22 THE MISSIONARIES. [chap. i. 



place, it seems to grow nowhere except in the Kuisip 

 and in the immediate environs of Walfisch Bay; 

 and, in the second place, every animal eats it; not 

 only men, cattle, antelopes, and hirds, but even dogs 

 and hyenas. It is a very useful agent towards fixing 

 the sands ; for as fresh sand blows over, and covers 

 the plant, it continually pushes on its runners uj) to 

 the air, until a huge hillock is formed, half of the 

 plant, half of sand. I do not much like its taste ; it is 

 too rich and mawkish. 



The waggons that belonged to the Missionaries in 

 the country came down to the beach to carry away their 

 supplies, which had arrived bj my ship. A vessel 

 would have been chartered for them if I had not 

 previously engaged it. They had arranged that one 

 should be sent every two years to bring them their 

 things of barter — clothes and groceries, and whatever 

 else they might want ; for the overland journey was 

 found to be more expensive and less practicable, as it 

 takes quite foiu' months to reach Cape Town from 

 Walfisch Bay, and the roads are so rocky that a 

 waggon is seriously risked by the joui-ney. The oxen, 

 too, are probably much worn out, and, after all, only 

 some 15001b., net weight, can be carried in each waggon. 

 On the other hand, a vessel from the Cape arrives in a 

 week, and can, of course, carry anytliing. The triji 

 costs about lOOZ. : it would be much less if it was not 

 that the prevalent winds make it a matter of some four 

 weeks to return. Chance vessels hardly ever arrive 

 now-a-days at Walfisch Bay : not one had come for 

 more than a year. 



