336 TIMBO AGAIN NEW SERVANTS. 



nometer watch, and two ordinary watches. Mr. Maclear, 

 the royal astronomer at the Cape, kindly assisted me in se- 

 lecting most of the above instruments. He, moreover, took a 

 great deal of pains in adjusting them, and showing me their 

 use, though I fear I almost wore out his patience, for I was 

 excessively stupid in this respect. But I trust the result has 

 proved that his labor was not altogether thrown away. 



Shortly after our arrival at the Cape I had been fortunate 

 enough in securing the services of an old acquaintance, Tim- 

 bo, who had safely returned from St. Helena, where he left 

 ]Mi\ Galton. He proved invaluable to me. To his charge 

 my dogs and native servants were confided, and they throve 

 wonderfully under his management. 



I had intended to send two or three Damaras with Hans 

 to Australia ; but one day, previous to his departure, they 

 came to me in great tribulation, and said they did not want 

 to go any farther, but wished to return with me to their own 

 land. If such was really their intention, it became my duty 

 to gratify them ; but I could not help feeling a little vexed, 

 for, since no one but Timbo could speak their language, I 

 strongly suspected that he had influenced their decision. 

 With a view of ascertaining the fact, I called him, and told 

 him my opinion ; but he stoutly denied the charge, adding, 

 " Suppose, master, me was to take a horse from the stable 

 in the Kaap to Wynberg, or to any other strange place, and 

 then leave him to himself, surely he would return whence ho 

 came; and so it is with the natives." I was struck with 

 the sagacity of the remark, and said no more about the 

 matter. 



Timbo had procured a passage from St. Helena in the 

 Birkenhead man-of-war, and on the voyage he got acquainted 

 with an English lad, George Bonfield, aged sixteen. A mu- 

 tual attachment sprung up between the shrewd Ethiopian 

 and the youthful Saxon, and in a short time the former 

 was the means of indirectly saving the life of the latter. On 



m 



