would not, I could assure him, send out a ‘ commando’ unless he were
fully convinced, by the most certain proofs, that the tribe which he
had named, were the murderers of our unfortunate countrymen ; and
therefore it was requisite that he should command all his people who
had in their possession any European goods which were believed to
have been part of the contents of those waggons, to bring them to
me, that I might, by examining them, be enabled to report to the
white-men, that of what I related, I had myself seen indubitable
proofs. This he promised should be done on the morrow. He gave
me a complete and circumstantial account of the murder, which he
said he had received from a man and woman who had been eyewitnesses
of it, and who were now at Litakun. I desired that these
two people might be brought to me, that I might ask them some
questions on the subject. Here the conversation ended, and he took
his leave.
As Gert and Muchunka were both present during this communication,
they related all to the rest of my men, who, I found,
gave full and implicit belief to the whole of Mattlvi’s story. Their
reason for so readily crediting'all the tales of this kind, which they
heard, was, probably, the justification which these seemed to afford
for the timidity of their own conduct and their reluctance to advance
farther into the Interior.
After all the natives had left the mootsi, and my own men had
retired to sleep, I took, unknown to any one, an observation to
determine the latitude o f this place; which I computed to be
27°. 6 . 44". * The motive for keeping secret those operations which
required the use of instruments, which might appear desirable to the
natives, has already been stated f ; and the present and every subsequent
occasion, convinced me that it is always practicable ; at least,
with reference to the ascertaining of the latitude by a star: and I
believe that in these regions, it was never known to any but my own
* On the 31st of July 1812. at Litakun, near the Chief’s residence, the observed
meridional altitude of a. Pegasi (Markab) was 48°. 42'. 7".
f In the first volume, at page 577.
Hottentots, that the waggon contained any thing so showy and attractive
as my sextant. To travellers under similar circumstances, it may
therefore be recommendable, that all their astronomical instruments
should be made as plain as possible, and that the metal should be
either discoloured, or its natural brightness concealed.
August, 1st. As the Chief received daily in his mootsi, or public
enclosure, the visits of a greater or less number of kosies, or chieftains,
who remain sitting with him generally the whole morning, he
may be considered as holding a pticho, or council, every day. The
number of chieftains assembled at these ordinary piichoes, seldom
exceeds twenty, and is often not more than half a dozen; but on
extraordinary occasions, such as that of debating on the propriety of
making war, or of removing their town, or that of the arrival of a
white-man amongst them, this assembly consists of a much more
numerous body; and by their opinion, or that of the majority, even
their Chief is influenced and guided.
Early in the forenoon, Mattlvi informed his council of the conversation
which we had held on the preceding evening. One of the
kosies very strongly urged his opinion, that all goods of European
manufacture which could be found, should be brought for me to
see; and the Chief, in consequence, issued orders to this effect, or
at least, pretended that he had done so. He was absent from the
mootsi all the remainder of this day; and might possibly be busied
in searching or making inquiry, for some articles which might be
adduced in proof of the account which he had given me yesterday. :
Nothing further worthy of remark occurred this day; and the
evening passed as usual, with a house full of parasites. When the
inhabitants first saw us making use of the ‘ unlucky mood’ ( Vangueria
infausta) for fuel, they warned us of our danger, and among themselves
made 'many remarks on our imprudence. They said, as
Muchunka expressed it, j We shall soon see all these men die; for
they not only make their fire of this wood and warm themselves by
it, but they even boil their meat over it.’ It would, indeed, have
been a I lucky wood’ for us, if it had sufficiently retained its charm,
to have checked them from coming to our fire, and to have kept
3 s 2