124 EXPEDITION INTO 



at an inauspicious juncture^ Avhen he was embroiled with 

 white men^ and niig'ht not unreasonably have reg'arded us 

 in the lig-ht of spies upon his land — a suspicion which the 

 pusillanimous conduct of our Hottentots^ and of Andries 

 in particular^ was calculated to inspire and confirm — we 

 had had throua'hout a difficult and somewhat hazardous 

 j^art to perform. The probabilities were in favour of our 

 being- detained^ and were certainly gTeatly ag-ainst our ob- 

 taining' permission to make our exit by the hitherto pro- 

 scribed route of the Vaal River, conducting*, as it would, 

 directly throug-li the scene of his operations ag'ainst the 

 mig-ratory farmers ; but by closing- our eyes upon passing- 

 events, and preserving- throug-hout our intercourse with the 

 despot a firm, conciliatory, and confiding- demeanour — not 

 only had we succeeded in convincing- him of the honesty 

 of our intentions — but now pursued our journey with every 

 reason to believe in the g-ood faith of his professions towards 

 ourselves. 



As we were now considered to be on terms of close in- 

 timacy with his Majesty, we had no dang-er whatever to 

 apjirehend from any of the native tribes, throug-h whose 

 territories we mig-ht have occasion to pass. All those that 

 inhabit the country between the Yaal River and the tropic 

 of Capricorn, were his tributaries, and the terror of his 

 name filled the surrounding- nations. None of his own 

 subjects indeed would dare to refuse us assistance, without 

 incurring- the certahity of his summary veng-eance. 



Our course, in order to reach the Cashan rang-e of moun- 

 tains where it had been resolved that our operations ag-ainst 

 the elephants should commence, was for the first three daj^s 

 a little to the southward of east. Mohanycom now armed 

 to the teeth, had relinquished his. appointment in the im- 

 perial household of gTooni of the bed-chamber, for that of 

 g'uide. He had received in our presence, more than once, 



