CHAP. II.] A LESSON TO THE NATIVES. 25 



Mr. Bam told me I should have great trouble in 

 first going up the country, unless I had a person to 

 guide me, and that there was not a Hottentot with him 

 who could go. I had no interpreter for them, and they 

 were frightened at the Damaras. Stewartson said that 

 he was going in about two months, and would then be 

 very happy to show me the way. It appeared, on 

 further conversation, that the business which detained 

 him from going at once was, that he had to make a 

 fence round his garden to keep it from Mr. Bam's pigs. 

 So I arranged with two of my men that they should 

 go and help him to get through the work quickly, while 

 my others were employed with me. After a week every- 

 thing was returned to Sand Fountain. Andersson and 

 myself had employed ourselves in walking about, 

 superintending the work. The Hottentots of course 

 crowded round us every day, but they did not at all 

 trouble us : only one or two of them were impudent, 

 and, as I did not know how much thrashing they would 

 stand, I let them alone. I took some pains to exhibit 

 and explain to them the mechanism of a spring rat- 

 traj), and when they sufficiently comprehended its 

 object, I gave them to understand that my boxes were 

 aU guarded by rat-traps, so that if they put their hands 

 into them to steal, they would infallibly be caught. 



The black and white crows almost attacked our 

 larder for food. They live on the dead fish that lie 

 about the beach, which indeed is almost the only food 

 hereabouts for them. The natives brought us milk 

 every morning to barter for tobacco, and also some 

 goats. Mr. Bam very kindly sent me a slaughter ox. 



