1776. January. leaft regard to our being prefent: however, as it was grown very dark, we thought it moft advifeable not to make a long ftay. We had fcarcely got home, before their interpreter came along with two Caffres to borrow our porridge pot. This meffage our Hottentots interpreted to us in a lorrowful tone, adding, that the Caffres ufually kept what they borrowed, elfe we muft have a (rusje') or difpute with them. As our porridge pot was abfolutely a treafure to us, and was particularly ufeful to our Hottentots, for the purpofe o f boiling and melting their fat, 8cc. and the Caf&es probably could .not have withftood the temptation o f keeping it, I thought it was as well to have a rusje with them at firft as at laft. I endeavoured to pacify them however, by a civil anfwer; and fent them word, that i f the company’s fons had two porridge pots, they would certainly lend one o f them to their friends the Cajjres; but that we were then hungry, and were going to drefs our vidtuals that very n ig h t: to which I added, that fome ikill was requifite in order to drefs victuals in our pot, fo that they might not be fpoiled ; for which reafon, I would my- felf take care to have their meat dreffed for them the next morning, as foon as ever they ihould fend it to my Hottentots. It is true, they fuffered themfelves to be put off with this compliment 5 but we could not tell for all that, whether they might not take it in their heads to fend a ihower o f darts in the night, before we were aware o f it, through the tilt of our waggon, in the fame manner as happened to H e u p p e n a e r , whofe itory I have related at page 154 o f this volume; on which account we fortified that part of our waggon with our faddles, and the ikins of beafts, beafts, and defended ourfelves on the fides with bundles of paper, clothes, and pieces of dried rhinoceros’s hides. Two guns, with their muzzles pointed in a proper pofition, were placed at each end of the waggon, fo that we could diredtly», on the firft rupture, difcharge four pieces; moreover, in order to increafe the alarm and terror of the enemy, we wer-e then, as well as at the firft arrival of the Caffres on the preceding day, prepared to throw, i f neceffary, powder- horns and large cartouches into the fire, which was about eight or nine paces diftant from u s : we were likewife on this occcafion to have filled our pockets without delay with loofe gunpowder, in order to keep up from our fire-arms,, a briiker, though lefs effectual fire, and a continual report, with a view to frighten the enemy at a diftance. We confidered our horfes and oxen too, which, according to our conftant cuftom, were tied to the waggon all around it, as a kind of intrenchment, having particular reafon to- expe<ft, from the fhynefs o f our horfes, previous notice of any attack; fo that upon the whole we flept tolerably fecure: and though, even after fuch ample preparations for our defence, we thought ourfelves happy to efcape being attacked by the enemy, yet ftill we could not help wiihing, that we had been able to gratify our friends with an account of an affault on the part of the Caffres. I cannot help thinking, however, that the inftances we have of the deceitful difpofitions of the barbarians in general, and of the fudden tranfitions which are fometimes made by them from a ftate of peace and tranquillity to that of rapine and daughter, are fufficient to juftify all our fufpicions, and the precautions we took with refpedt to them; 1776. January.
27f 72-2
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