258 An Historical Account of the Formation, $c. 



himself acquainted with the surrounding country. On the 

 21st he visited the Table Mountain; the Lion's Hill on the 

 27th ; and on the 28th the hack of the Table Mountain. 

 And, by means of the Captains Heogsaet and Turver, with 

 other persons, on whom he could rely, he had obtained infor- 

 mation respecting the country as far as the Salt River. 



He was much delighted with the pleasing idea, that this 

 country, which to his glowing imagination appeared so fertile, 

 might hereafter be cultivated by Chinese or other people of 

 colour, or even by Europeans ; and with this feeling, on the 

 last day of the month, he writes, — " On this day, we, with 

 the Captain Hoogsaet, laid the first stone of the walls upon 

 which the rafters of the dwelling house and store are to be 

 placed." 



It is worthy of remark, that Van Riebeck, true to the 

 religion of his forefathers, had, from his arrival at this place, 

 caused Divine Service to be performed every Lord's day, and 

 a sermon to be read to him and his people, by the Chaplain ;* 

 this he generally styled " Het Sermoen." Daily, morning 

 and evening prayer seems also to have been customary. 



On the 24th, Van Riebeck and his family, left the Ship, 

 and resided in a temporary wooden hut, the better to attend to 

 the progress of the work. 



Little else of consequence happened this month. The 

 transactions with the natives were few; and the killing of a 

 hippopotamus, by his people, during the night of the 24th, 

 appears the most remarkable occurrence. He describes this 

 animal as being " about the weight of two fat oxen, having a 

 very ugly monstrous head, with several sharp pointed tusks, 

 the longest of which were about § of an ell ; a short neck and 

 legs ; the feet resembling those of a rhinoceros in shape, but 

 divided into four parts. It was very wild and savage ; and 

 although wounded by several shots behind the ear, yet, as the 

 skin was an inch thick, and so hard that in some places a 

 musket shot could not penetrate, it was only at length killed 

 by a ball striking it in the forehead. It was given to the 

 people and was found to be well flavoured. Milk also ran out 

 of the udder." From this account we may suppose that the 

 animal here described was a hippopotamus ; and probably the 

 first ever killed by Europeans at this place. 



May. — The second month of Van Riebeck's residence here, 

 passed in similar occupations ; and by his continual presence, 

 the work advanced more to his satisfaction. He received 

 much information respecting the surrounding country, from 



* In the original, Krankbezoeker, a person in the Dutch Church whose 

 duty it is to visit and pray with the sick ; but who, however, is not ordained, 

 nor "can -exercise any other clerical function. There appears to have usually 

 been one on board each ship. 



