SOUTHERN AFRICA. 



283 



rapidity of our march, which will have heeii estimated from 

 the extent of ground we passed over— was owing- in a still 

 g-reater measure to the neg-lect and cowardice of the Hotten- 

 tots, and eventually swelled the expenses of the expedition 

 to £800 sterling-. But it is proper to state, for the infor- 

 mation of those of my Indian friends who may resolve upon 

 such a campaig-n, that by entertaining- a sufficient number of 

 Europeans to keep the Hottentots in awe, and employing- 

 also a third wag-g-on to carry out grain for the best horses 

 as well as to import into the colony a return-load of elephant's 

 teeth, and rare objects of natural history, the expedition 

 mig'ht be made to cover its own expenses. In addition to 

 the sable antelope, which had travelled the whole way on 

 my cot, and was— besides being- a most unenviable bed-fellow 

 —a sort of constant anxiety, my collection consisted of two 

 perfect crania of every species of g-ame quadruped to be 

 found in Southern Africa, tog-ether with skins of the Hon, 

 quag'g-a, zebra, ostrich, &c., tails of the camelopard, and tusks 

 of elephants and hippopotami, besides elaborate drawings 

 of every animal that interests the sportsman, from the tall 

 g-iraffe to the minutest antelope. 



The unlooked for return of the " two Indian g-entlemen" 

 from the interior, together with the exhibition of these cre- 

 ditable trophies, most of which were novelties to the oldest 

 resident, created a considerable revolution of sentiment in 

 our favour, wheresoever de Heeren set up their staff, their 

 rariteiten* became at one the centre of attraction to every 

 Dutch belle in the neighbourhood ; hundreds of male boasters 

 who twelve months before had ominously shaken their heads 

 at our projected expedition, now declaring that had they 

 only been aware of our intention of visiting " the terror of 

 the interior," (whose portrait was not considered the least 

 attractive of our curiosities), nothing on earth should have 



* Curiosities. 



