consider this as the most serious accident which had hitherto happened,
as it appeared likely to interfere with the accuracy of my
future observations. For although tar, or even water in a bowl
painted black, might have been used as a substitute, yet no surface
would reflect the stars so clearly and accurately as quicksilver. The
ground being a loose sand, the mercury would soon have been irrecoverably
lost, had I not instantly had the idea of making a small
hollow near it, and placing in it a sheep-skin so as to form a basin ;
carefully and expeditiously scooping into it all the sand, to the
extent and depth to which it was supposed likely that the mercury
had penetrated. Then, by taking . in a cup small quantities of this
sand, and giving it a circular motion, at the same time blowing away
the dust and lighter particles, the quicksilver was found clean at the
bottom; and in this manner, persevering at every leisure moment
for three whole days, I had the satisfaction, at last, to recover very
nearly all that had been spilled.
Receiving information that the main body of the Klaarwater Hottentots,
under a j captain’ whose name was Bems (or Berends), was
not more than one day’s journey in advance, one of our Hottentots
was sent forward to give them notice of our approach. The Bushman
captain joined us in the afternoon, accompanied by four others ;
among whom was his father, a little old man possessing quite as
much liveliness and vigor as his son. All were mounted on oxen ;
they appeared happy at having fallen in with us, and seemed to have
a friendly confidence in our good intentions towards them.
This race of people had been pictured to me in the most
wretched colors; and, having been led to expect only a set of beings
without reason or intellect, I was now much pleased at finding that
they might be viewed in a more favorable light, and that the first
individuals of this nation, whom we fell in with, were men of lively
manners and shrewd understandings. They were all of small stature
(about five feet), and dressed partly in the colonial, and partly in
their own costume.
The day being cold and windy, and the clouds which were fast
gathering in every quarter, threatening a rainy night, we removed
for shelter against the storm, to the deserted hut at a cattle-place,
discovered by our herdsmen at a distance, of about a mile and a half
on our right. One of the missionaries, with the Bushmen for their
guides, set out immediately on foot; and, as soon as the oxen could
be brought in from pasture, and put to the waggons, we followed ;
but, missing the proper direction, did not arrive there till dark.
The hut was in, what might be called in this part of the colony, very
decent condition, as the walls and roof were weather-tight, and it
was furnished with a door ; for it appeared not to have been many
weeks since it was inhabited. It contained, however, merely a
single room, which' fortunately was large enough to lodge the whole
party, as the missionaries and myself always slept in the waggons,
and the Bushmen betook themselves to their own fire, a few yards
eff, amongst the bushes.
21 st. Being Sunday, all our people were assembled in the hut,
for divine worship. This consisted in singing psalms for half an hour ;
after which a sermon was read to them, out of a favourite Dutch
author, of a very proper and useful tendency.
The Bushman captain arid his companions left us, and proceeded
on their journey to the Veldcornet’s with the letter.
22nd. The Hottentots, who hitherto were seldom observed to
be in a hurry to depart, were now very active in getting every thing
early, in readiness for starting; and it was quite unusual to find that,
instead of requiring to be repeatedly ordered to work, all this was today
done o f‘their own accord, and without any directions from the
missionaries. The cause, however', was not their sudden reformation,
but an anxiety and haste to join the party of their countrymen,
which was on before.
We returned to Tys-kraal, and immediately commenced the
rather steep ascent of the Gmtdsbloerh's Hoogte. The flowers which
gave rise to its name, were not to be found at the present season.
The Wind-heuvel (Wind-hill) is a mountain much more difficult
to climb, and required all the strength of our oxen, and great care in
the drivers, to bring the waggons over it in safety. The road is very
rocky and irregular, and the declivity but thinly clothed with vege