14 Diary of a Journey to the Amaquai 



good supply of grass. The computed advance after this da 

 journey was two miles and two-thirds, and which requii 

 us, on account of the necessary circuits, to pass over a dis- 

 tance of five miles. 



Monday, 3d. — We were employed transporting our bag* 

 gage over the Berg River. Here, the sergeant who had 

 started eight days before us to barter sheep and oxen for our 

 use on the journey, of which he had obtained a good number, 

 joined us. 



Tuesday, 4th. — All our baggage arrived on the northern 

 bank of the river without any accident. While we were busy in 

 carrying it over, we saw five savages, who took to flight as 

 soon as they perceived us; on which tiie Commander ordered 

 a sergeant with two men to follow them, who, by beckoning 

 and making signs that we did not intend to hurt them, in- 

 duced all to stand and return. They then gave each a pipe of 

 tobacco, and signified that they should accompany them, 

 which they did. On arriving, His Honor the Commander 

 interrogated them, by means of the Cape Hottentots, to what 

 tribe they belonged ; they said they were Sonquas, by which 

 term is distinguished the robbers above-mentioned, and that 

 they had come here to look after an Eland which they had 

 wounded the day before with a poisoned arrow, and which 

 under such circumstance commonly dies on the following day. 

 They carry bows, arrows, and assagays, possess no cattle, 

 and subsist on honey and the game which they shoot. 



They had a very rough and scaly skin, arising from the 

 hunger which they had frequently to suffer, and from want of 

 fat witli which to anoint themselves. His Honor the -Com- 

 mander made them a present of a sheep, and although these 

 are people of no education, they had the consideration to 

 give to him, as a return, the skins of three bush cats. They 

 immediately cut the throat of the animal, skinned it, then 

 removed the two shoulders; and allowed nothing to be 

 wasted, except four small kernels Avhich were found in the 

 legs, and which they cut out and threw away. Being asked 

 why they did this, they only said they never ate them : they 

 covered the meat with hot ashes for about an hour, and then, 

 gnawing like the beasts, they consumed it. 



By much interrogation from His Honor the Commander, 

 they acknowledged to have been of that party which had 

 lately seized the cattle of a chief of the Amaquas, but said that 

 they had been requested to do it by a chief of the fore-men- 

 tioned robbers, whose kraal they pointed out, and in which 

 there was still all the cattle, with the exception of three 

 I which they had assisted in consuming. 

 We could not go to that kraal because it was too far dis- 

 tant. They stated also that we would obtain better informa- 



