of age, and of not an unpleasing countenance. Nothing, I must
confess, was discoverable in the behaviour of either him, his father,
brother or companions, which could be thought to corroborate the
tale • we had heard; and I felt a strong suspicion that our Klaar-
water interpreter had acted a treacherous part towards them in the
version he gave us of their story.
But if it was, in fact, such as we were told, I would, were it
not repugnant to reason and our belief in the existence of such
knowledge in every individual of the human race, say; Here are men
who know not right from wrong. Without fearing to be classed
with the approvers of those self-deluded enthusiasts, who believe
their own unfitness for the task to be compensated by a special and
supernatural assistance from the Deity ; who go forth under the presumptuous
idea of being selected by Divine will to be the instrument
of converting the heathen nations to Christianity, and who too frequently
exaggerate the little they accomplish; without being an
approver of their system and principles, I cannot but emphatically
say ; How worthy of the talents of a great and good man, would be
the task of teaching savages such as these, to acknowledge a Deity,
and guide themselves by the unchanging, eternal laws of right and
wrong!
This being Sunday, Mr. Jansz caused all the Hottentots to
assemble under the trees, and the customary divine service, consisting
of singing psalms, and expounding a part of the Scriptures, was
performed. That part of Ezekiel *, containing the prophecy of the
valley of dry bones, was selected for explanation; and was interpreted
to signify the future conversion of all heathens to Christianity.
The Bushmen, whose deplorable ignorance we had just witnessed,
and who were, perhaps, the occasion of that passage being selected,
were present at the service, which, however, being in the Dutch
language, was, of course, not understood by them; and if it had
been, I should doubt that they would be the better for it.
18th. After a due examination of the place, Groote Fontein was
pronounced to be an eligible spot for a new station, or out-post, for
the Klaarwater people; and it was decided that Adam Kok, on his
return home, should make the necessary arrangements, and appoint
a fit person as overseer of the new settlement, which, I proposed to
Mr. Anderson, that the missionaries should call by the name of
Jansz1 s Fountain, after the artless, honest missionary who first set it
on foot. Its latitude, as determined by the meridian-altitude of a
star, is 28° 49' S.* On the top of the mountain an excellent
spot was found, which might easily be converted into corn-land. It
abounded in water; and not fewer, than ten different springs were
discovered within a very short distance of each other, the waters of
which uniting, formed a rill that trickled down the Kloof and joined
the springs below.
The Bushmen, to whom in some degree the place belonged,
as they were the inhabitants of the spot, or at least reside almost
constantly in the vicinity, professed themselves glad at having the
Klaarwater people for neighbours; and were perfectly ready to
admit them and their cattle to the free use of the water and surrounding
pasture; promising, at the same time, to conduct themselves
as good friends towards the new comers^ They felt, indeed, in the
abundance of provisions which they had received from us during
our stay, a persuasive argument, and powerful inducement, for being
sincere in this promise.
They all exhibited, but the old man more remarkably, a proof
of the good effects of our hospitality ; and gave me the opportunity
of witnessing how wonderfully and rapidly their appearance is improved.
by a plentiful supply of food. I should, without such proof,
have thought it incredible, that so great an alteration could possibly
take place in four days. On their first visit to us, the skin of their
bodies hung in large wrinkles ; and the meagre emaciated state in
which we found them, excited our greatest commiseration. But
* November 15. 1811, at Groote Fontein, the observed altitude of y Prgasi, when
on the meridian, was 4-7° 3' 17' .