“ Then, Sir, we shall, not one of us, ever come back; we are all
mui'dered men !”
20th. From the Kora Rock-Fountain, we travelled over a level
country varied here and there with hills of moderate elevation. The
soil, which was of a sandy nature and remarkably red, was every
where thickly covered with standing grass about three feet high,
which, being at this season quite dry and having assumed an
autumnal tint, presented exactly the appearance of European
cornfields of boundless extent; and which, from its height and
color, very much resembled that variety which farmers term \ red
wheat.’ *
When we had travelled about twelve miles, my Hottentots,
who, like all their tribe, possessed an extraordinary power of sight
in discerning objects at a distance, came to me and with evident
alarm, reported that they saw on before us, six strange men whom
they believed to be Bushmen. The story which I have just related,
or the impressions they had received at Klaarwater, appeared
to have taken fast hold on their minds, so that they were ready to
view every dubious occurrence as the forerunner of danger. I immediately
took out my telescope, but although with the naked eye
I myself saw nothing, I was enabled with the glass to distinguish but
little more than they had already discovered without it. Two of
these strange men appeared to carry guns, and as they were running
with great speed, we concluded that they had fallen in with Speelman
and Keyser who had preceded us for the sake of hunting; and that
having murdered them, and robbed them of their muskets, they
were thus hastening out of our reach. This suspicion, which was
instantly taken for fact by all my men and which I could not myself
think very improbable, seemed to be confirmed by our observing
* The chief grasses were of the genera Andropogon, Aristida, Anthistiria and Poa.
A new species of Cissampelos met with here, is to be found generally in every part of
the Transgariepine ; it is the
Cissampelos calcarifera, Catal. Geogr. 1795. Fruticosa scandens volubilis (ssepe
humilior et erecta). Folia lineari-elliptica, pubescentia. Petioli ad bases subtùs calcare
brevi aucti. Flores parvi herbacei.
eight more Bushmen standing at the top of a low hill close on our
right, apparently watching us.
As there was, even under these circumstances, not much danger
in an open country, for a person mounted on horseback, I would
have sent some of my people forward to ascertain whether the two
men with muskets, were natives or n ot; but every one of them
exhibited so much fear and reluctance for this service, that, to save
my authority and avoid their refusal to obey my orders, I thought it
most advisable not to insist on this step. My own station and duty
in cases of danger, should, I conceived, always be that of protecting
and defending the waggons, in which were contained all our property,
our ammunition, and our provisions. My two baptized men
betrayed more timidity than several of their companions; and Cornells
to anticipate and prevent my orders, came to assure me that the
backs of all the horses were too much galled to bear the saddle; and
was not ashamed to assert this, though he and Van Roye had
ridden on horseback almost every day.
In the mean time the enemy disappeared ; but I took the precaution
of making all the men keep togeth er in a body, and carry their
muskets instead of leaving them tied up in the waggons, which they
had done to spare themselves that fatigue. We now resumed our
march, after having halted half an hour on account of this affair; and
advanced with watchful circumspection, not knowing how far we might
proceed before the natives poured down from the hills to attack us : at
least these were the sentiments of most of my men, who looked
around them expecting to find the bodies of poor Speelman and
Keyser. This they actually did ; for we had scarcely proceed a mile
farther, when they were discovered at some distance on the left of
our road, — but still alive, and, in good health and spirits, making
the best of their way towards us, and having four Bushmen in
company, with whom they appeared to be on perfectly friendly
terms. At the same time the enemy on the hills poured down upon
us, and — with every appearance of peaceable intentions joined our
party. One of them being personally known to Muchunka, and
being able to speak the Kora language, an amicable communication
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