194 LODGES IN THE WILDERNESS 



who does not shrink from either enduring or 

 inflicting necessary pain. 



The Raad was dissolved dismissed with 

 my blessing which, however, I felt constrained 

 to express in more or less guarded terms. I 

 regarded that body with deep and sincere ad- 

 miration. It might be of incalculable benefit 

 to the British Empire if the speakers of the 

 respective parliaments of the self-governing 

 Colonies, led by the speaker of the House of 

 Commons, were to visit the Richtersveld and 

 sit on that arid hill-side listening to the Raad's 

 deliberations. I should be prepared person- 

 ally to conduct the tour. 



With the Vicar's kind assistance I proceeded 

 with the necessary preparations for my gold- 

 seeking adventure. He lent me some carpen- 

 ter's tools, and I soon altered a small gin-case 

 I had brought into a very fair imitation of a 

 gold-digger's cradle. The next step was to hire 

 two pack-oxen and secure the services of a 

 few labourers. On the following morning we 

 would start for the supposed El Dorado. In 

 the meantime I again called on my interesting 

 friend the Vicar, drank some more of his excel- 

 lent coffee, and, after contributing according to 

 my means towards the building fund of the un- 

 finished church, bade my host a cordial farewell. 



