depredations of wild beasts, which, otherwise, would scratch it out
of the earth during the night. The hole was then filled up, and
afterwards many large stones of the same kind were placed over
the grave.
These precautions are noticed on account of their being an
ancient Hottentot custom, which still continues to be followed. This
race of people, here, as well as in every other part of the country,
use no coffins, but commit their dead to the earth, wrapped up
merely in their clothes or karosses.
We had now witnessed, most probably, the first burial of a white
woman which had ever taken place beyond the Gariep, and a knowledge
of this fact rendered the ceremonies and transactions of the
day doubly impressive and mournful. The Hottentots themselves
were not insensible to that impression, and many of them noticed
the circumstance.
26th. The following day being Sunday, I attended, according
to my custom, the usual service in the church. After it was over
I generally paid a visit to each of the missionaries ; but this was a
mournful Sunday, and the reflection of having just laid one . of our
party in the grave cast a gloom over all, and threw the affairs of the
mission into a very unsettled state. Each beheld his prospects, on
one side or the other, deranged by the occurrence : the widower had,
in consequence, already resolved on a journey back to the Cape, to,
dissipate his melancholy; and he, whose turn it would now have
been to take the recreation of a visit to the colony, shortly after this
reversed his former arrangements, and agreed to remain till some
future opportunity ; while the third, viewed it as a circumstance particularly
affecting his wife, whose residence at Klaarwater, without
one white person as a female companion, in the country, was now,
rendered lonely and friendless. For my own part, I had no stronger
wish than that of leaving Klaarwater as soon as possible; as I was
now become impatient to pursue my journey, having been delayed
at this spot so much longer than had been originally intended
besides which, I could not feel myself altogether at ease in a place
where almost every day brought forth some disappointment, or
some disagreeable occurrence.
I therefore lost no time in making preparations for my departure,
as soon as a sufficient number of men should have been
engaged; which I now began to hope, would, by means of my
own people, soon be accomplished.
I packed up all my collections and drawings, in expectation of
being able to send them to Cape Town by some of the waggons
which were to accompany the missionary. I put in order all my
notes and memoranda, my lists and catalogues, my sketches and
journals: and at last reduced into an intelligible form, the mass of
observations which had up to this date been accumulating. So that,
in case of my death during the journey, they would, for the greater
part, be found sufficiently clear to explain themselves. Thus, if my
labors should prove of any value, I had now the satisfaction of knowing
that they would not be entirely lost; though I might never live
to explain them myself.
2 8 1 / i . My waggons, which during our stay had been partly dismantled,
were again put upon their wheels, and placed in order for
travelling: the chests were fetched from the store-house at the village,
and loaded up and properly secured: the little waggon was
repaired, and the wheels rectified: the yokes, straps, and thongs,
and, in short, our whole equipage, were examined, and got in
readiness. *
2 9 / A . Gert was now quite recovered from his accident,
and declared himself perfectly able to bear the fatigues of the
journey; and, to convince me of this, he walked with Speelman
to Groote-doorn, to see my oxen, and make a report of the state
they were in.
3 0 / A . . He returned on the following day with a very satisfactory
account of my cattle. This decided me in thinking seriously of
* The vignette at the end of this chapter represents the Hottentots employed in
putting the little waggon in order for our departure into the Interior.