AT TIMBUCTOO, WHETHER OR NO. 329 



having ridden some fifty miles in the course of the day with- 

 out tasting food of any description. In the Dutch language, 

 " danken" signifies a direct refusal ; but, not being aware of 

 this, I interpreted it in the very reverse sense, as meaning, 

 " If you please." As often, therefore, as I repeated the om- 

 inous word, so often had I the mortification of seeing the 

 smoking dishes pass by me ! 



Refreshing myself one afternoon at a comfortable farm- 

 house, the worthy host inquired whence and how far I had 

 journeyed. Having made a rough calculation in my own 

 mind, I told him the approximate distance. No sooner had 

 I done so than he clasped his hands together, and, turning 

 to his wife, exclaimed, in the utmost amazement, " Gracious 

 heavens ! the man has been in Timbuctoo !" " No, my good 

 friend, not quite so far," I remarked. But he became too 

 much absorbed in the novel idea, and, without attending to 

 me, he went on to say, " Yes, indeed, the man has been at 

 Timbuctoo." I again took the liberty to remonstrate, when 

 his brother, who was also present, ejaculated, "Yes, brother, 

 you are right. Timbuctoo ! ah ! eh ? yes ! Let me see, 

 Timbuctoo. Ah ! I remember to have read that it is situated 

 at the end of Africa, in a place where you can see nothing 

 but sand." Once more I attempted to explain, but to no 

 purpose. Right or wrong, I must have been at Timbuctoo. 

 I secretly wished I had been there. 



Finding they apparently knew more about my travels than 

 I did, I left them to themselves to discuss the merit of the 

 journey, and, diving into the eatables which had been lib- 

 erally spread before me, I did ample justice to their hospi- 

 tality. 



On the 22d of September I reached Cape-Town, where 

 my appearance afforded no little delight and amusement to 

 the mob, who shouted merrily after me, " Look at the jockey ! 

 ha ! ha ! ha !" My dress was certainly highly picturesque. 

 An old English hunting-cap — a present from a friend — 



