six waggons waiting for him on the banks of Makkwarin, at a spot
much farther westward than that at which I had crossed it His
object in coming to Litakun, was to barter for ivory and cattle. During
the expedition they had shot thirty-nine full-grown elephants, besides
a number of young ones; and would have continued their
hunting longer, had not all their gunpowder and ball been expended.
Berends’s waggon was stationed in Serrakutu’s mootsi, and
Hendrik’s in that of another chieftain who was his maat (partner,
or agent), a term which will be explained hereafter.
These men seemed pleased at falling in with me in this distant
part of Africa; and on both sides, our meeting was a very unexpected
circumstance. To me it was far from disagreeable, notwithstanding
my recollection of what we had experienced at Klaar-
water, and the just cause which I had for hoping that after I lost
sight of Gupido Kok at Kosi Fountain, I should never have to
encounter any of that people again.
This hunting party had long consumed all the provisions and
stores which they had laid in for the whole journey: they had been
for some time living only on what they procured with their muskets;
and latterly, on the cattle which they had driven with them. Berends
was rejoiced when I offered him three quarters of a pound of gunpowder
for a peck of salt, which he said he had in the waggons at the
Makkwarin, and which I engaged to send for. They expressed their
warmest gratitude when I presented to them some brandy, tobacco,
and a small quantity of tea leaves, the three greatest luxuries,
besides meat, which can be given to a Hottentot.
Berends said that all his people were heartily desirous of reaching
home, from which they had been absent so great a length of
time, two months; and began now to be really tired of hunting. As
for himself, he was less anxious on that account, as he had taken
with him the principal part of his family, and had been accompanied
on this toilsome expedition by his wife. But my surprise at a female
being able to endure the fatigues of so rough a journey, gradually
ceased as I became more acquainted with the Hottentot character;
and I learnt at last to consider a Hottentot woman as fully equal to
the task of following her husband in all his migrations and wanderings,
and of bearing all the hardships of a savage life.
When these men had returned to their waggons, my mind,
which had very unexpectedly received some recreation by their
arrival, was again put into a state of irritation and uneasiness by discovering
that Van Roye manifested a determination not only to resist
my authority by disobedience, but even to act in open defiance of
it. Notwithstanding my having yesterday appointed him to attend
the oxen and horses, and forbidden Andries being sent with them
again, he had ordered him and Philip, for he often assumed over the
other Hottentots, an insolent command which he supposed to belong
to him in right of his being a ‘ Christemensch,’ to take the cattle to
pasture; while he absented himself during the day till about three
in the afternoon, at which time he came home, giving me to understand
that he had been the whole time with the horses, and had
brought them to the river, where he had left them to be driven
to town by the herdsman.
At this time I took no notice of his conduct, but in the evening,
I sent by Philip my positive orders that he, and no one else, should
attend the cattle on the following day ; and warned him against disobedience,
as I was resolved not to allow it to pass a second time ;
but would most surely convince him, in the severest manner, that
any attempt of that kind, would be in vain.
Could I, three days before this, have believed that these two
men were so little the better for the instructions they had received,
that they would thus have acted in breach of all moral and religious
precepts, or could I have foreseen the difficulties, and the dilemma,
to which their defiance of my authority would have reduced me, I
should rather have chosen patiently to support them as worthless lazy
encumbrances on my journey, than incur the risk of so dangerous
an example for the rest of my men, as that of a disposition approaching
towards mutiny. But as the affair had, by steps which could not be
averted, proceeded thus far, there was now no choice remaining, and
it was evident that, if my expedition was to be preserved from a fatal
termination, there were no means left for my adoption, but that most
So 2