256 TRAVEL FROM EIKHAMS. [chap. ix. 



and forty milch goats for them ; but all my efforts to 

 buy horses were unavailing. He, however, gave me 

 a mount to Rehoboth, where I went to induce 

 Swartboy to meet Jonker and Cornelius, and settle 

 many matters that were in dispute between them, and 

 also to overawe Cornehus and keep him in better 

 order, for he had lately been stealing a great deal of 

 Damara cattle. 



My Hottentot interpreters now were Eybrett and 

 Phlebus ; but Eybrett was an educated man, and could 

 interpret from English to Hottentot at once, so that I 

 generally employed him. He was an excellent inter- 

 preter into Dutch when he chose to take pains. 



We had between us a motley command of lan- 

 guages ; for including those of Euroj)e, one or other 

 of the jjarty could converse fluently in nine different 

 languages — English, French, Swedish, Dutch, Danish, 

 Portuguese, Hottentot, Damara, and Movisa; besides 

 having some acquaintance with German, Arabic, 

 Caffre, and a smattering of Ovampo. 



It will be tedious to describe my journey now as 

 minutely as I did that in Damara-land, for it was 

 much the same thing over again — uncertainty of the 

 way and want of water ; but we had become far 

 quicker and more seK-confident in emergencies, and 

 were altogether a very active and efficient body of men. 

 Among my Damaras I had two of the smartest men 

 and best runners that could be found in the country ; 

 all of them, indeed, were picked men, and they had 

 become much attached to us, and worked very well, 

 and willingly. 



