the manner of making such a house, that when I returned to my
own country, I might build one exactly like it for myself. As I
stood within this front-court, surrounded by the family and neighbours,
all happy, as they really appeared to be, in being visited by a
white-man who took an interest in the work of their hands and
admired their ingenuity, I felt the secret influence of sympathy, and
enjoyed the counterpart of their pleasure and gratification.
Kramori, who was a man of about forty years of age and of a
fine well-proportioned figure, took much pains in showing me the
different parts of his dwelling; and when I had sufficiently examined
it, he brought me a gourd-shell full of thick-milk, a most agreeable
refreshment after walking in the mid-day heat. When I had taken
a small portion, I gave the rest to Muchunka and Champaani, who
almost in an instant greedily devoured it up.
The elephant’s tusk in question was dragged out of the storehouse
to tempt me, but I did not purchase it. I lifted it up in my
arms, to enable me to form a guess at the weight of it, which I concluded
to be between eighty and ninety pounds. When the natives
saw me heaving it up and down with apparent ease, they seemed
greatly surprised, and considered me to be a person of extraordinary
strength; and to some of their friends, who came in afterwards I observed
them explaining the circumstance by making the same motion
with a Isamma laid across their arms. This circumstance is mentioned
for the purpose of proving a fact, which subsequent observation
further confirmed, that the Bachapins are in general, men of little
muscular strength, excepting, perhaps, in the Achilles-tendon and
muscles connected with its use: at the same time, it showed that continual
labor and bodily exertion, if not carried too far, will greatly
increase that strength. Desirous of gaining, among these people, the
character of being munond tatddio (a strong man), I confess that in
this instance I exerted my utmost force with a view to induce them
to, suppose that the tusk was, to my hand, comparatively light; for
as I knew that, guided by outward appearances, they judged themselves
to be my superiors in muscular power, I regarded it as an
important point of prudence and policy, to give them the impression
of my being personally able to defend myself against any attempt on
their part, should they ever feel disposed to offer open violence.
On taking leave, I gave Kramori four inches of tobacco for himself
and his family, who, as it appeared to me, were almost as thankful
as the Bushmen of Cisgariepine would have been at receiving a
similar present.
In the evening Mollemmi annoyed me by his importuning
manners; begging for a number of different things, and asking,
among many other requests, for the use of my own fowling-piece,
as he was going out hunting, he said, on the next morning. To this
I gave a direct refusal; but he was not at all abashed by it, for immediately,
as if to sound my opinion, he told me that he had been
bargaining with Cornelis for the purchase of his gun. This last remark
was not merely a teazing solicitation : I considered such determined
perseverance to get possession of our fire-arms, as a serious
misfortune to us, and felt that I had some reason still for being
uneasy at the renewal of this conversation. Instantly I answered in
a peremptory manner, that I would certainly not permit any transaction
of that kind ; and asked him if he was not satisfied with the
favor I had already done him and his brother, by allowing them to
have one of my muskets, although it was, as they must know, exceedingly
inconvenient to me to give it up at this time; and I concluded
by requesting that he would talk no further on that subject. It
seemed that my tone of voice gave a check to his importunities, at
least for the present: for, on giving him some tobacco, he left me
that he might light his pipe at my men’s fire; and I was glad to
find that he returned no more that night.
22nd. In the morning I took a walk, and ascended the rocky
ridge of hills, which encloses the southern side of the town, for the
purpose of drawing a bird?s-eye view of Litakun, to give an idea of
the plan and general appearance of a South-African town. I was
accompanied by Mattrvi and his attendants, who were mostly kosies;
for he never walked out without a dozen of these in his train. He
was much pleased when I explained to him what I was about to do, and