Longitude 25° 32′ 30′′ E. of Greenwich.

Between this Point and

Cape Recife, may be denominated Algoa Bay.

The Sunday River runs into the sea close to a remarkable rock, which I have denominated Read's Monument, in remembrance of a fine Youth, a Midshipman of the Menai, who perished with three Seamen, in the execution of their duty whilst surveying the

coast.

On its Northern side, the bed of this river is deep, but the surf beats with violence over the bar across its mouth; and as here the coast is exposed to the constant rolling swell, little chance of its ever being useful to commercial purposes offers. There are times when boats can enter, or leave Sunday River; but from its mouth commences that wild inhospitable coast, that refuses shelter to any class of shipping.

The Island of St. Croix, in Latitude 33° 47' 30" S. Longitude 25° 36′ 50′′ E. lays S. 57° 50' East of the mouth of the Kuga, 33 miles; and S. 71° 10′ W. from the mouth of the Sunday, 6 miles; it is about 21 in circumference. Another small rocky Island, which I have called Brenton's Isle, lays S. 46° W. of St. Croix, 11 mile distant, and about of a mile in circumference. Off the mouth of the Kuga, South 3rds of a mile, is the Island of Jahleel, about the same size as Brenton's Isle. Round these Islands there is good anchorage; and in the event of necessity, a ship might find partial shelter near St. Croix. These Islands are inhabited. by immense numbers of seals, which at times literally cover their surface.

The coast from the mouth of the Sunday's River, runs to the Eastward towards the Bosjesman's River. The mouth of this river I did not examine; from reports I received, it did not appear to merit attention.

From the Bosjesman's River, the coast continues the sameness of appearance, sand hills covered with bush.

The Bird Islands are alone visible along the whole line of coast.

The mouths of the Karega and Kasouka were nearly closed, a weak stream alone running over a bed of light sand. The winter torrents, no doubt, will at times fill the beds of these rivers to a great extent. Further Eastward is the Kowie, a river that promises fairer than any I have visited (except the Zwartkops) at some future time, to admit ships over its bar. Like all

the other rivers I have visited, it receives its inland stream into an extensive sandy basin, from which it forces its way, through a narrow channel on its Eastern side, into the sea, not wider at low water, than 20 yards; this stream runs in a S.S.E. direction; the surf broke across a bar about of a mile from the entrance, but not violent, and at low tide there must have been several feet of water. What leads me to expect more from this river than the others I have visited, is, that the water appears deep close to the shore, and there are two extensive beds of rocks, which bore by compass S.E. by S. from the river's mouth about 2 miles. If there is anchorage under those rocks, ships might perhaps be able to wait the convenience of tide before they attempted to enter the river.

The next appearance of a river to the Eastward is the Kleine Monden, which has apparently at times three outlets to the sea; but they were all closed when I saw them, and I suspect are only open at spring tides, or when the mountain waters come down.

From the Kowie to the Great Fish River's mouth, the coast has a more verdant appearance, the sand hills are covered with luxuriant bush; but there is not an inlet or curve of any sort that offers shelter for ships. The surf rolls in high breakers along the coast.

The country at the mouth of the Fish River, is open, interspersed with picturesque ravines, generally clothed with bush; when I arrived, the water was at the lowest ebb; from the S.W. side a sand bank projects to within 20 yards of the N.E. side; the current was running through this channel slowly into the sea, and I could trace its stream gradually decreasing in breadth, until finished in a point, making the mouth of the river form the base of an equilateral triangle; from this point part of the ebb is thrown back on the flat beach, runs to the Westward, and finds an outlet close to the rocks on the western side; at this spot the water appears deep. At the breadth of 10 yards, the sea did not break successively, but at times there was an interval of 5 minutes, when a boat could easily have landed; but when it did break, it was with treble the violence of the constant rolling surf along the sand before the river's mouth. The entrance of the river E.S.E. and W.N.W. the stream inclines a little to the S.W. after passing the extreme point where the sea broke with violence across.

The position of the Fish River may be easily ascertained at sea, in a fine day, by some distant hills of an undulating form, bearing N.N.W. per compass; these hills are then between the ravines through which the river flows.

The Great Fish River, at particular seasons, swells to a considerable height; at these times, from the violence of the current, no ship or vessel could possibly enter; but when the causes have ceased that filled its bed, the river becomes a mere stream, and for several months in the year, I much doubt whether the strength of water would turn a mill. I think the water is sufficiently deep, to admit ships to anchor off the river's mouth. As the tide rose the surf encreased, but at dead low water, there must have been several feet on the bar. Not the least appearance of shifting sand, or rocks, were observed amongst the breakers. The land, on the Western bank of the Fish River, near its mouth, is most beautiful, being a rich black earth, with a covering of luxuriant pasture.

