twice in the same word. I could not but fancy that talking was with
them a troublesome exertion ; for such an enunciation would sound
to any European more like an impediment in their speech, than a
natural part of the language.
Our visitors were all men, and but lightly armed ; their women,
being less practised in swimming, were left on the other side of the
water. Their object was as much to express their friendly inclination
towards us, as to solicit tobacco and some few presents. Their
chief, or patriarch, was of the number, and through him we engaged
them to collect mat-rushes,' which they say grow in great plenty
along the Maap. We treated them with kindness, and thus dispelled
all mistrust. Well supplied with food, they seated themselves
at ease amongst our people ; began to broil the meat we had given,
and soon made themselves quite at home.
By the temptation of a good piece of tobacco, I induced one
of them to sit quietly for a quarter of an hour, while I drew his
portrait. The whole affair was quite unintelligible to him and his
countrymen, none certainly ever having seen a portrait taken before.
Observing them look very serious all the while I was drawing, I
began to fear that some superstitious notion might lead them to
imagine I was practising sorcery, to injure the kraal, or to cause the
death of the man; for tales of this kind had often been related to
me. After it was finished, and the tobacco paid, I explained that
in my own country it was esteemed a mark of great friendship and
good will, to desire to possess the likeness of another person ; and
that this was the reason of my wishing to have his : that my having
given him so much tobacco, was a proof of it, and that I should
give him a little more, together with the drawing, which he was to
keep in his hut, to remind. him of his friend, the white man. On
saying which I left them, and retired to my waggon, as if to fetch
the tobacco, when I tore the drawing out of my book, and quickly
made a copy on the next leaf, and bringing it before the party, tore
it out, and gave it to him. With all this they seemed perfectly
satisfied, and went away persuaded that the matter was exactly as it
had been explained to them. In this little affair, it was certainly I
who ran the greater risk of incurring harm ; for had the man died
shortly afterwards, or met with any accident- or sickness, my drawing
would have been pronounced to be the cause, and myself
devoted to the revenge of his relations, and a poisoned arrow.have
been my fate.
Just after they were gone, intelligence reached us of a Hippopotamus
having been shot at a little distance up the river, by our Klaar-
water captain.' Without waiting an instant, away scampered every
hungry Hottentot; and presently we were left quite alone, excepting
a few who prudently stayed behind-to guard the waggons. Mr.
Jansz set out on horseback, while I followed oh foot with Gert,
preferring the walk along the side of the river, to a circuitous ride
over the dry plain, where few birds or plants were likely to be
met with.
Having quickly armed ourselves, and left Philip in charge of
my waggons, we briskly pushed our way between the thiekets, winding
through the willow grove, and crossing many a deep ravine.
Every where the enormous foot of this animal had imprinted the
earth with holes. Gert, who had never seen a Zee-koe (Sea-cow),
as the>: colonists call the Hippopotamus, enjoyed the trip as
much as myself, both equally anxious to gratify ouL curiosity. He
had been less a traveller than the- rest of my men; and, therefore;
like myself, had the greater novelty to expect. : As we hurried on,
our conversation was on nothing but the sea-cow; and his animation,
excited by the subject to a higher pitch than usual, exceedingly
pleased and amused me. Thus beguiling the time, my attention
was diverted from the flowers that decked our path, or the birds
that enlivened the branches above our heads.
Suddenly he stopped : and, crying out with some emotion,
‘ Look here! Sir,’ I turned my eyes downwards, and saw the recent
foot-marks of a.lion which had been to drink at the river, apparently
not more than an hour before. This gave a check to our dialogue
on the Hippopotamus, and in a lower and graver tone of voice, he
talked now only of lions, and the danger of being alone in a place
so covered with wood. That; which a minute before, had been
8 s