in the midst of all this, to turn my thoughts back to my own country,
I seemed for a few moments to believe that I was only in a dream;
and that the scene before me was one of those inconsistent medleys
of ideas, which are often produced by a wandering imagination.
The first part of this day’s-march was through a country covered
with low mountains and rocky hills. Under the guidance of the
Bushmen, we next proceeded over a large and rugged plain; and
afterwards ascended to a higher level, on which, after travelling two
or three miles farther, we found a pond of water; and, as it was
already dark, halted there for the night. Kaabi’s new kraal was hot
more than an hour and a half beyond this place, yet it would have been
unsafe, in the midst of lions then beginning their nightly prowl, to
have travelled at that hour with so many cattle; as the dread of
these destructive beasts, would certainly have thrown them into confusion,
and scattered or destroyed our baggage. We had marched,
according to estimation, twenty-five miles and a half, and the greater
part of which being over ground profusely covered with large loose
stones, most of my Graaffreynet people were much fatigued.
As soon as we arrived, the Bushmen made, upon the heights,
three fires at the distance of about sixty yards apart, and forming an
equilateral triangle. These were intended as some private signal,
either to let their friends in the surrounding country, know that we
were approaching, or to signify that our fires were those of friends,
and consequently, to prevent any hostile attack upon us in the dark.
I have therefore marked this spot by the name of Three-fires Station.
14th. This morning so many visitors continued arriving, that
we were at length surrounded hy a large crowd, whom we found to
be nearly the whole of Kaabi’s people. Among them I was glad to
see Riizo; and he appeared equally gratified at meeting us again.
These natives came merely for the pleasure of seeing us, and of telling
us that they were glad at our having returned into their country.
They assisted us in packing our oxen, and we then moved on
together in a numerous body.
The distance being but little more than four miles, we reached
the kraal in less than an hour and a half; where I was greeted by
Kaabi and many others whom I personally knew, with happy friendly
countenances.
As I had promised to bring them more tobacco at my return, I
was immediately surrounded by the crowd, who looking upon me now
as an old friend, laid aside all timidity and restraint; and gave loose
to the most ridiculous manifestation of their pleasure, when they saw
me about to distribute this precious gift. They pushed in amongst
one another with heedless eagerness to get near to me, and pressed
each other so closely that neither I nor the chief had room to move,
and my clothes began to assume the same red color as theirs. The
lively clamor which the crowd sent forth, prevented all attempts at
speaking, and rendered it impossible for any one to gain a hearing:
each one, but more particularly the women, endeavoured to out-do
the rest, in the noisy expression of their joy, and I could have fancied
myself in the midst of a crowd of happy children to whom I was
about to make presents of toys and sugarplums. Kaabi raised his
voice and spoke to them; but he was not heard: all that he could
do, was to smile, and wait patiently till this sudden ebullition of joy
had subsided. My new men seemed astonished at such a familiar,
and to them unusual, reception from Bushmen. At length, finding
the noise and confusion too great to suffer me to make a regular distribution
myself, I announced that their chieftain had undertaken to
give to each one his due share; and accordingly I delivered to him
the whole quantity of tobacco which I had previously laid apart for
our friends at this kraal.
These people were now possessed of large herds of cattle; and
when asked how they had so suddenly become rich, the only explanation
they gave was, that they had received them from another kraal
That they were stolen, I had no doubt; and Keyser even assured me
that he knew the greater part of the oxen to be some which belonged
to a boor named Cobus Pretorius, living on Sneeuwberg. I counted
orty; but my men afterwards observed ten more ; and besides these,
a flock of about two hundred sheep.
1 he policy of this kraal, had induced them to station themselves
at a distance of five miles from any water, in an open situation which