This pass might be described as a winding defile between the
mountains, and which had no perceptible ascent nor descent. The
breadth of the Kamhanni range may easily be imagined, from the
circumstance that, the passage of it occupied three hours and a half
at our usual rate of travelling.
On clearing the mountains, we entered upon a grassy plain perfectly
level, extending before us as far as the eye could discern, and
presenting, on the north-east and east, a boundless expanse of country.
On our left, the mountains continued, as it were, to accompany us
at the distance of a few miles.
This I could not but feel to be an interesting point of my
travels : I had now entered their territory, and was about to behold a
totally different and superior race of men, a nation among whom I
was to find some traces of industry and art, and who, by livin»' in
fixed abodes and in large communities and by following agriculture,
had advanced the first steps in civilization. These considerations
excited reflections of the most pleasing kind, the power of which
chased from my mind every vexatious sentiment, and banished every
thought of those troubles and difficulties which naturally attend
a traveller venturing into these countries under circumstances such
as mine. Having set my foot in a new region, I prepared for examining
with attention all its features, and for enjoying the feast of
novelty and instruction, which lay spread before me in every quarter.
Here, the new and interesting forms of some scattered trees of
Camel-thorn, or Moikaala, gave a most picturesque and remarkable
character to the landscape; more especially as no other large tree of
any kind, nor scarcely a bush, was any where to be seen.
Muchunka was also in high spirits, on entering his native
country, and communicated to the less lively Hottentots, some portion
of his own vivacity, by extolling its pastures, its water, and
its abundance of game; and by giving an animated description of
the town to which we were advancing, and of the friendly disposition
of his countrymen. It was evident that the circumstance
of having quitted the district in which they had been so much in
dread of the Bushmen, contributed not a little to quiet the minds of
my men, and to restore ease and cheerfulness to our party; although
it was probable that they would not have been without an equal
degree of apprehension, on account o f the unknown tribe to which
we were about to commit ourselves, had not Muchunka’s assurances,
and the familiar manner in which he spoke of this nation, persuaded
them that no hostility was to be feared.
After a day’s-journey of nearly seven hours, we arrived at
a. spring of water, which the, natives distinguish as the Little
KlibbSltkhonni Fountain: that which is properly called KlibbSlVchonni,
the source of the Knhniln river, being situated at a distance of two
miles farther eastward. At this time the spring was in its lowest
state, as its waters were too weak to run more than two hundred
yards from the spot where they rose out of the ground. In the rainy
season they form, by the aid of showers, a rivulet which joins itself
to the Kruman.
I had already, by the assistance of Muchunka, gained a sufficient
insight into the language spoken by the various Hichuana tribe* or
nations, to enable me to establish a system of orthography capable
o f expressing with certainty, its proper sounds and pronunciation ;
and had, in a desultory manner and without any systematic arrangement,
composed a small vocabulary. But as I advanced nearer to
the country where it was spoken, and became assured that it prevailed
over a great portion of the Interior, I conceived a stronger
interest in it, and felt both the necessity and the desire, of acquiring
a more correct and extended knowledge.
With this view, I now resolved to commence a more regular
investigation, and to form, on the plan of a dictionary, a more comprehensive
collection of raw materials, in words and phrases; and
which might be considered as comprising the whole body of the
language, and serve as a source from which, by future examination
and study, might be drawn a knowledge of its nature and peculiarities,
and of its grammatical construction. I still, however, continued
adding to my vocabulary such words and phrases as my daily intercourse
with the natives enabled me to learn, and to confirm myself
in the right understanding of their meaning. This was used as a
repository for that only which was learnt in a more practical manner.