and Robben Island, at the entrance to Table Bay. St
Croix is a rock in Algoa Bay, upon which Diaz is stated to have erected
a cross. A number of small islands off the coast of German South-West
Africa, chiefly valuable for their guano deposits, also belong to Cape
Colony (see ANGRA PEQUENA).

_Ocean Currents._--Off the east and south shores of the colony the
Mozambique or Agulhas current sweeps south-westward with force
sufficient to set up a back drift. This back drift or counter current
flowing north-east is close in shore and is taken advantage of by
vessels going from Cape Town to Natal. On the west coast the current
runs northwards. It is a deflected stream from the west drift of the
"roaring forties" and coming from Antarctic regions is much colder than
the Agulhas current. Off the southern point of the continent the Agulhas
current meets the west drift, giving rise to alternate streams of warm
and cold water. This part of the coast, subject alike to strong westerly
and southeasterly winds, is often tempestuous, as is witnessed by the
name, Cabo Tormentoso, given to the Cape of Good Hope, and to the many
wrecks off the coast. The most famous was that of the British troopship
"Birkenhead," on the 26th of February 1852, off Danger Point, midway
between Cape of Good Hope and Cape Agulhas.

[Illustration: CAPE COLONY MAP.]

_Mountains and Tablelands._--It has been stated that the land rises by
well-marked steps to a vast central plateau. Beyond the coast plain,
which here and there attains a height of 600 ft., are mountain ranges
running parallel to the shore. These mountains are the supporting walls
of successive terraces. When the steep southern sides of the ranges
nearest the sea are ascended the hills are often found to be flat-topped
with a gentle slope northward giving on to a plateau rarely more than 40
m. wide. This plateau is called the Southern or Little Karroo, Karroo
being a corruption of a Hottentot word meaning dry, arid. Having crossed
the Little Karroo, from which rise minor mountain chains, a second high
range has to be climbed. This done the traveller finds himself on
another tableland--the Great Karroo. It has an average width of 80 m.
and is about 350 m. long. Northwards the Karroo (q.v.) is bounded by the
ramparts of the great inner tableland, of which only a comparatively
small portion is in Cape Colony. This sequence of hill and plain--namely
(1) the coast plain, (2) first range of hills, (3)