'775- There blew from the fea, which was at that time but a A u g u f t . . fmall diftance from us, a cold fouth-eaft wind, and my companion was feized with his old troubleiome cough and fpitting o f blood, which continued till we arrived at night at a farm called Groote Vlakte (the Great Plain.) But, as we had no proviiions with us, and the farm was inhabited merely by {laves, who'had nothing but cold water and a little coarfe and doughy bread to entertain us w ith ; and as befides the fpitting of blood was fomewhat relieved by fome faltpetre which I had taken with me, as well as by the. fait my companion had been obliged to keep, though fore againft his will, he did not chufe to ftay here longer than the following noon, but plucked up courage fufficient to continue his route on horfeback as before. In the mean time we entered into chat with the principal ilave, who informed us, that he had been feveral times bought and fold: and that this laft time, notwithftanding his age, which was not lefs than fifty years, yet in confideration of his well-known fidelity, and o f the dependence that might be placed in him, he had been bought in at an auCtion for a bailiff by a niggardly farmer, who, on that account, had thought it worth his while to purchafe him at fo high a price as a hundred and ten rixdollars. Upon which, the poor fellow obferved, that he had not fared better with his firigular fidelity, than other flaves who were remarkable for their great ftrength o f body; fince he had found his burthen of care and refponfibility increafed upon him in the fame degree, as thefe latter experienced the augmentation of their loads. Indeed, the lot and reward o f both were like thofe o f old worn-out horfes, viz. to be negleCted and ftarved ftarved in their old age, in cafe they did not before that Se period fink into the grave under the preflure o f their bondage. I then informed him, that ilavery was not tolerated in my country; and it feemed to give him great pleafure in the midft of his misfortunes to think, that in fome part o f the world, however, the natural rights of mankind were held more facred than they were in thofe colonies. The ftate o f the weather for the month o f Auguft was as follows. The i f t and 2d days cloudy, on the 7 th and 8th violent rains and north-eafterly winds. On the 9th mizzling rain. On the 2iftj 23d, and 29th it rained with the wind at fouth-eaft. All the other'days of this month were fair with fun-ihine. I had, as I mentioned before, loft in my way to the bath the fmall thermometer, according to the fcale o f which the degrees have been hitherto given. So that fubfequent to this period it was from another thermometer o f Fahrenheit’s, procured for me by Mr. I m m e l m a n from the Cape, that my obfervations were made, which I ihall continue to give in the fame manner as I began at page 1 1 2 , On the 22d and 23d the thermometer was at 56— 24th therm. 53— 2 9th therm. 5 6— 3 oth therm. 5 2— 31 ft therm. 48. This month feemed to correfpond neareft with the month o f May in bur northern climates. On the 1 ft of September we paffed by two farms in Hejfaquas Kloof, or vale, through which our road lay. As Kolbe makes mention of a nation of Hottentots by the name of Hejfaquas, they probably dwelt formerly in this vale. From hence the road took us to the Breede-rivier, (as it is called) where there was a ferry-boat, in which we were put
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