fidelity no reliance was to be placed; remarking that they once
threatened to shoot him for interfering with their practices. As
soon as one had exhausted his argument, another began with a fresh
on e ; and it seemed as if they thought it a duty to say any thing that
could discourage me. All which served only to convince me that,
if they really felt, and believed, their own reasoning, they were the
most timid of mortals.
All this jumble of advice was quite lost upon me, who, considering
that 1 had overcome the greatest difficulty by mustering a
Sufficient party, was too strongly bent on proceeding, to be thus
frightened out of my determination. They were, however, perfectly
right in one of their predictions; and, in foretelling that I should
get no men at Klaarwater, they, on all such occasions, showed
a prescience which was unfortunately correct.
10th. The next day, I learnt from my own men, that all,
excepting Hans and Hendrik, had withdrawn their agreement to go
with us. Manell, who had volunteered for this second expedition,
now came to say that his wife would not consent to his goin<*
away.
11th. The last reports respecting Africaander, proved to .be
wholly a fabrication ; and appear to have been generally disbelieved,
as two waggons, we now heard, set out on a journey directly afterwards,
taking the same road that we should have done. A son-
in-law of that man, told Gert that his father was still stationed on
the Gariep; "and not any where near the Briquas, as it had been
rumoured.
Being thus once more deserted, it was clearly to be perceived,
that at this village my object would never be attained ; and I therefore
resolved, without previously making my intention known to any
one, to go myself to the village of the Kloof, where I had some expectation
that Captain Berends might be induced to second my request.
But the very rainy weather of the two preceding days prevented
our taking any steps for that purpose.
Having received a message that Klaas Berends would set out
this day for the Roggeveld, I hastily wrote a letter to my friend
Hesse, in order that it might be known at Cape Town how I was
circumstanced. This letter, together with the former two, were the
cause of some endeavours by those friends to afford me relief by
engaging a party of Hottentots for my service; endeavours indicative
of the most genuine friendship, but of which, as they did not
succeed, I was never informed till after my return to Cape Town.
Klaas Berends took his departure in the evening, his party consisting
of twelve men; which number, but not less, is considered
sufficient to secure themselves against any open attack from the
Bushmen, yet is not strong enough as a defence against the Caffres.
They were obliged to undertake the journey with oxen only, as the
river was at this time impassable for waggons, and would continue
in that state until the next dry season.
I was careful to conceal from this party my intended visit to
the Kloof settlement, so that no information or message might,
by their means, arrive there before me, to counteract or obstruct
the business which took me to that place.
In the afternoon, Philip was despatched to Groote-doorn, to
fetch one of my teams of oxen; and with these he arrived at
Klaarwater about eight o’clock in the evening, when they were
made fast to the waggons, in order to be ready at hand early in the
morning.
During the afternoon, there fell the heaviest shower that had
been witnessed this season ; yet so partial was its effect that Leeuwen-
kuil received only a few drops, while at Klaarwater it poured down
in such torrents, that almost instantly every hollow or flat place
became a pond. It was mingled with hailstones half an inch in
diameter.
14th. That there might be nothing to delay us on the road, two
sheep were killed and salted for this journey. Gert and Hannah
were left at home, in charge of the little waggon and our remaining
goods. I set out before noon, taking with me Philip and Speel-
man; with Kees as ox-leader.
Till we had passed the ridge, and got out of sight of the village,
my men had been kept in total ignorance, not only of the object of
this journey, but of the place to which we were goingj they were,