AJIKAL A PAKTY OF GRIQUAS. 347 



same that ran away with me at Cape-Town. The natives 

 otfered to buy him at a great price, but I had made up my 

 mind that, rather than go without him, I would run the risk 

 of losing him by the fearful distemper in question. How- 

 ever, he lived to see the Lake, where I finally disposed of 

 him. • 



Some days after my arrival at Cornelius's werft, my old 

 friend Amral made his appearance. He was accompanied 

 by a party of Griquas,* from whom I learned much to in- 

 terest me. 



In the hope of meeting with elephants, they had crossed 

 the Kalahari direct from their own country, but had suffer- 

 ed great privations ; for, though from all appearances water 

 must have been abundant in the rainy season, the desert was 

 fearfully dry when they passed through it. They had occa- 

 sionally been as much as nine consecutive days without a 

 drop of water, but sustained their own lives and those of 

 their quadrupeds by sucking and eating the wild gourd, 

 which fortunately covered the waste in great abundance. 

 To lessen the bitterness of the juice, they first cooked or 

 roasted the fruit. 



The party, which consisted of no less than forty-seven 

 wagons, had penetrated to within a few days of the Lake 

 Ngami, but not finding elephants, they retraced their steps. 

 A certain portion of the country they had visited was infest- 

 ed by the " tsetse," by whose poisonous bites they had lost 

 some of the cattle and horses. The "horse-sickness" also 

 prevailed. 



I engaged as Bechuana interpreter one of the Griquas, 

 who had visited the lake by the ordinary route {via Kuru- 

 man). He spoke of the inhabitants as civil and hospitable, 

 but warned me against the Dutch farmers, should I fall in 

 with any. I was well aware of their troublesome disposi- 



* Descendants of Dutch farmers and Hottentot women, and hence 

 also called Bastards. 



