CHAPTER I 



Land at Algoa Bay — Diamond Fields — Trading; trip throu^Mi Griqua- 

 land — The ChiefManchuran — Batlapin Village — Griqua Town — 

 Bushman's Lair — Klas Lucas, the Koranna Chief — Bechuanas at 

 Laneje Berg — Appearance of Country — Return to Diamond Fields 

 — Preparations for Second Expedition. 



On the 4th of September 1871, I set foot for the 

 first time upon the sandy shores of Algoa Bay, with 

 _^400 in my pocket, and the weight of only nineteen 

 years upon my shoulders. Having carefully read 

 all the works that had been written on sport and 

 travel in South Africa, I had long ago determined to 

 make my way to the interior of that country as soon 

 as ever circumstances would enable me to do so ; for 

 the free-and-easy gipsy sort of life described by 

 Gordon Gumming, Baldwin, and other authors, had 

 quite captivated my imagination, and done much to 

 determine me to adopt the life of ever-varying scenes 

 and constant excitement, which I have never since 

 regretted, and for which an inborn love of all 

 branches of Natural History, and that desire so 

 common amongst our countrymen of penetrating to 

 regions where no one else has been, in some degree 

 fitted me. 



As I knew no one in Port Elizabeth who might 

 have given me advice, 1 determined first of all to 



