people, where alone such an important proof could have been procured.
She complained that the boors on the borders, were very
harsh and unkind in not giving them tabak, when they had travelled
so far on purpose to beg a little; and if they at last were
so fortunate as to obtain any, it was but a crumb; shewing me at
the same time the tip of her little-finger, to impress an idea of the
smallness of the quantity. But oftener was it their lot, she said,
to be driven from the house with a whip. Here she imitated the
act of whipping, in a manner so natural, and mimicked so well the
tone of pain and crying, that the bystanders were highly amused
by her imitative talents. She smiled however; and went on to
inform me,, that the Caffres* and the colonists were at war against
each other, and in one of their rencontres a boor was pierced through
the thigh with hassagays.
At length their attention was directed to the eland-meat, which
my men were then placing on the bushes to dry. Our exposing
before them so great a temptation, was a sufficient excuse for their
‘ coveting and desiring’ ; and I distributed among them a portion
sufficient to fill their largest pot
The natives now made another request, and appeared very
solicitous that we should stop a day or two with them, and hunt the
rhinoceros; four of which animals had been seen at a short distance
from their kraal. To this, my own people, who were now quite at
ease as to the sincerity and friendly disposition of the Bushmen,
were much inclined; and all parties therefore were gratified when I
consented to remain here a day for that purpose. The natives had
in this, an additional proof of my goodwill towards them ; though
it was, I confess, a favor which repaid itself, as our own stock of provisions
would be replenished by the same means by which the Bushmen
would be supplied. It was therefore agreed that the hunters
should set out early on the morrow, and that a party from the kraal
* The Caflres to which she alluded, were that same wandering kraal, often mentioned
in the first volume, as having emigrated to the banks of the Gariep; this part of
the Colony lying in the direct route between their present station and their own country.
should attend them as guides, to conduct them to the haunts of these
animaTlhs.e great heat of the sun gradually thinning the number of the
crowd, and compelling them to take shelter in their huts, I was
left to enjoy some rest after the boisterous ceremonies and fatigues
of the morning; while some of my Hottentots stretched themselves
in the shade to sleep, and others who were able to converse with the
natives, betook themselves to the huts.
The fear, on so rough a journey, of breaking the only thermometer
which I had remaining, induced me to leave it at Klaarwater
till my return: consequently, all observations of this nature were
suspended during the present expedition. In the meantime, the
thermometrical value of such expressions as ‘ very hot,’ &c. may be
collected, by comparison, from the preceding and subsequent parts of
the I Itinerary.’
My curiosity to view this Bushman village, would not suffer me
to rest long; and at noon, protected by my umbrella, from the
scorching heat of the sun, I ascended alone to the kraal; a distance
not greater than four hundred yards. It consisted of tw.enty huts *,
placed irregularly in a circular line, and contained about a hundred
and twenty inhabitants, two-thirds of whom appeared to be females.
This, therefore, among the Bushmen of this portion of the Cisgariepine,
is rated as one of their largest kraals.
I was received every where with smiling faces, as I quickly
passed their huts, searching and inquiring for Ruiter. I now discovered
that he had another name, and that among Bushmen, to
which nation his mother belonged, he bore that of Arree, signifying,
as I was told, one who has lost a tooth ; for in fact, his right eye-tooth
was deficient. At length I found him and Nieuwveld, lying asleep
in one of the houses.
Seeing a small party of men sitting by the side of a hut, I went
and seated myself down amongst them, and passed half an hour in
* Similar to that which is represented by the vignette at the end of Chapter III.
and to those which may be seen in the fourth plate.