36 CHARACTER OF MY MEN". [chap. ii. 



poured in, which steamed the hot earth ; lastly, the 

 wood was placed in the trench, covered up, and left to 

 lie for a day. 



After two days' hard work, the axletree was formed 

 into shape, the necessary holes were bored through 

 it, and Mr. Bam laid it by, so that if his present one 

 fairly broke, he could, with a day's work and ordinary 

 tools, put in the new one, which, in the meantime, was 

 left to season thoroughly. 



I began now to see something of the character of 

 my men, and what they were fit for. They had on 

 the whole worked willingly and well ; but a great 

 deal of pilfering had been going on. In the constant 

 loading and unloading of my many things, it was 

 impossible but that several occasions should occur 

 for the servants to steal them, and some had certainly 

 done so. However, I said nothuig, but Andersson 

 and myself both kept a sharp look out. Mr. Bam 

 had assured me of the general honesty of the 

 natives at his station, in such strong terms, that I 

 felt I could safely accept a land offer that he made, 

 and leave all my boxes with him, in the outhouse 

 that I had occupied, and take the whole of my men 

 with me. 



It seems that these Hottentots have a great 

 respect for locks and keys ; the wooden storehouse of 

 the bay has been left entii'ely without protection for 

 months, and although the natives knew that it was 

 then full of the very things they valued so highly, no 

 occasion was known of their having broken into it. 

 The sandy soil is a great check upon dishonesty, for 



