and traversing the plain in a widely meandering course, seemed to
offer all that agriculture could require, and to tempt a more laborious
race of men than its present inhabitants, to bring it under cultivation.
The river many times crossed our path, and quitted us only
when we ascended to an elevated stony level. Here we saw, with
much pleasure, several herds of kannas (or elands) and quakkas grazing
at a distance and appearing not much to heed the presence of our
party. We halted; and Philip, mounting the horse, immediately
pursued them ; but he could not overtake any till he had ridden
above two miles, when he was so fortunate as to bring down a large
kanna, which he had singled out and continued to follow, till he
had fairly hunted it down.
The chase having led him in a northerly direction, we turned
back as soon as the Bushmen brought us information of his success;
and, falling in with the river at about half-way to where the animal
lay, we again unpacked on its banks, about an hour before sunset,
at a spot marked on the map by the name of Hunter's Station.
Philip, Speelman, and Hendrick, with pack-oxen, proceeded
on to the eland, and were accompanied by Riizo, and Kaabi, and all
the Bushmen of our party. But a heavy shower coming on before
they had skinned and cut up the carcase, they were obliged to remain
there till the next morning.
5th. At eight o’clock they came home; and the whole of the Hottentots
found full employment all the forenoon, in cutting the meat
into slices and laying them on the bushes to dry: in which operation
we were fortunately favoured by a very hot and drying day.
We gave Kaabi and his companions so large a portion of our game,
that finding it more than they were able to carry, he had been obliged
to send off one of his people on the evening before to his kraal to
fetch a pack ox. His messenger returned with the ox this afternoon,
and was accompanied by eight others, some of whom were boys.
These occupations detained us till a late hour of the day ¡«yet
we determined on packing up and proceeding farther, as the Bushmen
were anxious to reach their kraal, and had assured us that we
might arrive there before dark. To prove to them our confidence,
we entrusted them with the office of driving forward our sheep and
loaded oxen. And, indeed, our fellow-travellers, Riizo and Kaabi,
evinced a truly honest and friendly inclination towards u s; so that,
without meaning to neglect that prudent circumspection so necessary
to a European travelling in this country, I would as willingly
have committed myself to them, as to my own countrymen. The
former of these two, was naturally of a more reserved disposition,
but was always ready to lend any of the Hottentots his assistance,
whenever he thought he could be useful; and seemed as much at his
ease with them, as with his own friends.
During this day’s ride we passed many small rocky hills of a
remarkable kind, presenting a character different from all which
I had hitherto observed. They were generally quite bare, especially
on the top, and were composed of huge rounded pieces of rock,
most frequently about five feet in diameter, piled loosely upon each
other, and apparently without any earth between them : as may be
seen in the first plate. But their most striking character was the
smooth shining blackness of their surface, not unlike that of iron
polished with black-lead. * They were composed of ‘ primitive
green-stone,’ probably containing iron, from which they derive their
lustre and color after long exposure to the atmosphere; but within,
on being broken, they were found to possess their proper greenish or
blueish hue. Rocks of this species occur very frequently in various
parts of Southern Africa, but till now none had been seen with so
glossy a surface. The rocks at Dwaal river f, and in that vicinity,
were, excepting this particular, not very different from these, and
both, when fitly poised, were capable of giving a sound like that of
a large bell; and both, I believe, affect the magnetic needle. They
must be considered as boulder stones, though found on the tops
of the hills; but beyond this, conjecture can afford nothing
* At a subsequent period of these travels, rocks of the same nature and appearance
were observed in abundance along the course of the Nugariep or Black River; and I am
inclined to suppose that it was this circumstance which gave rise to the name which the
stream bears among the natives.
f Described in the first volume, at page 277.