1775- July. ■ kowO C H A P. V. Journey from the Warm Bath to Zwellendam. r r ^ H E time was now come for me to quit the bath, in X order to fet out upon the long journey I had in view. Mr. Immelman likewife now came to me from the Cape, •to bear me company according to his promife. But, contrary to my expectation, there was fomething Hill wanting o f the greateft importance. The peafant, who had undertaken to equip me with what was neceffary for my journey, had taken me in, not only by felling me a team o f wretched oxen, but likewife in the driver he procured me. Though he had hired him for me at feven rixdollars per month, exclufive o f his victuals and tobacco, the fellow'knew ftill lefs o f the road than we did ourfelves. This fame ¿driver had likewife neglected his duty, in omitting to procure us a Hottentot to lead our oxen. I had every reafon to think, that this omiflion was made on purpofe, in order that we might not penetrate far into the.country; in which cafe he himfelf would have the .fewer dangers and difficulties to undergo, and the wear and tear of my waggon would be the lefs; for I plainly perceived, ¡that , his principal, or the .farmer whom I had commiffioned to to agree with him for me, had buoyed himfelf up with the y^s- hopes, that he Ihould get my waggon dog cheap at my return. I therefore agreed with another, who was reckoned a fteady and experienced man; but he, as foon as we imparted to him in confidence our intentions of vifiting the more diftant parts o f the country, not only begged to be off the bargain, but likewife fincerely and from the bottom of his heart, advifed us to ftay at home. By this means we were quite put to our ihifts, not knowing how to get an inch farther. Though we now would have gladly put up with the Lego-Hottentots only, we met with a refufal likewife from them, on our fending to a couple o f craals, or communities, at the diftance o f eleven miles from us, in order to make a bargain with them. They excufed them- felves on the account that a great many o f their young men were juft dead, and fome o f them were ftill fick. It feem- ed they were afflidted with a bilious fever, a diforder which in general is rather uncommon at the Cape, and is always moft fatal to ilaves. But as it was now very rife, and ran very high among the colonifts themfejves, they were uni- verfally alarmed, and my fellow traveller as much as any of them. I, for my part, being an European phyfician, and ufed to much more dangerous epidemics, was in no concern whatever, except on account of the mortification and ihame I experienced at finding myfelf in danger o f putting an end to my journey for want o f a driver. Indeed,: I now wiihed within myfelf, and not without reafon, to have it in my power to exchange one or two o f the feven fciences for the art of driving oxen. At length, however, the baftard Hottentot, who lived near the bath in a hut made o f hurdles.
27f 72-1
To see the actual publication please follow the link above