chap.it.] obtain INTERPRETEES. 119 



flogging men for stealing, or attempt at murder ; and 

 this was a case that came within my code, so I bor- 

 rowed oxen and was off. The night was too dark to 

 start in, till about one o'clock in the morning, when I 

 rode very fast in three stages to the place, which we 

 were able to reach during the late afternoon of the next 

 day. To my grief the fellow had trecked southwards 

 in the morning, and was now many hours further; 

 and had also stated his intention of travelling steadily 

 on. My oxen were knocked up, and so were we ; and 

 overtaking him now was out of the question, hungry as 

 we were. As soon as the pot was put on the fire, we 

 all fell fast asleep, and forgot our dinner till the mid- 

 night dull awoke us. Trotting on oxback for many 

 hours is very severe work, if the animals as they 

 usually do, require much urging. The creatures had 

 eaten, and were fit to return on the forenoon of the 

 next day; and we returned late in the night to 

 Eehoboth. 



I there obtained some valuable additions to my stock 

 of oxen. Timmerman, the one I had just ridden, I 

 bought off-hand : he was a tame, sturdy ox ; I also got 

 two couple of front oxen, and some hind oxen. These 

 are the important ones of the team ; and if good, the rest 

 are easily made to do their work. I also hired a black 

 waggon-driver, Phlebus, who knew nothing of his own 

 language, but had been a trained Hottentot and Dutch 

 interpreter; and Swartboy very kindly gave me his 

 henchman, Onesimus, who, besides being by profession 

 his Ufe-guardsman, was his interpreter to the Damaras. 

 These two were most accurate Tenderers of whatever 



