return home, without accomplishing a principal object of their
journey. Many superstitious beliefs of this sort among the Briquas
are connected with the growth of their corn, one of which I unwittingly
offended against, during my residence at Litakun, and should
have incurred heavy displeasure, but for some management in appeasing
their apprehensions, a circumstance which will be related
hereafter.
24iA. The water at Eland’s Valley being nearly dried up,
Speelman was obliged to remove with my oxen to the Kraal at
Groote-Doom (Great Thorn), so called, from a few trees of Acacia
giraffes which grow there.
The whole waggon-load of meat which we brought to Klaarwater
as a stock for our future journey, was totally eaten up in four days,
although I had nobody but Philip to feed. It was not consumed by
the crows, nor by the vultures, but by the Klaarwater Hottentots,
who are by no means inferior to them in the power of smelling out
meat, wherever it may be concealed. From an early hour in the
morning, till late at night, my waggons were constantly visited by
men, women, and children, whose only object was to eat. But, from
the moment the last of the stock was gone, from that moment not
one visitor more came near me. Yet . still it was impossible to account
for this rapid disappearing of the meat, without supposing that
they came secretly and stole it by night, as there was nothing to prevent
them but their own sense of honesty ; nobody sleeping at the
waggons but myself, and Philip remaining every night at the village
to be in attendance on Gert- Nothing could be more vexatious
than this loss, or, more correctly speaking, robbery, as provisions
were not easily to be purchased, and a large supply not by any solicitations
to be obtained from the inhabitants.of this place.
. 25th. Berends’s party, besides elephants, had shot a variety of
other animals, some of the meat of which they brought home salted ;
and in dining to day with the missionaries, I partook of Eland,
Buffalo*, Hippopotamus, and Camelopard, of all,of which the meat was
* Bos Coffer.
excellent, but, being salted, and all boiled in one pot, the peculiar
taste of each was not very distinctly to be perceived.
At Mr. Kramer’s, I saw a Briqim (or Bachapin) bop, of about ten
years of age, whom Berends, by desire of the missionary, had brought
With him from that country, by the consent of the parents, who readily
gave him up to be kept, and brought up, at Klaarwater, as one of
its inhabitants, under the missionaries’ particular care. He was quite
naked, like all children of his age, and seemed happy and contented
with his new situation, especially at being told that Mr. and Mrs.
Kramer were in future to be his father and mother: he belonged to
poor parents, who were, probably, glad at having him so well provided
for, intending to fetch him home after the lapse of a few years.
The poor little fellow was captivated with the good living he now
enjoyed, and this contrast with many a hungry day in his own
country, operated most effectually to make him pleased with the
change, and soon rendered him unmindful of the loss of his former
playmates, which, indeed, he soon here replaced by several little
Hottentots, as naked and free from care as himself.
This mode of cultivating the minds of the natives, could it be
followed to a sufficient extent, would, in time, effect much in their
civilization; the notions and ideas, and even customs of early youth,
are not so easily thrown aside and forgotten, as those which are
acquired in maturer years. It may seem unnecessary to repeat an
axiom so well known, and so universally admitted ; but this, like too
many others, is acknowledged in theory and forgotten in practice;
while, too often, the cunning adult, though attending patiently to the
preaching of missionaries, and confessing his belief in all they teach,
as long as it suits his worldly convenience and advantage, secretly,
in his own mind, feels as ready to abandon his professions, and
return to his ignorance, as he did to adopt a creed, and listen to
instruction. If I am reprovable for thus judging the hearts of men,
I plead in exculpation, those appearances and facts which have so
often presented themselves to my observation.
‘27th. Happening, almost accidentally, to be looking one evening
at the rAanet Jupiter through a small pocket telescope, I was exceedingly
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