114 VISIT JONKER. [chap. iv. 



partnership, and Katjimasha not feeling safe, ab- 

 sconded with all his men to Damara-land, of which he 

 is now one of the principal chiefs : here I made my 

 toilet, and refreshed my trusty ox, and in the cool of 

 the evening rode down upon Eikhams. Hans knew 

 the place, though not the road we had travelled to it, 

 and pointed out a liill, round the corner of which the 

 village lay. Even Ceylon (my ox) caught the excite- 

 ment, and snuffed the air like a war-horse. We 

 formed together, gained the corner of the hill ; Hans 

 recognised Jonker's hut, and we, I cannot say dashed, 

 but jogged right at it. An obstacle occurred, and 

 happily was sm^mounted, which might have much 

 disconcerted the assault : it was a ditch, or Kttle 

 ravine, that a torrent had made ; it was rather deep, 

 and four feet wide ; but I was in hunting costume, and 

 I am sure Ceylon knew it, for he shook his head, and 

 took it uncommonly well ; in fact, oxen, if you give 

 them time, are not at all bad leapers. The others 

 followed ia style. So far was well. The huts of the 

 place were all in front, and Jonker's much the largest. 

 Everybody saw us, and was looking at us. There is 

 great etiquette in these parts about coming to a 

 strange place, but we defied all that, and I rode and 

 rode, until my ox's head not only faced, but actually 

 filled the door of the astonished chief. Conceive the 

 effect. My Dutch was far from fluent, so I rated him 

 ia English, and after a while condescended to use an 

 interpreter. He never dared look me in the face, as I 

 glared down upon him from my ox. I then rode away 

 in a huff, and took up my quarters in the village, and 



