286 CHANGE OF SENTIMENTS. 



shake-down at the house of a Dutchman, a mile or so 

 from the river. He was a very good sort of fellow, but 

 given to grumble. He was in low spirits when I first saw 

 him, as all his cattle had disappeared and he was fearful 

 the Bushmen had carried them off. Upon discovering his 

 loss he at once sent in to the magistrate of the Kaffirs at 

 Pietermaritzburg, who sent a party out in search of the 

 lost herds. The cattle were soon found, as they had only 

 strayed some few miles, attracted by sweet grass. We 

 were sitting at dinner, zee-koe pork (hippopotamus flesh) 

 and tough pudding being the bill of fare; when the 

 Dutchman suddenly jumped up, and exclaimed, " Now I 

 will say the government is good." I looked round and 

 saw that this remark was brought forth by his seeing all 

 his cattle returning under the escort of the police, every 

 head being safe and sound. The man who ought to have 

 watched the cattle while they were grazing had fallen 

 asleep ; they walked away, the man awoke, and not seeing 

 them, at once reported to his master that the Bushmen 

 had carried them all off. 



The river decreasing during the night, I returned to 

 Pietermaritzburg on the next day. 



