placed another train