soiled, with a red stain, which was found not easy to be extracted.
From his neck hung a number of bead necklaces of various colors,
to which were appended a Bichuana knife, and the shell of a small
tortoise to hold snulf or tobacco. His wrist and fore-arm were
ornamented with bracelets of beads, eords of acacia-bark, and
a broad ivory ring. Although perfectly friendly in all their intentions,
these men were each armed with a hassagay and kirri,
and some with a bow. The countenance and manners of this chief
were expressive of a good-natured quiet disposition: his behaviour
was even respectful, and less troublesome in the way of begging,
than that of the generality of his countrymen.
The heat of the summer season now began to be oppressive;
and the thermometer, even in the shade, stood generally as high as
90° of Fahrenheit’s, 25°'7 of Keaumur’s, or 32°-2 of the Centigrade
scale. The herbage of all the country around was parched u p :
owing to the long absence of the expected rams, the greatest
drought prevailed every where, and seemed to have locked up
the earth, and put a stop to all vegetation.
12th. A t this time some little appearance of business might be
observed going on at Klaarwater: a few of the Hottentots were
occupied in getting in the harvest. The wheat, when cut, was
trodden out of the ear by horses, on a hard earthen floor in' the open
air, precisely in the same mode as practised in the Cape colony.
The hand-mills were now in constant work; and one seldom passed
by a hut without seeing women or girls pounding com. If I
looked into the pot which stood on the fire, it was always found
filled with wheat; or if I met a Hottentot, either man or boy, his
mouth, like the mill, was incessantly at work, grinding com; while
his hands were not idle, as they performed the duty of the hopper,
in keeping it constantly supplied..
14th. I took a solitary ramble to explore the valley of
Leewwenkuil (Lion’s-den), along which the Klaarwater rivulet takes its
course towards the Gariep. It obtained its name from the circumstance
of a lion having been dispossessed of his den when this spot
was first taken possession of. Its average width was between three
3 R 2