every where covered with large stones. The oxen were more steady
than the horses, but their bulk exposed them more to the force of the
current: my horse had in this respect the advantage, but being less
strong in the legs, he stumbled more frequently; and at one time,
when the roughness of the bottom occasioned a false step, he
providentially fell upwards against the stream. Had he fallen in the
opposite direction, we must both have been swept away with the
flood. My men were in not less alarm: all preserved a fearful
silence as long as they were in the water, which was between ten and
fifteen minutes; but the moment we reached the shore, they congratulated
each other on having landed without accident. Old Hans,
who was near me and had observed my horse stumbling and scarcely
able to stand against the force of the current, exclaimed very fervently
when we gained the bank ; p Thank God ! Mynheer is safe.’
The sheep were with much difficulty compelled to enter the
stream, and it was only by pelting them with stones, that they were
afterwards forced to swim over; they were, however, carried far down
with the current before they could gain the land.
i had been careful to preserve the watch which I carried on my
person, by placing it where the water could not reach it ; but unfortunately
the one which had been packed in the tin box, was now
rendered utterly useless for the rest of the journey. This box had
carelessly been placed so low upon the ox, that on coming to land
it was found full of water; in consequence of which, I had to sit up
a great part of the night to dry my journals and papers before the
fire; and anxious to save these from damage, the watch was neglected
till too late, when the springs had already contracted rust.
It being now too dark to drive the oxen back for those who had
been left behind, we were not till the next morning quite free from
uneasiness on their account; as it was not impossible that the river
might swell during the night, and overflow the island. Juli, with his
wife and child, and Keyser, remained there till morning without any
bedding or protection from the cold; but fortunately they found a
sufficient quantity of wood to keep up a fire till daylight.
22nd. The first intelligence gained on my arrival in the Trans-
gariepine, was, that of thé death of Mulïhâhan*, the chief of the
Bachapins, or Briquas, the nation which I intended to visit first ; and
that, as usual on such an occasion, his successor, Mattivi, had sent to
the Klaarwater chief, Adam Kok, a present of two oxen, as expressive
of his desire that the two nations, or tribes, should continue on
peaceable and friendly terms. This information was given by two
Briquas who were in the service of some of the Klaarwater people,
as herdsmen, and who, knowing that I was about to make a journey
to their country, came for the purpose of apprising me of the circumstance.
This certainly was an affair in which we were much
concerned ; but as the character of their new chief had riot yet
declared itself, we were left in uncertainty whether the change would
be for our advantage or disadvantage.
At noon all the party being at length collected together, we left
the river, and proceeded towards the village of ‘ The Kloof.’ On
arriving at Jan Bloem’s kraal, mutual inquiries compelled us to halt
and satisfy their curiosity. He and his friends were eager to learn
some particulars respecting the country we had traversed, and we,
as eager to hear something of Klaarwater affairs.
The beautiful wire-grass, so much admired on my former journey,
was now all dried up, or consumed by the cattle ; and the acacias
were nearly in a leafless state.
At sunset we entered the Asbestos Mountains, and arrived at
The Kloof. Here Willem Fortuyn, the Hottentot who has been
mentioned in the former volume as a man possessed of more industry
than his neighbours, came immediately to invite me to take
up my quarters in his house, which he had cleaned on purpose for
my reception, having been apprised of my coming by Van Roye and
Cornelis, who, being on horseback and having started early, had
preceded us several hours. This was a degree of attention and
hospitality, which I had not before experienced from the Klaarwater
* The Bachapins sometimes pronounce this name Mulikaban or MoUih&ban, and at
other times Mulihabing or Mvlihuv&ng.- the first is the most usual.