that he had missed the track. We halted and examined the ground
in all directions, carefully scrutinizing the bushes to discover if they
bore any marks of a wheel having passed over them. But all our
trouble was useless ; it grew darker and darker, and, after a half
hour’s search to no purpose, we gave up all hope of finding our
way. As there was no alternative, we prepared for passing the
night on the spot where we happened to halt. We unyoked the
oxen, and made them fast with thongs to the waggon, that they
might not stray away, and either fall into the hands of some unfriendly
Bushmen, or become a prey to the lions, which, as appeared
by their foot-marks, were numerous in this part of the country.
At a great distance in the eastern quarter, we observed, during
the whole night, two large fires, kept burning by some kraal of
Bushmen as a signal, understood only by those to whom it was
made. These people are always on thé look-out ; and, wherever a
strange fire is seen, send out spies to ascertain what the strangers
are. On this account we durst not make any light, lest we should
attract the notice of any hostile party, who, finding us but two men
and a boy to defend ten oxen, and that in a dark night, might be
tempted, by so favourable an opportunity, to make an attack upon us.
We all suffered so much from thirst, that Philip resolved to
make his way to the river, which we knew could not be more than
a mile off, and with this view, took the boy with him to assist in
carrying the calabashes.
Being in the mean time left alone, I retired to the distance of
thirty yards from the waggon, and took my post, with my gun
loaded with buck-shot, behind a bush, where, lying flat on the
ground, I could the more readily perceive an enemy approaching,
as he would thus be rendered visible against the sky ; while on the
contrary, from the low and dark situation in which I lay, it would
not be very easy for any one to observe me. Had any strangers
approached with evil intentions, and their number been small, I
could, from my ambush, have fired upon them with effect ; but if,
on the contrary, they had appeared too numerous, I might then
have retreated, probably without being discovered. This plan gave
me also the advantage of avoiding the volley of arrows by which such
enemies generally give the first notice of their presence, and which
would have been aimed at the waggon, under the supposition that
the people belonging to it, must be somewhere near it.
But it was my better fortune to remain unmolested. Philip at
last returned : but without water; having found it impossible to get
towards the river, on account of the hook-thorns which at every step
caught hold of them, and had sadly torn both their clothes and their
skin. We therefore laid ourselves down to rest, unable to satisfy
either thirst or hunger.
Towards the middle of the night, we heard the sound of waggons
at a distance, as they passed over rocky places. Philip
sprang up and made a signal of distress, by giving several loud claps
with the whip ; which were heard, and answered in a similar manner.
They soon approached us, and proved to be what we had expected,
the two waggons which we had left behind with Lucas. They had
also lost their way, and were glad at falling in with us ; for, having
very little ammunition left, they were beginning to be uneasy at the
prospect of remaining out in the plain all night without protection.
Our party being now sufficiently strengthened by this reinforcement,
we made a fire : while the Hottentots made another attempt
to reach the river; and in this they fortunately succeeded, by taking
a different direction, so as to avoid the thorns.
6th. As soon as daylight began to dawn, we resumed the
journey, having previously held a short consultation to determine
the course most likely to bring us to head-quarters. In less than
two hours travelling, we arrived at our station on the Kygariep,
where we found all well.
On the preceding day, Mr. Jansz, in consequence of the invitation
we had received from our Bushmen friends, crossed the river
on a raft conducted by six Hottentot swimmers ; and, accompanied
by a party of the Klaarwater men, rode on horseback, about a dozen
miles to their kraal, where he was received in a very friendly
manner. This little village he found pleasantly situated on the banks
of the Maap, and containing nearly as many dwellings as Klaarwater,
3 x 2