192 ADVENTURES IN SOUTH AFRICA. 



smith. I purchased from various parties several ex* 

 cellent horses and trek-oxen, and increased my kennel 

 of dogs to twelve stout, rough, serviceable-looking curs. 

 From Mr. Williams of the commissariat I purchased a 

 largo elephant-gun, carrying four to the pound. I en- 

 gaged two additional Hottentots, named Johannus and 

 Kleinfeldt, and replenished my supplies in every depart- 

 ment ; and on the 22d, every thing being ready, I re- 

 solved, if possible, to get under way that afternoon. 

 With inconceivable trouble, I managed to collect all 

 my runaway men, dogs, oxen, and horses together ; and, 

 after much bustle and angry altercation with my ine- 

 briated and swarthy crew, my caravan was in motion, 

 and started on its distant journey. We were followed 

 by the female acquaintances of our Hottentots, scream- 

 ing, yelling, and cursing at their men, at the sarrie 

 time catching up handfuls of red dust, which they toss- 

 ed into the air with true Hottentot action. Having no 

 hair fortunately to rend, they contented themselves with 

 scratching their woolly pates and rending their petti- 

 coats, which they soon reduced to tatters. Among oth- 

 er articles with which I loaded up while in Colesbert? 

 was a number of common muskets, which had been 

 represented to me as being the most available to barter 

 for ivory with the tribes of the far interior. These I 

 afterward turned to good account, and regretted that I 

 did not possess ten times as many of them. As it was 

 not improbable that, in the event of my encamping too 

 near to Colesberg that evening, my followers would 

 avail themselves of the opportunity to levant under cov- 

 er of night, and return to the embraces of their wives 

 and sweethearts, I made up my mind, having once suc- 

 ceeded in setting them in motion, to give them a good 

 spell of it ; and accordingly, there being good moon- 



