that such things are an abomination to God, and that a fiddle is
Satan’s own instrument!
I should not readily have believed that any person of sane mind
could have held such opinions, or have thus deliberately misled the
poor ignorant Hottentot, if I had not myself heard from the pulpit
at Klaarwater, a similar denunciation of the vengeance of the Deity,
upon all who delighted in dancing, which was pronounced to be a
work of darkness! If such fanaticism and folly is to be called
preaching the Gospel, I much fear that the savages will have reason
for thinking, in compassion to our ignorance, that it will be their duty
to send missionaries among us, to lead us out of our darkness.
I preached, however, the contrary doctrine, that music and dancing
possessed, in themselves, nothing of a sinful nature; and that,
so far from wishing to see the people serious or hear them groaning,
it was always much more pleasing to me, when they spent their
evenings in this manner and in harmless mirth and conversation,
than when they lay in dull inanimate idleness; a state which I believed
to be, both disgraceful to themselves, and displeasing to their
Creator. Happy indeed, would it have been for the whole party, had
they always followed this doctrine, and had they conducted themselves
under a conviction of the truth of my last assertion.
21th. I had now waited six days at this place, in expectation
that Cupido Kok would send the bullet-mould and fetch his gun;
but more than sufficient time having already elapsed, my men, who
seemed to know more of his intentions than I did, were clearly of
opinion that we should hear nothing further from him, and that it
would be fruitless to remain here longer. Seeing myself thus, for
the whole of my journey, deprived of the proper use of my best
gun, by an ungrateful Hottentot whom I had formerly shown myself
desirous of obliging, and whom I had treated in a manner which
proved my good-will towards him, I could not but feel irritated, in
whatever light I viewed his conduct. But, as no remedy was now
to be had, I resolved to consider this privation as one of the inevitable
accidents of my journey.
I therefore gave orders for our departure ; and at an hour and
a half after mid-day we drove away from Kosi Fountain. Juli, who
complained much of toothache, was obliged for a day or two; to resign
to Platje his office of driver of the baggage-waggon.
This waggon was now loaded with as much méat as it could
carry ; and so large a stock ought, with proper care ànd management,
to have lasted almost as many weeks, as in fact it. did, days. But a
Hottentot, or a Bushman, must have either gluttony, ox famine ; either
waste, or want. In time of plenty, moderation and economy seem
to them, greater evils than absolute hunger.
After clearing the low rocky ground, which may be considered
as a flattened part of the Kosi Hills, we continued travelling the remainder
of the day, over a sandy country covered with grass. When
we had advanced about six miles, I halted to take the bearings of
Kosi Fountain, and of the Kamhânni Pass ; the country being so
open and level as to admit of both being seen at the same time.
As the distance from Kosi Fountain to the next water, was a journey
of two days, or, at least, of thirty-sëven miles, we had taken the precaution
of filling the water-casks, and of allowing the cattle and dogs to
drink at the spring just before we set out. Oiir only care, therefore,
was occasioned by the want of fuel ; and as these plains produce few
bushes, Stuurman and Andries were sent forward on horseback, and
followed on foot by Muchunka, to collect a quantity of firewood ready
to be taken up by the waggons as they passed. But so great was the
scarcity of dry wood in this part of the plain, that we travelled till
dark without coming up with the men. At that time, perceiving a
tolerably large clump of Tarchonânthus, (C. G. 2173.) and fearing that
we might not fall in with so good a shelter if we proceeded farther,
we judged it more prudent to halt here for the night. This is distinguished
on the map, by the name of Tarchonânthus Station.
The Hottentots not returning by the time the oxen were all
unyoked, we fired two muskets to call them back; and immediately
made a blaze with a heap of dry grass. We collected from the
Tarchonânthus bushes, here eight feet high, wood enough for cooking
and for keeping a fire burning all night. This the three absent
people perceived, and finding we were not coming on, at length turned
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