23rd. A melancholy event, and one which caused considerable
distress, and was deplored with an universal feeling of sorrow and
regret throughout the settlement, took place this day at the village,
in the death of Mrs. Kramer, the wife of one of the missionaries: an
inflammatory attack, which took place about eleven days before, was
at last succeeded by those cruel symptoms which thus, in the fair
morning of youth, terminated the life of a worthy and amiable woman.
About a week previous to this, serious apprehensions began to be
entertained, and I was first informed of her danger by a messenger
sent to my waggons to request some laudanum. The distress which
this unexpected information occasioned,prevented my attending to my
own affairs; nor could I forbear my unavailing anxiety and assistance
to avert the catastrophe, till death put a stop to further hope. In the
alarm and distress which the missionaries and Mrs. Anderson, her
only female companion, felt at the too evident prospect of a fatal
result, they flew to me for advice, as well as medicine ; and, would
that I possessed the knowledge and the power to save my poor fellow-
traveller ! I interpreted to them the opinions of the medical books
which I had by me, and added all that my own judgment could
suggest. This they hastened to adopt; and, at my representation,
cleared the room of a crowd of sorrowful, but useless Hottentots,
who, distressed and anxious for her whom they appeared much to
esteem, created a suffocating heat, which considerably increased the
danger. To mitigate this, I recommended a small opening, or window,
to be cut through the reeds and plastering to admit fresh
air : this also was immediately done ; but, alas ! all was in vain ; and
her pain and delirium left her only to make way for the last symptoms
of dissolution.
With a mind already rendered susceptible by the disappointments
which I had met with at this place, I felt deeply affected at
this mournful occurrence. From her, equally with Mrs. Anderson,
I had experienced many marks of good-will, in their kind attentions
to supply those deficiencies in the comforts of food, and
those privations of many little luxuries, which they imagined a
person unaccustomed to them, must find, at first, particularly
inconvenient.
I remained entirely at the village, giving whatever assistance
was in my power, especially in administering the needful consolation.
24fA. Klaas Berends, one of the Hottentots, a relation of
captain Berends was engaged to set out as soon as he could
get ready for the journey, to carry letters into the colony, for
the purpose of giving information of Mrs. Kramer’s death to her
relations.
25th. The second after the death, was the day appointed for
the funeral. A great number of people assembled on the occasion,
many of whom came from the out-posts at a considerable distance,
in order to pay their last duties of respect by following the body to
the grave. AH the preparations and arrangements were managed
with greater propriety than could have been expected here. A sufficient
quantity of black linen was found for a pall, with which the
coffin was covered, and black crape hat-bands were worn by the
missionaries. The corpse born by six Hottentots, was preceded by
the same number of people, and followed in procession by the four
Europeans and her son; after whom walked the two captains, Kok
and Berends. A long train of their people, about fifty in number then
succeeded two by two, all cleanly and decently dressed, the greater
part in European clothes. Every one conducted himself with a
degree of decorum which was truly gratifying, from a tribe of
people who in many other respects had made but little progress in
civilization.
On arriving at the burying-ground, which is situated between
the rocks near Leeuwenkuil, an extempore discourse or address
was pronounced by the missionary; after which, the body
was deposited in a grave seven feet deep, and covered in with
mould to the thickness of a foot; then, experience having
taught them the necessity, the Hottentots covered it over
with large, broad, flat pieces of rock, to secure it against the
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