hospitably entertained in the house with the family; who considered
themselves well repaid for their trouble by the information which
they obtained respecting the Bushmen. They also, in return, communicated
some information ; that those tribes who inhabit the banks
of the Nugariep, or Groote river, as they here called it, were considered
so extremely savage, that the boors had never yet been able to
bring about any friendly communication with them.
The name of Van der Merwe is one of the most common in
the Cape Colony. In cases where several of the same baptismal,
and surname occur, it is customary, in noticing them in writing,
as well as when they sign their own name, to add the Christian
name of their father, either at full length, as in the form,
for example, of Jacobsz or Jacobszoon; or by the initials only, as
Jz; a practice analogous to that by which, probably, we have
obtained such names as Richards or Richardson, Johnson, Jackson*,
&c. But among neighbours, colonists of the same name are
distinguished in a more familiar way, either by the place of
their abode, or by some other circumstance. Thus my hospitable
host was known to the boors around, by the appellation of Piet Dile-
wang (Thick-cheek,) on account of a swelling, or wen, upon his cheek.
Most of the family seemed to be troubled with slight coughs, the
same as I had observed at Nieukerks ; occasioned perhaps, by the
foggy state of the weather. A cough appeared the more remarkable,
as it was an ailment of very rare occurrence in the countries of the
former part of my travels. But it is not to be pronounced a prevailing,
Or a common, complaint in the Snow Mountains, since I did not
afterwards find it to be general; yet, it is more than probable, that
the misty cold atmosphere of Sneeberg proper, renders its inhabitants
very liable to be attacked by similar affections of the lungs.
The rhinoceros-bush grows abundantly on different parts of these
mountains, and was the only fuel which I saw used at this house;
other firewood being exceedingly scarce. The rhinoceros, as my host
informed me, and as my own experience afterwards confirmed, is now
nearly expelled from the Colony; it being very rarely to be seen
within the boundary: and hippopotami, formerly so numerous in the
Zeekoe river, are no longer, unless accidentally, to be found there; but
have all retreated to the Black River or Nugariep, where they may,
for the present: at least, live more undisturbed.
Van der Merwe had learnt from the observations of many years,
that at this place, a southeasterly wind, such as we had at this time,
almost always brings with it rain. In the winter, long icicles hang
from the thatch of his cottage, and the water is covered with a thick
ice. At that season the cattle, he asserted, would perish with cold,
if they were not all removed to a warmer farm, or leg-plaats.
22nd. The air was exceedingly cold, and a misty rain continued
to fall during the whole of the day. I became every hour more
anxious to reach Graaffreynet, and therefore, as there was little
prospect of gaining better weather by waiting till the afternoon, I
determined to depart; not more, for the purpose of getting forward
on our journey, than of descending from this cold region, into some
warmer tract.
Just as I was on the point of mounting my horse, a man . arrived
from a neighbouring veldcornet who had received intelligence of a
party of strange armed men having entered the Colony. This man
had orders to discover, who we were, and what were our intentions.
I briefly informed him, that we had none but peaceable intentions,
and that I was on my way to the landdrost. This messenger, who by
his manners and tone of voice, seemed to think that he was now
employed on a very serious affair, preferred the information of Van der
Merwe on the subject, to the suspicious stranger’s own account of
himself. After a few minutes’ questioning, he rode off, well satisfied
that the business turned out no worse: for it appeared that some
alarm had been excited by the fact of people having come into
the Colony, in a quarter where no arrival of the kind had ever been
known before.
At taking leave, Van der Merwe gave us a warm invitation to
make his house a resting-place on our way back. A near prospect of
the termination of our present journey, put all my Hottentots in good
spirits, and enabled them to set out without feeling disheartened at
the weather which they saw we should have to encounter.