was given : when we rode forward without hesitation, and on reaching
home, found all well. We had been just three hours and ten
minutes on our return ; which corresponds with the relative proportion
usually supposed to exist between the pace of a draught-ox,
and that of a saddle-horse, after making a proper allowance for the
greater degree in which the latter is retarded by a sandy road.
3rd. The two Bachapins, whom we saw at the Kruman, had
assured us that for several days-journeys we should find but little
game, as the grass was dried up, and the animals had removed
farther northward, where the herbage still remained green. This
account was confirmed by Speelman, who reported that he had not
fallen in with any, although the ground was every where imprinted
with their footsteps.
He had observed two natives at a distance in the plain, who immediately
on seeing him, concealed themselves under the bushes.
He thought it not advisable to approach them, as these movements
appeared suspicious; but, taking particular notice of the spot where
they disappeared, he came home and informed MuchunkS, who, following
his directions, went to them and brought these formidable
strangers home, when lo ! they proved to be two old women, who had
left their dwellings early in the morning, to seek at this distance
their daily food, a few wild roots the scanty gains of many hours’
search. On seeing the hunters, whose costume, being different from
that of their own countrymen, had alarmed them, they hid themselves
through fear; but were easily persuaded by Muchunka to come
to the waggons, where he promised them a good meal.
From the meagre looks of these women, one might be authorised
in supposing them not to have had, for many weeks, a sufficiency of
food. The eldest of the two might have been mistaken for a Bush-
woman; and her features proved that her parents had belonged to
the Hottentot race, though she was herself a Bichuana the wife
of a poor herdsman. They were provided only with a pointed stick
to dig up these roots, and a dirty leathern bag in which they carried
them. On examination these appeared to be of some species of
Omithogalum; but being without leaves or flower, this opinion was
mere guess: they were little bigger than a pigeon’s egg, and were
exceedingly bitter, yet roasting or boiling might lessen this quality,
and render them more palatable.
After feeding these poor creatures, and giving them a meal
very different from that which they had looked forward to when they
left their home, they departed; having stopped with us above two
hours and entirely overcome the fears which the first sight of us had
occasioned.
Our principal work this day, was, casting bullets, making cartridges,
and completing more cartridge-boxes. These bullets were of
two sorts: one of lead only, which was intended for all general purposes
of hunting and defence; the other, of a mixture of two thirds
of lead and one of tin to render them harder, for shooting those
animals whose hide was too thick, or too hard, to be easily penetrable
by a leaden ball, which has been often found, if fired from any considerable
distance, to flatten against the skin of a rhinoceros, or
against the bones of other animals of that size. As tin causes such
balls to be lighter than those of pure lead, and consequently, prevents
their flying so far, they were never to be used but as the particular
case required.
The great change of temperature in the course of this day, was
very remarkable, at two in the afternoon, the thermometer rising to
79. (20‘8 R.), and at midnight, falling to 37. (2‘2 R.).
The weather was exceedingly pleasant; and notwithstanding
the coldness of the evening, my men, seated around a large fire,
passed their time cheerfully; and conversation, and playing the
fiddle, seemed almost to make them forget they were in a strange
land. When they retired to rest, they preferred lying on the ground by
the fire, to sleeping in the waggon, which being elevated and exposed
to the wind, is much colder than any other place. I allowed them,
therefore, to make their bed where they found it most agreeable,
although it would have been a greater check to robbery had they
slept by the pack-waggon; but, for myself, I dared not indulge in
the same manner, as it would have been extremely imprudent to
have left unguarded my own waggon and the property it contained.