well during the time they were with us, but to give them a large
portion to take home.
They informed me that Malerakhi, the chief of the Mdibues *, a
division of the JBarolong tribe, had fled, together with Mokkabct chief
of the Nudklcetsies, farther into the Interior; having heard that a body
of white men were coming to take revenge on them for the alleged
murder of the last English party which had visited their country.
Thus, at my first entrance into their territory, I began to
„experience some part of that deceit and disregard for truth, which,
although pervading more or less every African tribe, seem scarcely
to be considered by the Bichuanas as a vice or as a disgraceful
practice; and which, in these countries, so deeply contaminate every
class of society, that I afterwards proved by too many trials,- that no
man’s word, not even the Chief’s, could be relied on in any case where
the least advantage was to be gained by falsehood.
This report which now reached me, perhaps not accidentally,
had not the least foundation in truth ; and therefore the mention of
it might have been omitted, if the regularity and consistency of the
journal did not require it to be noticed, in order to account for various
proceedings, and for the colouring given to them. By adhering
strictly to the daily record of the impressions and opinions of the
moment, a more correct picture is given of our actual situation ; and
the nature of a journey in the interior of Africa, is more faithfully
displayed. From this adherence to the original journal, some contradictory
facts and sentiments will occasionally be met with ; but the
former are to be attributed to the difficulties which beset a traveller
whenever he is reduced to the necessity of getting his information
from the mouths of others ; and the latter, to that change of sentiment
and opinion which was induced either by a change of circumstances
* The es at the end of this and similar names, which in the singular end with a vowel,
is not to be considered as belonging to the original word, but, as that plural termination
which, in strictness, the English language requires; although I have not ventured in every
case to follow this rule, wishing rather to leave .those words as much as possible in their
Sickuana form.
or by an opportunity of viewing the subject on another side. As they
are the sentiments which belong to that date only ; there are consequently
some subjects, of which a just view cannot be obtained from
detached portions of the journal. By recording these sentiments in
their place, the reader is enabled ultimately to gain more correct
ideas, and to form his judgment upon natural and unpicked evidence.
From an observation of the sun’s meridional altitude, the latitude
of this station was calculated to be 27° 22' 25”. *
At the distance of about two miles lower down the river, is the
spot where stood the chief town of the Bachapim, at the time when it
was visited by Landdrost Van de Graaff and Dr. Lichtenstein, in
1805 f ; who were sent by the Dutch government for the purpose of
ascertaining the true state of the settlement at Klaarwater. This
business being accomplished, they advanced as far as the Kruman,
and after remaining there four days, returned to the Colony.—
In thé year 1801 the same tribe was visited by Dr. Somerville and
Mr. Truter, who, with a large party, were sent thither by the English
governor for the purpose of obtaining oxen for the supply of Cape
Town, j: Having, during a stay of fifteen days, obtained the object of
their mission, they returned to Cape Town. This party found the chief
town of the Bachapins not far from the spot where it stood at the time
I visited this tribe : it then bore the same name of Litaakun.
These facts serve to prove that the nation has not yet arrived
at that degree of civilization which is marked by permanently fixed
abodes ; but that it approaches it very nearly. This permanency of
abode depends, as remarked on another occasion, on a two-fold cause ;
on the solidity and perfection of their architecture, and on their pro-
* At Kruman Station, 30th June 1812. The observed meridional altitude of the
sun’s upper limb, was 39°. 4-2'. 4-0".
' f This party consisted of 25 persons. Of these; 12 were Hottentots; 5, slaves; and
8,,white persons, among whom was the unfortunate Jacob Kruger (Krieger). They were
25 days beyond the boundary of the Colony.
t This party consisted of 4-0 persons. Of these; 12 were white men, among which
number were, Mr. Samuel Daniell the artist, and Mr. Borcherds the present Deputy
Fiscal at Cape Town. The others were, 24- Hottentots and 4 slaves. They were about
five months beyond the Colonial boundary.