132 MEMORIES OF MY LIFE 



team could be selected to draw the cart, when it was 

 laden with articles of barter to buy oxen, and two if 

 not three skilled drivers and other necessary men ; also 

 two horses which were not expected to live long, and 

 did not, and a few dogs. The gear of the mission- 

 ary and the young missionary himself were also 

 taken on board. We started from Cape Town in the 

 second week of August 1850. 



On arriving at Walfish Bay, we found ourselves 

 faced by as desolate and sandy a shore as even 

 Africa can show, which is saying a great deal. 

 There was a small empty wooden hut on the beach, 

 very useful as a storehouse ; a few natives appeared, 

 and one consented to act as a messenger to the 

 mission station twenty miles off, in return for a stick 

 of tobacco and a biscuit. This is No. i on the map 

 (Schepmansdorf). We landed the things as best we 

 could from the schooner, which was anchored one- 

 third of a mile from the shore. The animals had to 

 swim, the rest of the cargo was taken in many 

 instalments by the dinghey. The missionary, Mr. 

 Bam, and his then guest and helper Mr. Stewardson, 

 a former cattle-trader, made their appearance the 

 next night, riding on oxen, which is a usual mode 

 of travel in these parts. 



In the meantime we had visited the watering- 

 place " Sand Fontein," three miles off, of which we 

 had heard, and which is marked by a dot on the map. 

 It was at that time a puddle of nasty water, but gave 

 a sufficient quantity of it for the mules and horses. 

 A cask of good drinking water was brought ashore 

 for ourselves and placed in the storehouse. 



It was agreed that all my possessions should be 



