10 EXPEDITION INTO [Chap. II. 



of grass, our cattle daily presented more finished 

 specimens of anatomy. Old Pollard, the loquacious 

 landlord of the last-mentioned inn, endeavoured by 

 his wit to supply the want of cheer, gravely assuring 

 us that had we employed him we might have ob- 

 tained horses, waggons, and oxen, at a tenth of the 

 price. This worthy Boniface's daughter here joined 

 our party, proceeding to Graham's Town on a 

 matrimonial expedition, or, in other words, to be 

 present, agreeably to colonial custom, when her 

 marriage banns were proclaimed in church. 



Whilst descending a steep hill by night, one of 

 the oxen contrived to strangle himself — a circum- 

 stance only remarkable from the great sensation 

 produced by the Parsee's steady refusal to partake 

 of the flesh. We often overheard our followers 

 afterwards talking of the cow-worshipper, who was 

 not allowed to eat beef.* It rained repeatedly and 

 heavily during our journey, the roads in an instant 

 becoming so slippery that it was impossible to pro- 

 ceed a single step until the water had run off. At 

 a place called Assegai Bush, the ground in the 

 morning was white with hoar frost ; and all the 

 brooks were frozen over, a sight we had not wit- 

 nessed for years. It was piercingly cold, and even 

 at 7 A.M. the thermometer stood at 34°. When 



* The well-known objection on the part of the Parsees, or fire- 

 worsbippers of India, to eating beef, is believed to have arisen 

 from a compact formed with the Hindoos on their first arrival. 

 A respect for Mahommedan prejudices is understood to influence 

 them equally against partaking of the unclean beast. 



