arrangement which was preserved during the greater part of our
travels in the Transgariepine.
Meeting thus with a deep hole, I called to the other driver
who was at some distance behind, and directed him how to avoid it.
We continued for some time to lead the way, till a signal from Juli’s
whip, announced that some occurrence there required our presence.
On going back we found that the leader had carelessly brought the
waggon into the very place which had been pointed out. It fortunately
was not quite, though very nearly, overturned; but it was not
possible for the oxen to drag it out. Spades and pickaxes were immediately
fetched from the other waggon, and after an hour’s work,
the obstructing earth was sufficiently cleared away, and the hole filled
with bushes, to admit of the vehicle being drawn safely out.
Without any further accident, we arrived at Moses' Fountain,
between eight and nine. Near this spring resided the Hottentot
named old Moses, whose cattle were at that time under the care of
some Bachapins whom he had engaged in his service. These men
had constructed for themselves two neat huts of bushes covered with
grass. They were curious to learn from my men, what were my
plans, and what was the object of my visiting their country; but
I considered it more prudent to caution my people against giving
them too much information.
Ith. On rising this morning, I discovered that all the Hottentots,
excepting Stuurman, were absent. His story was, that they were all,
excepting Andries who was attending the oxen, gone in search of the
sheep which had strayed away in the night. Speelman, however, who
had been yesterday sent to Cupido Kok’s place at Taaibosch Fountain *,
arrived soon afterwards, with my oxen, having met them four miles
off, wandering by themselves, without any herdsman within sight.
In driving them home, he met two of the people on the search,
who confessed that the oxen were early in the morning loosened
* Taaibosch (Tough-bush) is a Dutch name given to several species of Rhus. This
name was also given to a Kara captain or chieftain, hereafter mentioned on the 29th of
July.
from the waggons, to which they had been made fast during the
night, and turned to graze without any one to watch them. Stuurman,
thinking I should be less angry at their neglecting the sheep
than the oxen, had fabricated his story with that view: yet so far
he was correct, that the sheep had also gone astray. But the greatest
cause of vexation was, the discovering at our first setting out, that
I had those with me, on whose word no dependence could be placed,
and who were capable of deceiving their master, on the most trifling
necessity.
My object in sending Speelman to Taaibosch, was to fetch the
bullet-mould belonging to the gun which had been lent me by Cupido
in the place of my great rifle; and to demand from his wife the
sheep which was due for the gunpowder. But neither of these
objects were obtained, as the woman was not at home, and old
Daniel, who was left in charge of the place, refused to give
them up.
When the oxen came home, it was too late to commence a
day s journey, as the rest of the people did not return till the evening,
and after a fatiguing and, on their part, fruitless search.
The weather of this day, might seem extraordinary in the
twenty-ninth degree of latitude: the mercury in the thermometer,
did not rise above 36; and, during the whole day, there was a
light f atl of snow attended with a chilling wind. This was the
only time I have seen snow northward of the Gariep. It entirely
whitened the ground, and remained unmelted till the next morning.
This appearance was so unusual to an eye accustomed to Africa,
that I viewed it as an interesting sight; but probably some unperceived
association of ideas induced me to think so, as the weather
was, to bodily feeling, so extremely cold, that it was found painful
and scarcely to be endured without the assistance of a watch-coat,
and the fur coverlet, the value of which latter as a warm covering,
had been well proved during my return from Sneeuwberg, and was
now considered as an indispensable article of a traveller’s baggage.
To him who may enter on a similar expedition, I would recommend
H H 2