SOUTHERN AFRICA. 277 



tlie despot. I must add also^ that the circumstance of our 

 having been well received by his Majesty^ and suffered to 

 escape with our lives — while it elicited every one's astonish- 

 ment^ appeared also to create a g-eneral feeling- of jealousy 

 and dissatisfaction. 



Ag-ain there was a drenching* rain all nig-ht^ and two more 

 of our finest oxen being- completely powerless from their 

 wounds^ we presented them to young- Breck, in part acknow- 

 ledg-ment of his father's assistance^ and pursued our journey 

 on the morning- of the 1 1th. Even to the colonial boundary, 

 we had still a weary distance before us, and g-rass was repre- 

 sented to be extreme^ scarce ] but we now travelled with 

 fresh oxen along- a beaten wag-gon road, an accommodation 

 to Avhich we had been strang-ers for several months. In the 

 course of the forenoon, we were met by a farmer from Beau- 

 fort, on the Karroo, with a Hottentot achter rydeVy or foot- 

 man going- to keli,y as he called it, or in other words, to see 

 how the emig'rants were likely to thrive, before selling- his 

 own farm. On learning* that we were from Sillekat's land, 

 his first question was, " How the Kafirs had happened to let 

 us come out in a sound skin ?" And this, in fact, wherever 

 we went, was the theme of wonder and astonishment — few 

 beino- able to understand the difference between concihatino- 

 a savag-e with presents, and entering- his territories uninvited. 

 In the course of this day's journey, which occupied nine 

 hours, we crossed the Riet river, and were rejoined by Fre- 

 derick, who reported that he had seen the remnant of our 

 flock safe in the hands of a party of Bushmen, whom, al- 

 though mounted and armed himself, he durst not approach. 

 It was waxing- late, Avhen volumes of dust attracted our at- 

 tention, to countless flocks of sheep that were being- driven 

 from pasture ; following- which, and entering- a g*org-e in the 

 hills, an astounding- panorama burst upon the sig'ht. A lone 

 green valley, which stretched between two rang-es of I'ocky 



