22 EXPEDITION INTO 



contract^ for perpetual drunkenness and debauchery found 

 their way into our peaceful family, and while our cattle 

 were left to stra}^ in the fields, their keepers were g-enerally 

 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 ba- 

 boon-faced g-entlemen, however, as the}^ became gradually 

 developed to their masters, will be sufficiently unfolded in 

 the course of these pages. 



Before quitting" GraafF Reinet we obtained from Mr. 

 E-yneveldt, His Majesty's Civil Commissioner, a further 

 passport, claiming- protection for us in the wards of the 

 different field cornets on our route ; tog-ether with introduc- 

 tory letters to Captains Waterboer and Cornelius Kok, two 

 Griqua chieftains in alliance with the colonial Government. 

 Without such an official authority, we could not have ven* 

 tured to carry across the frontier so larg-e a supply of 

 ammunition, the policy of Government rendering- the transit 

 of g-unpowder into the territories of the native princes alto- 

 gether 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 courag-e, we 

 felt confident of repelling any predatory attack, and, with 

 the advantao-e of fire-arms, of withstanding- even a multi- 

 tude of such opponents as those by whom we were likely to 

 be assailed. 



