116 SWARTBOY AND AMIRAL. [chap. iv. 



chiefs hereabouts are Jonker and Amiral, who are 

 Oerlams ; Swartboy and Cornelius, who are pure 

 Hottentots. Messengers were at once despatched to 

 Cornelius and Amiral ; and I, wishing to see 

 Rehoboth, rode over there, and undertook to bring 

 back Swartboy. His tribe is a large but not a strong 

 one. A long time ago he was as bad as any of the 

 rest, if not worse ; but Sir James Alexander, when he 

 came into the country, frightened him into order, 

 and since that time missionaries have settled in his 

 place, and obtained considerable influence over him. 

 Swartboy's present position was merely a passive one ; 

 but his character carried much weight with it, and I 

 desired to make him a party to what Jonker and 

 Cornelius should arrange together. I wished also to 

 make him friendly to myself. The other chief, Amiral, 

 an Oerlam, was far ofi". He had always treated the 

 whites particularly well ; but his son and heir and part 

 of his tribe were said to have beeen robbing the Damaras 

 of late. Neither Jonker nor any other Hottentot has 

 supreme power in his tribe ; for these people are most 

 tenacious repubhcans, and insist upon a council of 

 elders finally ratifying everything that is proposed. 

 But Jonker is by far the most influential man in the 

 whole country, and has his own way in everything. I 

 believe that on great emergencies he dispenses with 

 the dehberations of the councU. I had a long conver- 

 sation with Jonker upon those parts of Damara-land 

 which he had seen. He had made two long excursions 

 with a large body of men on each occasion : one by 

 Erongo, to somewhere near Cape Cross ; the other, in 



