As the 24th was the day fixed for commencing the journey to
Graaffreynet, each one was busily employed in making, on his own
account, such preparations as he thought necessary. I packed all my
goods into the chests, and took particular care to secure them from
the possibility of getting wet. Hans Lucas came to have a final
consultation, and promised to be ready on the day appointed ; as I
was resolved to take my departure with whatever number of men
I might be able to procure by that time.
In the course of this and the following day, Speelman
shot four Springbucks; which were dried as a part of the stock
to be left with Gert and Hannah; who were to remain at
Klaarwater.
20th. I completed my ornithological, and botanical catalogues,
up to the present day. The numbers of the former were 169,
and contained 81 species of birds, all shot since leaving the
Groote-Doorn river in the Bokkeveld Karro. The latter was numbered
up to 2102, and contained almost as many species of plants.
Of these numbers, 964 belonged to Cape Town and its vicinity;
while the remaining 1138 were collected on the journey; since the
commencement of which, I had dried 5051 specimens. My insects
were not proportionally numerous; and this is to be accounted for,
partly by the season of the year, and partly by the want of time for
looking after them; these objects not being easily discovered
without especial search and much patience. I however never omitted
to preserve all that fell in my way; and, even at this rate, the collection
was far from being a small one. My minerals were as yet but
few, their weight in my waggon having hitherto deterred me from
collecting as much as I otherwise would have done; and from the
same reason I had not yet ventured to preserve the skins of the
larger quadrupeds. In the original plan of my travels, I did not
propose returning again into the Cape Colony; and it was on this
account that 1 thought it absolutely necessary to abstain from
loading my waggons with collections of objects of great bulk or
It was in vain that we still endeavoured to persuade some of
the Klaarwater people to go with us ; there evidently remained no
hope of adding more strength to our expedition, and we began to
argue ourselves into a belief, that our little party would be quite
strong, enough.
22nd. The missionaries remained mere lookers-on to my preparations,
but not silent ones. They ceased not till the last moment
to discourage me from the attempt, and Mr. Anderson seriously
asked me to give him a written paper, in which it should be stated
that they had used their utmost endeavours to dissuade me from so
perilous an undertaking ; so that in case of a fatal termination, they
might stand cleared from the imputation of having contributed to
it by any encouragement or advice of theirs.
While engaged in this conversation, a message arrived from
Captain Berends, to inform me that he could not find any men for
me, nor oven a driver and leader to bring back my waggon from
the river, as I had intended to take the convenience of it thus far
on our road.
Mr. Jansz, who had a horse which had been given him by the
late unfortunate expedition into the Interior, offered me the use ot
it when he saw I was determined on going; and for this friendly
act, I feel under considerable obligation, as it certainly saved me
all the inconvenience, and the greater fatigue, of riding so long a
journey on the back of an ox.
I hired a saddle of Captain Kok, and also a pack ox, and made
him some further presents. I gave his uncle, Cupido Kok, a pound
of gunpowder, for which in return he engaged to supply Gert with
a due portion of the game he might shoot; and I made an arrangement
with the Captain, by which he undertook, when necessity required,
to furnish Gert and Speelman’s wife with food during my
absence. I finally satisfied all those who had any claims upon me,
and, among them, a woman who demanded two handkerchiefs as
payment for sitting up with Gert three nights during his illness.
This was calculated to be, under all circumstances, equivalent to paying
twenty shillings in England for the same piece of service. I settled