Dl7e7!bcr pendicular; as, in fail, it is at prefent. At night we had rain, with a fouth-weft wind. On the 9th at five o’clock in the morning, when we departed from hence, the thermometer was at 62 ; and at half paft three in the afternoon we arrived at Zondags-ri- vier’s-drift. We had, neverthelefs, gone out of our road on purpofe to chafe two buffaloes, one o f which made its efcape though wounded, and the other leaped into a clofe thicket, where it was neither advifeable, nor indeed poffi- ble to follow it. In the mean time, to my great aftoniih- ment, we could fee from the top o f the buihes the animal piercing through the thickeft of the wood with the greateft eafe, juft as i f he was merely running through a rye-field. We likewife faw a Koedae (the antilope Jlrepji- ceros of P a l l a s .) Soon after our arrival at this part of Sunday-rivier, we were waited upon by three old Hottentots, who feemed as i f they came to pry into our bufinefs in thofe parts. They were, properly fpeaking, of the race o f Bojhies-men, though of the more civilized fort, who, even in their own language, diftinguilhed themfelves by the name of good Bojhies-men; probably from the circumftance of their grazing a few cattle, and not living by rapine like others of their countrymen. My guide explained their bufinefs to me, which was to beg tobacco, and to complain of their diftreffed fitua- ■tion; the farmers having been with them, and having carried off all their young people, fo that they were now left alone in their old age to look after themfelves and their cattle. I ordered my interpreter to tell them in reply, that we, as they they might very well perceive, were no farmers, and ftill Dc'c^!b-er_ lefs kidnappers. I muft here inform the reader, that many of the ignorant Hottentots and Indians not having been able to form any idea of the Dutch Eaft-India Company and the board of dire&ion, the Dutch from the very beginning in India, politically gave out the company for one individual powerful prince, by the chriftian name o f Jan or John. This likewife procured them more refpedt, than i f they had actually been able to make the Indians comprehend, that they were really governed by a company of merchants.. On this account I ordered my interpreter to fay farther, that we were the children of Jan Company, who had lent us out to view this country, and colledt plants for medical purpofes. I likewife bid him give them to underftand, that we had an amazing quantity o f powder and ball, together with five ftand of fire-arms, as they themfelves faw; that we intended to ihoot a great deal of game, and it would be a great pity if they could not come along with us, and partake of the abundant fpoil o f fieih, which would otherwife be fuffered to lie as food for the birds and beafts of prey. This ftory, patched up in hafte, with a mixture of truth and falihood, feemed to have made a deep impreifion on thefe Hottentots. It was, indeed, touching them in a tender part, to talk to them of fo much meat, and. to pity their emaciated ftate, without letting them obferve, however, that it was more for my own advantage than theirs,, that I was fo defirous of their company. That- fame night then, there - not only came to me three middle-aged men
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