26 EXPEDITION INTO [Chap. IV. 



scarcely a day had elapsed before we had reason 

 to regret our part in the contract, for perpetual 

 drunkenness and debauchery found their way into 

 our peaceful family, and while our cattle were left 

 to stray in the fields, their keepers were generally 

 reposing in a happy state of oblivion by the road- 

 side. The result was, that two of our oxen died, 

 and most of the others lost their condition. The 

 characters of these baboon-faced gentlemen, how- 

 ever, as they became gradually developed to their 

 masters, will be sufficiently unfolded in the course 

 of these pages. 



Before quitting Graaff Reinet we obtained from 

 Mr. Ryneveldt, His Majesty's Civil Commissioner, 

 a further passport, claiming protection for us in the 

 wards of the different field cornets on our route ; 

 together with introductory letters to Captains Wa- 

 terboer and Cornelius Kok, two Griqua chieftains 

 in alliance with the colonial Government. Without 

 such an official authority, we could not have ventured 

 to carry across the frontier so large a supply of am- 

 munition, the policy of Government rendering the 

 transit of gunpowder into the territories of the native 

 princes altogether contraband. 



Our party now amounted in all to eleven. As a 

 body of men intended to resist a hostile tribe this 

 number was very insufficient; but with due prudence 

 and courage, we felt confident of repelling any pre- 

 datory attack, and with the advantage of fire-arms 

 of withstanding even a multitude of such opponents 

 as those by whom we were likely to be assailed. 



