From this time till we reached home, the party, excepting one,
consisted only of my own people; and I departed from the Kloof with
very agreeable feelings, as I viewed upon the road, the number of
men engaged in my service, and with whom I might now look
forward without disappointment, to the execution of my plans.
We arrived at Gattikamma just before it became dark ; where,
from the coldness of the! air, we found a fire more necessary than
food. :
24th. This morning we were visited by several Hottentots from
Gert Kok’s kraal, which lay at the distance of a few miles northward,
and who had last night received intelligence of our arrival,
by means of Kok, who happened to pass by just as we were:unpacking.
Our journey had excited a considerable share of curiosity among the
Hottentots generally; as they felt more especially interested, in a
road being now opened to a part of the colony with which they had not
before had any communication. The quantity of game which might
be met with along that road, formed for them, a subject of inquiry,
not less important.
We left Gattikamma before nine in the morning, and marched
at a brisk step, that we might arrive early at Klaarwater. The people
seemed to have no idea of the necessity which such a journey
imposed on us for keeping together in a body; and had, notwithstanding
my orders to the contrary, allowed themselves to straggle
and disperse in a manner which would subject us to the greatest
danger, in countries where the natives might prove less amicably
disposed, than the Bushmen among whom we had just been travelling.
But as it is difficult to make Hottentots sensible of the
advantages to be derived from good order, I found this likely to be a
source of some trouble ; for, though I had at starting, issued positive
instructions that we should keep together, two of my jail Hottentots,
Andries and Stuurman, continued in the afternoon, to lag behind,
till, watching the opportunity of my being some little way ahead of
the rest, they slipped away unperceived. As 1 missed them soon
afterwards, I halted and sent Juli back to make search, and bring them
on. After some delay, they came up with us, having been found
very composedly sitting smoking their pipes under a bush; where
they had proposed to each other to remain till the evening. This, I
am willing to believe, was not done in absolute defiance of my orders,
but partly from a careless neglect of them, and partly from a wish of
having their own way and from a desire of trying how far they might
carry disobedience with impunity. Almost all my new men began
their service by making experiments to ascertain the strength of my
patience and forbearance; and therefore made continual attempts at
slighting my regulations. This, however, was a point which I
was firmly resolved, at all hazards, to maintain against them; as
the safety of the whole depended upon subordination to their head.
Fortunately for them, they had to deal with one who was. determined
on pursuing such measures as he conscientiously felt to
be just and right. I watched therefore with a jealous eye, every
attempt at disobedience, and considered nothing of so much importance
as the preservation of my authority over them: although, I
confess, there were subsequent occasions, on which this authority was
preserved merely in outward appearance.