as much as the price at which the Hottentot elephant-hunters had,
only a week before, bought a number of oxen. The man, however,
exemplified, very forcibly, the difficulty of satisfying a covetous disposition
: he immediately answered, Oketsa (Add more). Mattivi
was standing by, and urging him to increase his demands; but I
positively declared that nothing mofe would be given than the
quantity which was then produced before him, as I knew by experience
that, had I assented to the price he asked, and concluded
the purchase of the ox, he would shortly afterwards have found some
trifling excuse for complaining that I had not paid so much as it was
worth ; and I should thus have been compelled, in order to avoid
contention and serious misunderstanding, to give a price so exorbitant,
that it would have been to me little less in effect than actual
plunder. The necessities of the long journey before me, rendered it
highly imprudent to waste my beads, which, as already mentioned,
are the only money of the regions in the Interior; at least, as far as
report had given me to understand. I was therefore not sorry to see
the man drive his ox home again.
As the taking of a single sheep along with us on this excursion,
would have been attended with great trouble and inconvenience, I
left the only one we had remaining, to run with Mattivi’s flock till
my return; and requested him to receive among his herd an ox
which was due to me from a man named Klowani, whom I had
already paid for it, but which, on account of the distance of his
cattle-station, had not yet arrived in town. The Chief again urged
a request for more ammunition, but in our present want of provisions,
which we had no means of remedying but by powder and ball,
I found an admissible excuse for refusing it.
As soon as my teams were brought into the mootsi, I ordered
my Hottentots to yoke them to the waggons. These preparations
for immediate departure attracted a great concourse of the inhabitants
around us, and the enclosure was soon completely filled with
men, women, and children.
It was not till within an hour of sunset, that all was ready for
travelling; when we drove out of the town, attended by Mattivi
himself with his brothers and most of his chieftains, besides an innumerable
crowd. Not knowing whether so large a body of men
was to be viewed as a friendly escort or as a preparative for some
act of intimidation or treachery, I armed myself with a cutlass, and
buckled on two braces of pistols, as though my usual travelling
accoutrement.
No other molestation, however, than begging, was offered to
m e; but, under the impression that I was about to leave them
finally, or, at least, that I should be absent a long time, their importunities
were now more unrestrained than ever: some of them
even demanded tobacco enough to last till my. return ; and one man,
who to gratify his own curiosity in so new a mode of conveyance,
had been riding a short distance, claimed a piece in consideration of
his having been bruised by the jolting of my waggon. Mattivi, for
the same motive, jumped up behind the great waggon as it was
moving on, but, unused to the rough motion of the vehicle, he was
unable to keep his hold, and, on its passing over a rocky spot, was
shaken off; after which he made no further attempt at riding.
In the confusion of the crowd, my thermometer narrowly escaped
being lost: its usual place while travelling, was in one of the bags
which were fastened within the tilt; but by the violence of the jolts
it was thrown out, and fell to the ground unperceived by us, when
Kramori, who happened to be walking immediately behind, picked
it up, and was in the act of secreting it under his kobo, when
fortunately the red color of its leathern case caught my eye, and on
my instantly demanding it from him, he found himself obliged,
though with apparent reluctance, to deliver it up.
The greater number of the men who were present at our departure,
believing that they should not see us again, had followed me,
with the expectation of receiving some parting presents; but when
I assured them, that I should most certainly take up my residence
again at Litakun, the crowd, after accompanying us for about half a
mile from the town, by degrees turned back again homewards.
Mattivi, with his brothers and attendants, having continued with us
for a short distance farther, took leave, and, turning their steps