138 EXPEDITION INTO [Chap. XVII. 



tent afforded ; but that if we could proceed by the 

 Vaal River, it should be sent to him as soon as the 

 hunting was over. The high road to his heart was 

 gained; his eyes twinkled, and after a moment's 

 hesitation he said that he had been thinking the 

 matter over, and that we were at liberty to go 

 wherever we pleased ! Having made this gratify- 

 ing announcement the king withdrew. 



Our object was now accomplished, but the mis- 

 creant Andries no sooner heard that his predictions 

 had been falsified, than he industriously circulated 

 a report that the bushmen across the Vaal were 

 so cruel and vindictive that there was not the most 

 remote probability of our regaining the colony by 

 that route ; and from that moment the fear of death 

 by poisoned arrows took the place of the dastardly 

 dread of the " great black one," whom our followers 

 now pronounced to be a " very fine gentleman." I 

 need scarcely add, that the despot's beer had no 

 small effect in producing this revolution of senti- 

 ment. In about half an hour the king sent for the 

 tent. This we had anticipated in the natural train 

 of events ; but in order to enhance the value of the 

 bribe, we took the liberty of reminding him of the 

 terms of the agreement, and declined to part with it 

 until the hunting should be over, inwardly hoping 

 that this 7-iise would hasten our dismissal, for which 

 we were hourly becoming more anxious. 



The wealth of this barbarous sovereign may be 

 said almost to consist in his innumerable droves of 

 horned cattle. These are herded in various parts 