I crossed this river at the first ford from the sea, about six miles inland; here the stream meanders through a deep and bushy ravine. We led our horses down on Friday the 12th of May, and were near an hour in descending. When we reached the bank, the tide had not sufficiently receded to admit our crossing; in an hour it was effected, and when the tide was perfectly out, there was but a very small fresh water stream.

From hence to the Beeca, we continued in an E.S.E. direction; we crossed this river at a ford where the tide reaches at springs, there was scarcely any water in its bed. From this ford to the mouth of the Beeca, is about 6 miles. I remained here to witness the effect, that the ebb and flow of tide had on the bar. The stream runs S.W. into the sea; is not more at low water than 12 or 14 fathoms across, but deep. This river bids fair to admit coasting vessels, from the following causes :

The water clear of the river's mouth, appears deeper; the mouth is so narrow, and the river so confined, that the tide is more rapid than at the Keiskahama, or the Fish River; the breakers are not more than would be expected at a depth of 8 or 10 feet, and resembled what is generally seen of rivers' mouths that are known to be navigable; the coast, however, is still as inhospitable as what I have hitherto seen. From the mouth of the Beeca to the Keiskahama, is about 15 miles, in an E.S.E. direction; there are

several small streams, up which the sea flows 5 or 6 miles at spring tides; but the sea rolls in high breakers along the coast.

The first view of the Keiskahama, is the most flattering to those who visit it for the reason I did, viz.: “to ascertain whether it was open at the mouth for the purpose of commerce." An extensive basin of water receives the inland stream; the extreme points between which the Keiskahama flows when its bed is full, bear from each other N.E. by E. and S.W. by W. about 1 mile distant; but this bed can only be full when the mountain torrents are the cause. It was nearly high water when I visited it, the mouth of the river then about 70 or 80 yards across, the stream running South into the sea, strong and deep. Part of it is forced back along the shore, similar to the Fish River, but the greater part runs close along the low rocky shore, forming the N.E. point; its breakers were here, evidently, not so successive, and I do not despair of there being a channel at high tides, for small vessels; but the wildness of the coast, with the flat that reaches 1 or 2 miles seaward, blight the hope that this river can ever be constantly open to the most enterprising trader. It is not at present, nor calculating upon probabilities, can ever be, the resort of the King's Ships;-the tides are too feeble, and of too little elevation, to serve any great purpose; about 7 or 8 feet was the highest I could decide, by the marks on the shore, that the tides rose. I remained until low water,-the river then did not exceed 40 yards in breadth. The ravine, through which the Keiskahama serpentines, runs in a N.W. and S.E. direction. The entrance may be known at sea, in clear weather, by a range of mountains in the interior; one standing by itself, rising in a conical shape, flattened at the top; and a short distance to the Eastward, another high mountain, forming three distinct elevations and falls; when these mountains bear N.N.W. they are on with the Keiskahama. The N.E. point of land, close to which the river flows into the sea, is low and rocky, running from a remarkable little green hillock, detached from the one where the bank begins to rise; the S.W. point is a sandy hillock. Along the coast, the sand is covered with bush, through which, at different places, it is visible.

Having given an account of the rivers between Cape Recife and the Keiskahama, I shall close with this general observation :— That from the straightness of the coast, few ships will ever venture to approach them; that although they are generally called rivers,

they are mere streamlets, when not filled by mountain torrents or heavy rains. It is true, that the Fish and Keiskahama Rivers, close to their mouths, appear magnificent sheets of water; but as I crossed the Fish River 6 or 7 miles from its entrance, almost dry footed, the Beeca, without wetting my shoes; and as I am told, the Keiskahama has a ford at an equally short distance from its mouth, they are in themselves but streamlets; the tide does not rise sufficiently high to make them, what are called in England, tide harbours.

If, therefore, trade is ever carried on, it is my opinion, that by Port Elizabeth, or the Zwartkops alone, it can be effected with security.

We have, from time to time, heard of lamentable shipwrecks between Cape l'Agulhas and the Keiskahama;—no doubt, the greater part of these would have been avoided, had a light warned the mariner of his danger. The expence of erecting a light-house on Cape Recife and Cape l'Agulhas, would not be very great, and the expence of lighting them very trivial. How willingly every navigator to and from India would contribute to the expence of these buildings, is well known; and, if but one ship had been preserved by such a beacon, that has buried her crew and cargo on the sandy shores of Africa, it would pay for years, (if money alone is to be considered, and not the life of man,) the expence of a light-house.

(Signed)

FAIRFAX MORESBY, Captain H.M. Ship Menai.

7th July, 1820.

[Copy.]

Extracts from a Letter from MR. ROBERT WOODCOCK to the COLONIAL SECRETARY.

KLEIN VALLEY, 16th July 1820.

As for myself, Mr. Parker assigned to me by letter 1000 acres of land, according to his agreement, which I accepted, until I should know His Excellency's pleasure, tho' most of it is extremely inferior, and deemed unfit for cultivation, and have taken possession accordingly, yet Mr. Parker has subsequently