route from Simon's Bay was estimated at
thirty-four miles, the other at forty-two, to the
place where we should have to leave our horses
and take to our hands and feet. This, too, was
the distance on the supposition that we never
lost our way for a minute, but went straight to
our goal.

Although I had "turned in" betimes, it
seemed that I had hardly closed my eyes before
I was aroused by the nigger of the establishment,
who, attired simply in his lower garment, stood
at my bedside with the usual early morning cup
of coffee. It was still dark, but by the time I
had got my face out of the towel it was broad
daylight, so rapidly does light follow upon the
heels of darkness in those parts of the world.
I joined my friend, and we proceeded to the
stables. Brown had his own horse, and I was
to trust myself to a hired animal which bore a
good name in the town. My bespoken horse
was, however, not forthcoming. In his stead
was a rough underfed animal, who, as I stood
looking at him, turned his head, eyed me for
a while, and then heaved a deep sigh.

"Pompey" (the engaged horse) "he go lame
in de night, massa; he not can put him fut to
de groun' dis mornin', massa, and de baas say
he no let gent'm'n like massa ride hoss wat lame,
so de baas hab sen' massa his own hunting
hoss. I'se berry, berry sorry, &c., &c."

The truth was, no doubt, that the master had
let "Pompey" twice over, and preferred, as the
more valuable horse, to send him on the shorter
journey.

We mounted, and set off at half-past three on
as glorious a morning as can cheer the heart,
even in South Africa. The sun had not yet
risen high enough to touch us as we rode along
the ascending path by the sea, but the tops of
the highest peaks shone with golden radiance
against the deep blue sky. After going about
two miles at a smart canter, we stopped to look
round, and breathe the horses before entering
upon the ten mile ledge. Below us, on our left,
lay Simons Town. In front of the town, close
in shore, were several ships, three of them
men-of-war engaged in the suppression of the slave
trade. Beyond was the vast extent of quicksands,
over which all traffic has to pass going
between Cape Town and Simons Bay. Every
one is obliged to get over these sands as quickly
as he can, for they are shifting. That which
today is firm ground, may to-morrow be a soft
jelly-like mass, shaking and rocking for many
yards round at each footstep. The post-cart, a
strong two-wheeled dray with a white canvas
awning over it, having a pole instead of shafts,
and carrying passengers as well as mails, has
here six horses in pairs attached to it. They
are urged to their utmost speed till the dangerous
ground is passed over. We looked down
also on that small island or rock in the bay, now
partly taken as the foundations of a "patent
slip," bearing the name of "Sober Island." It
was formerly used by the captains of ships for
repairing and drying sails, or other work that
could not conveniently be done on board. The
men and sails, with perhaps materials for
rigging up a tent to guard them from the fierce
midday sun, were landed on this rock, and the
boat then pulled back to the ship, leaving the
men in anything but their glory, for, although
only two or three hundred feet from the shore,
the rock was surrounded by water at all states
of the tide. Thus the men upon Sober Island
worked all day within talking distance of the
grog shops, could see the landsman put down
his penny, and get his tumbler of wine, or the
more potent "Cape smoke," while not a drop of
anything but luke-warm water could be got at
by a Sober Islander.

Before us, and on our right, was the vast
extent of waters called  False Bay;" for
Simons Bay, the naval station, of the west
coast, is only a very small bay in a large one.
Across these broader waters we could see the
immense ranges of mountains, which, with the
table land between them, form the southern
end of the Cape Colony. The nearest height
stood out boldly, a deep blue, backed up by
range after range topping one another, lessening
in depth of colour as they receded, till the
last was of a neutral tint so delicate as scarcely
to be distinguishable from a bank of fleecy
clouds.

We now tightened girths, and entered upon
the ledge. It began at about four feet wide,
and continued for a mile or two, narrowing so
gradually that the traveller does not perceive
the change until at last it becomes too narrow for
a horse to turn in. Then it throws off
disguise, and puts the wayfarer upon his mettle.
For nine weary miles had we to follow each
other, up and down, along this terrible path,
which now was hardly ever more than two feet
wide, covered here and there with broken bits
of sharp granite rock. In places it was broken
away, probably by a falling boulder from above,
so that for two or three feet there could not
have been more than nine inches of solid
foot-hold. Now and then a fallen bush lay right
across the track. Over this the horses would
go gingerly, trying each step with their fore
feet before trusting their whole weight on it;
for on our left was a nearly sheer precipice,
and many hundreds of feet below the sea broke
in thunder against the iron-bound coast, with a
roar so deafening as fairly to oblige us to shout
to one another any necessary warning. On the
right above us was the continuation of the
cliff, broken here and there into "Kloofs" or
ravines, so embedded in vegetation of all sorts
– such as mimosa, gladiolus, geraniums, arum,
and other plants known only to botanists – that
the watercourse itself was hid from view. In
all cases but one these watercourses had made
tunnels under our path to reach the sea, so that
we often rode without knowing it, over so many
"devil's bridges."

I had at starting held my reins pretty short,
and attempted to keep some sort of check upon
my horse, but this annoyed him so much that
when we came to a more than usually ticklish
place he would abruptly stop and shake his