The strings, twisted of their due thickness, were made from sheep’s
entrails, and the horse’s tail supplied the hair for the bow.
When I had examined the various parts of it, and pronounced
it a clever piece of workmanship, the maker, who was not without
a moderate share of vanity on sOme occasions, seemed quite happy,
and not a little proud of my approbation. But my own pleasure and
surprise were heightened still more, when, on desiring to hear a
specimen of his playing, he clapped his Cremona to his shoulder,
handled his bow with all the grace of a Hottentot, and fiddled away
a dance, in so lively a manner, that my men and myself were all in
the highest degree delighted. Philip, in spite of all his gravity, such
is the power of fiddles, now looked smiling ; and declared that Speel-
man should teach him how to move his fingers and play that mom
ttedje (pretty song).
But to poor Gert, this could only serve to remind him, in a
most sensible manner, of the distressing loss of that hand with
which he had, as he then told us, often used that bow and enlivened
his companions : yet with the calmness of a philosopher he expressed
his hope that he might still be able to play again, when his
thumb and finger were quite healed, and sufficiently strengthened.
This was a hope in which, I am happy to say, the poor fellow was not
disappointed; and he afterwards proved to us, that he could play
so much better than Speelman, that he was soon acknowledged to
be the best musician of our party.
As Speelman, when he came for his rations, always begged hard
for a larger portion for his lieve vrouw (dear wife), as he called her,
I had entertained a high opinion of their conjugal affection; but
Philip privately came to tell me that this dear wife often gets a
sound beating, and that her husband appeared to be seeking an
excuse for a separation a mensa et thoro. Some time afterwards,
when Hannah came to Klaarwater to wash the linen, I discovered
that she received but a very small part of her rations of tobacco,
and hardly ever got a taste of the brandy. But Speelman, as if to
divert me from reproaching him with this unfair conduct, seldom
came home without bringing some curious bird or insect; and I
cqnfess that I found it difficult to praise and to reprimand, with the
same breath.
Once, when I desired him to bring me a specimen from the
large thorn trees at Groote-doom, and the blossom of the common
acacia, he came loaded with two branches as large as he could carry.
On this occasion, my reluctance to throw so fine a plant awav, induced
me to put into the press a greater number of specimens than
my own herbarium required. Among the number of interesting birds
procured here, was that singular one the Spoonbill. This is said by
the natives to be a bird of very rare occurrence; and indeed it was
never, during the whole of my travels, met with but this once.
29th. During the time we were stationed at Klaarwater, I obtained
in the neighbourhood a variety of birds not seen before ; and
some which proved perfectly new to the science We often
* The following birds were met with at
Klaarwater, and in the vicinity :—
Charadrius armatus, B. Fcem. — Nigra
sunt, rostrum, occiput, genæ, gula,
pectus, dorsum, remiges, pedes, ungues,
et apices rectricum. Alba (vel
nivea) sunt, pileus, nucha, abdomen,,
crissum, alarum tegmina inferiora,
uropygium, et rectricum bases. Cinerea
sunt alarum tegmina superiora
omnia. Margines remigum, duobus
extimis exceptis, ferrugineo tinctæ.
Irides pulchrè sanguineæ. Cauda
æqualis vel subforficata remigibus bre-
vior. Alulae spina acuta recurvata
nigra brevis. Caput ne ininimè qui-
dem cristatus. Longitudo undecem
pollices. Avis gregarius, habitans in
uliginosis.
Saxicola--------- Le Traquet Fourmilier.
Le V. pl. 186.
Saxicola — ----- L e Traquet Montagnard.
Le V. pl. 184.
Saxicola . Le Traquet Pâtre. Le
V. pl. 180. f. 1.
Sylvia . Le GriVetin ? Le Vaill.
Ois. d’Afr. pi. 118.
Turdus . Le Nabouroup. Le V.
pi. 91.
Oriolus arundinarius, B.
, Merops Apiaster. ( Berg Zmtluw)
Corvus albicollis (Witte-hals Kraai)
Corvus scapularis
Platalea nivea
Milvus parasiticus ( Kuikendief)
Falco Tinnunculus ( Kleine Boode Valk)
Lanius Collurio
Lanins atrococcineus, B.
Lanius Jorficatus, Linn. Edolius, Cuv.
Hirundo Capensis
Mot a cilia Capensis ( Kwikstaart.)
Cucidus auratus
Caprimulgus pectoralis
Columba Capensis
Columba risoria (Tortel Duif)
Columba Guineensis ( Bosch Duif)
Upupa Epqps
VuUilr Percnopterus ( Witte Kraai)
VvEur auricularis ? (Zvoart Aasvogel)■
Alauda ( Anthus) Capensis ( Wilde Kal-
koentje)