82 I GO TO BAEMEN. [chap. ra. 



done so from tlie beginning, and I felt convinced that 

 the hardest part of the journey, the first step, was over. 

 I now had an establishment of oxen and men, and a 

 few good servants amongst them, and it was precisely 

 in possessing myself of an establishment that my 

 great difiiculty had lain. 



There was a ride-ox for every man that went to the 

 Bay, and they trotted off on the evening of October 

 17th. Stewartson went back with them. I was very 

 sorry to part with him, as he had been an amusing 

 comrade and of great service to me. My proposed 

 expedition to Erongo had therefore to be postponed, 

 and I determined to go there on Hans's retui'n. 



I now lived in great part at Mr. Eath's house, 

 copjang his dictionary of Damara words, and hearing 

 the results of his observations on the people. Timboo 

 continued learning the language ; and I waited with 

 anxiety for an answer from Jonker. The time passed 

 pleasantly enough. I put my map of the coimtry, so far 

 as I had gone, into order, practised a good deal with 

 my sextant, but made very little progress indeed in the 

 language ; I cound find no pleasure in associating and 

 trying to chat with these Damaras, they were so filthy 

 and disgusting in every way, and made themselves 

 very troublesome. My mules were watched and taken 

 out to graze by two natives, whom I fed and paid at 

 the rate of a yard of iron wire per month. 



After a time, no reply having arrived from Jonker, 

 I engaged a Hottentot, who had four or five trained 

 oxen, to take me to Barmen. He was a respectable 

 old gentleman, who spoke Dutch perfectly, and every 



