«74- ox to a farmer», for fear left his own people and kindred September. * ■ -* ■ ■' r ■* -fhould. tell tales of him tp the landroft of Zwellendam. I had before this heard it laid, that, among the Hottentots, the youngeft fpn was the principal, and, I had almoft faid, the foie heir. Captain R u n pg an g e r a&ually confirmed to me the reality o f this very peculiar law, informing me, that all his cattle, together with his title o f Captain and his ftaff, would, after his death, fall to the ill are of his youngeft ion. As I was curious to fee the enfign of his authority, or rather o f his vaffalage, I mean his Captain’s ftaff, he iKewed me the. cape he had in his hand, which was a ihort and very plain Indian (or, as it is generally called, Spaniih) bamboo, with a very indifferent copper head three inches long, which cane he was bound always to carry about him. I have mentioned before,, that R u n d g an - ger’s hut ieemed of an unufual fize; in fail, it was three. o£ four times larger than common, and fo roomy as to allow o f a bedchamber and wardrobe being parted off from it by means o f mats. ■ With refpeit to the .building,, it was compofed of poles,, plaqed fa as to meet in a point at top, and afterwards covered with ftraw, fo that altogether it had the ihape of a cone. It is probable, that the title of Captain, hereditary in the R u nd g ang er family, had in fome meafure given them the idea of thus building their huts in a more poliihed and civilized ityle than the reft of their countrymen; and I think it cannot be denied, but that a certain degree o f ambition is abfolutely requifite in the Hottentot people, in order to convert their craals into more poliihed and laborious communities; in like manner as this fame paflion, on, the other hand, may be carried ried to fuch a height in civilized nations, as to make them s ’77v degenerate again into their priftine inadlivity and iloth, and produce all the evils naturally confequent on fuch an alteration o f manners. Henceforward it would be too tedious and prolix, and indeed unneceffary, to give an account o f every day fepa- rately, juil as I wrote it down in my journal: as by that means, remarks not diflimilar to the preceding might chance to occur very frequently. From what has been already defcribed, it will perhaps eafily be imagined, that our expedition confifted for the greater part o f daily vexations, anxiety, and difficulties, very moderate pleafures, and trifling difcoveries, the relation of which would by no means intereil .the generality o f readers. I fhall therefore make feparate mention o f certain days only, throwing all together in a promifcuous manner, fuch occurrences as happened on the reft. We continued our route, palling over Duyvenboefis-riviery and taking the upper road through Kafferkuyls-rivier, an<f fo on through Gaurit-rivier. From thence through a green vale, called Honing-kRp (Honey-rock;) from this place to and from MoJel-baj,, then over Klein and Groot Brak-rbiers into Houtnrquas land, as far as is indicated by the dots on the map. Perhaps it may not be abfolutely without ufe to remark , in this place, that at Duyvenhoeks-rivier we firft faw the dorn boom, or tree called mimofa niiotica, which produces the gum arabic. The river juff mentioned is deep, and1 has rather a itrong current. Profeffor Thunberg (it is faid) I i 2 in
27f 72-1
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