considered in this light, the same custom, consequently, was followed
on the present occasion. It seemed to be intended rather as the sign
of friendly reception, than as a desire to furnish me with provisions
during my residence with him ; for it was never repeated but once
afterwards. And although I daily obtained a supply of milk, this
was always given in expectation of regular payment in tobacco, and
required no thanks on either side; for different chieftains sent it by
their servants, who took back the money, as the tobacco might very
properly be termed, often without my knowing from whom the milk
was received. Yet these supplies came more frequently from the
chief or his relations, than from other persons ; and who endeavoured
to confine this trading to themselves. One of my Hottentots obtained
this morning half a gallon for four inches of tobacco ; and reported
to me that Mattivi had scolded his servants for not bringing us the
milk earlier.
On looking out of my waggon as soon as I rose, 1 found the
Chief and his party, which consisted of about ten or twelve of his
principal attendant chieftains, sitting in a part of the enclosure opposite
to me, employed in scraping the hair off from a skin intended for
a kobo. The instrument with which this was done, was a small adze
of the form already described.* The skin lay extended on the
ground, and was occasionally sprinkled with water, to facilitate the
removing of the hair. He was the only person at work upon it ; the
rest were doing nothing, except now and then for a minute or two
conversing together.
I was allowed to take my breakfast undisturbed; for although
they attentively watched all my motions, no one came to the waggon.
I sent the Chief a pot of milk and rice, which he immediately ate, in
a manner which showed that he considered it very palatable.
I soon after this, took my seat in the circle, and, informing
him of the time when my dinner would be ready, invited him and as
many as he thought proper to bring with him, or as my waggon could
accommodate, to come and partake of the meal; telling him als
that, as I had never admitted any one else to eat in my waggon,
this invitation was intended as a mode of expressing my respect
for him, and, at the same time, my friendly sentiments towards
all his family. He listened to this with great gravity of countenance,
but made no reply, as he was now sitting in public, and attended by
his council; for in this light, it will be seen, these attendants are properly
to be regarded.
Just at this moment, I had the pleasure of seeing Philip and the
other two Hottentots whom I had sent out on search early in the
morning, returning with the horses, and accompanied by Stuurrnan,
one of the three men who had been missing. Philip reported that
after he had left the town, and had been a long time seeking in vain,
he met some Bachapins who, on his inquiring if they had seen either
the horses or the Hottentots, gave him to understand, by signs
and pointing to the place, and by a few words which he in part
comprehended, that he would find them all in that direction. By
following these instructions, he and his companions walked a mile or
two farther and happily discovered the three lost Hottentots sitting
together under a bush, with the horses near them.
The explanation of this affair as given by themselves, together
with the particulars I afterwards learnt from the rest of my men,
partly from Keyser s (Kyser) confession, was, that immediately on
our arrival at Litakun and as soon as the teams were unyoked and
sent to the outskirts of the town under the care of Andries and
Stuurman, Keyser seeing me instantly surrounded and enclosed by
so great a multitude of people, and not knowing what would be the
result, actually lost his senses through fear : his mind became literally
deranged and he knew not what he was doing. He flew to the
baffffaffe-waefffon, into which he climbed with OO O DO 7 the utmost haste, and crept under the people’s bedding to conceal himself and escape the
cruel death which he supposed awaited him, and which he believed
had already befallen me. Just at that moment, one of the natives
happening to look into the waggon, merely from curiosity to know
what it contained, this Hottentot scrambled with the greatest precipitation
and terror to the other end ; at the same time crying out,
in the agony of fear, to Speelman who was a short distance off, that