smoking, was accepted with warm expressions of. thankfulness ; but
he was much less importunate in begging, and less talkative, than his
nation usually are. He was even timid: this might be occasioned
by his being alone as a Bachapin, among so many strangers ; for
numbers always give to savages a degree of boldness, and sometimes
insolence, of which, under other circumstances, they exhibit no signs.
On coming to me as I sat in the waggon, he exclaimed, Koosi,
Koosi! (rich chieftain); and when I endeavoured to assure him that
I was not such, that I had but little property in the waggon, and but
few oxeri, he significantly shook his head, as if to express that he
could not believe me.
A young Kokung (Kokoon or Kokoong) was shot in the plain by
Speelman. This Hottentot took so much delight in hunting, that he
was generally the foremost in parties of this kind, and was perhaps one
of the most successful. It was the duty which had been allotted to
him ; yet, when circumstances demanded it, he was employed in a
variety of others, and was found to be, as a Hottentot, active, intelligent,
and useful; though requiring always the superintendance and guidance
of a master. 1 laving been longer in my service than most of the
others, he seemed to consider himself entitled to the privileges of an
old servant, and to have acquired some degree of attachment to me,
which, though often dormant, was, to do him justice, oftener awake.
8th. Taking a walk this morning round our station, I observed
growing in rocky places, a handsome species of Aloe*, which the
Bachapins call tokwi, and which apparently was of the same kind as
one seen near the Kygariep. I here met with, for the first time, a remarkable
kind of Mesembrifanthemum j-, which maybe reckoned in
* Resembling Aloe saponaria; but it was probably a new species.
-J- Mesembryanthemum alotdes, B. Catal. Geogr. 2197. Planta acaulis, radice fusi-
forme. Folia spathulata, basi. connata, acuta, margine integra,. supra plana, subtus
convexa, duplo latiora quam crassa, obscure viridia punctis albidis conspersa. Flos
sessilis flavus.
: This plant, together with ten other new species raised in England from seed collected
on the journey, have been, already made known to botanists by an author whose extensive
knowledge of this numerous genus, and whose experience in the cultivation of vegetables
the number of those wild plants, the roots of which are eaten by
the natives, as a substitute for better food. There were not many
things to be found at this season; but I discovered, almost accidentally,
happening to sit down on the ground close by them, two small
plants, the singularity of which consisted in their being so exactly
of the color of the white limestone on which they grew, that scarcely
any eye could have noticed, them in walking by. *
Experience teaches, that many curious and minute plants will
escape detection, unless sought with more than ordinary attention;
and that, by sitting or standing still and carefully looking. around,
many interesting objects of natural history may be discovered, which
otherwise, would have been passed unheeded and unknown. In tliose
parts of my journey where the riches of botany or entomology were
more profusely scattered, I seldom sat down to rest myself during
my ramhles, without perceiving some object which would not have
caught my eye under any other circumstances.
9th. I now got out from one of the store-chests the beads and
other things which were intended as presents to the Bachapin chief ;
as it was not likely that there would be, before we arrived at the
town, so favorable an opportunity for assorting and arranging them
without interruption.
In addition to which reason for opening the store-chests at this
place, was that of preventing the natives from knowing how large a
stock I had of these things. To have allowed them to see the contents
of the chests, would have been, to tempt them to rob m e; or,
should their sense of honesty restrain them from such an attempt;
still the sight of so much riches might render them covetous, and
induce them to practise every extortionate and unfair stratagem to
of this tribe, have enabled him to present to the public the most correct arrangement of it,
which has hitherto appeared. See “ Supplementum .Plantarum Succulentarum; Autore A. H . Haworth.”
* These were a species of Crassula ? with scale-like imbricated leaves; and
Anacampseros lanigera, B. Catal. Geogr. 2196. Planta uncialis, tota lana densa alba
involuta, inter quam ramenta rigida tortuosa.