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Updated: June 18, 2025
They had the "Caffir bread" the inside pith of the stems of a species of Zamia; and the "Caffir chestnut," the fruit of the Brabeium stellatum; and last, not least, the enormous roots of the "elephant's foot." They had wild onions and garlic too; and in the white flower-tops of a beautiful floating plant, they found a substitute for asparagus.
The arborescent Zamia was as frequent here as on the slopes and flat tops of the basaltic mountains; it grows from six to ten feet high, and even higher, and is about a foot in diameter; and often, its dark scaly trunk, borne to the ground by the winds, raises its fine head like a reclining man. There was a thunder-storm to the south-east and east on the 10th December.
The most remarkable feature in the vegetation; however, was an aborescent Zamia, with a stem from seven to eight or ten feet high, and about nine inches in diameter, and with elongated cones, not yet ripe. In consequence of the prevalence of this plant, I called the creek "Zamia Creek."
Rare forms of vegetation were around or near at hand: the arborescent aloes, with their tall flower-spikes of coral red, and euphorbias of many shapes; and zamia, with its palm-like fronds; and the soft-leaved Strelitzia reginae. All these were observed in the neighbourhood of this new-discovered fountain.
They had arrived at a thick belt of forest, consisting of acacias and evergreen shrubs, and trees of the strelitzia, zamia, and speckboom, when their ears were assailed by the sound of breaking branches, and the unmistakable rushing of some large animals through the thicket. "Prepare yourself, Arend; we may have some sport here," cried Hendrik, and both drew rein to await the denouement.
Eggs of every species of bird or lizard. Five animals, something smaller in size than rabbits. Eight sorts of snakes. Seven sorts of iguana. Nine species of mice and small rats. Twenty-nine sorts of roots. Seven kinds of fungus. Four sorts of gum. Two sorts of manna. Two species of by-yu, or the nut of the Zamia palm. Two species of mesembryanthemum. Two kinds of nut. Four sorts of fruit.
I have taken some trouble to ascertain if any traditional notion exists amongst the natives which would in any way account for their having first obtained a knowledge of the means by which they could render the deleterious pulp of the Zamia nut a useful article of food; but in this, as in all other similar instances, they are very unwilling to confess their ignorance of a thing, and rather than do so will often invent a tradition.
In the fat-hen flats, over which we travelled in following the watercourse to Zamia creek, I was surprised to find Erythrina, which I had been accustomed to meet with only on the creeks, and at the outskirts of mountain brushes, near the sea-coast.
Rare forms of vegetation were around or near at hand: the arborescent aloes, with their tall flower-spikes of coral red, and euphorbias of many shapes; and zamia, with its palm-like fronds; and the soft-leaved Strelitzia reginæ. All these were observed in the neighbourhood of this new-discovered fountain.
I went with my whole party to Zamia Creek, the latitude of which is 25 degrees 5 minutes 4 seconds, and which is about sixteen miles west by north from our last camp. Dec. 5. We followed Zamia Creek about six miles down. Several hills approached the creek; and a large mountain which I called Bigge's Mountain, in acknowledgment of the kind support of Frederic Bigge, Esq., was seen to the eastward.
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