415 



Extracts from the Journal of Mr. Andrew Geddes 

 Bain, kept during a Visit to some of the Interior 

 Tribes of Southern Africa, tfi the Year 1826.* 



[Read at the South African Institution.] 



August 14. — Having encamped late last night in a wood, 

 within about half a mile of the residence of Towan, the king 

 of the Baralongs, at sun-rise we despatched Poloholo, my 

 Bichuana servant, and another native, to apprise him of our 

 arrival, and shortly after their departure we heard a loud 

 shout of joy from the inhabitants, just as our people entered 

 the village. I followed a few minutes afterwards on horse- 

 back, and the moment they got sight of me, a similar shouting 

 was commenced by two boys, the first who saw me, and the 

 glad tidings flew from one to the other, until the whole place 

 was in a tumultuous tempest of seeming joy, the dogs joining 

 heartily in the loud chorus. 



I rode through the middle of the kraal (for I can call it 

 nothing else, it being merely a temporary town where no 

 houses were built, but some bushy screens were erected here 

 and there to shelter the inhabitants from the wind,) to the 

 great terror of the women and children, who fled as if they 

 had seen an apparition. Being directed to Towan'3 screen, I 

 soon found it out, and there saw Poloholo standing in the 

 midst of a circle of grave-looking Barolongs, who were 

 squatted round a fire under a large tree. He told me that the 

 king was among the number, so I set my skill in physiognomy 

 to work to point the monarch out, but unfortunately missed 

 my mark, by mistaking one of his lowest menials for the 

 king's most excellent majesty. Poloholo smilingly unde- 

 ceived me, and pointed to a sedate-faced old fellow, with a 

 very flat nose, and a remarkably projecting under lip ; who, 

 as he there sat, muffled up in a dirty buck-skin caross, would 

 have been the last man I should have taken for the chief. I 

 saluted him, but he scarcely deigned to return that civility. 

 His council and the crowd gathered round us, had all their 

 eyes fixed upon me ; but the worthy monarch, perhaps in. a 

 brown study, kept his immovably directed to his mother 

 earth, so that on the whole I never, in the course of my tra- 

 vels, saw a drier piece of taciturnity. I went and sat down 

 by him, thinking by familiarity to draw him into a conversa- 

 tion, but with much difficulty could 1 extract a simple nega- 



* For a statement of his views in travelling, and an outline of his pro- 

 ceedings, the Author refers to the South African Advertiser, Nos. 66, 72, 7&, 

 989, and '2)0 



