arrIval at orange river. 187 



provided with one or more pack-horses bearing his com- 

 missariat and ammunition, and many of them had Hot- 

 tentot and Bushman after-riders. Their sole weapon 

 consisted of their roer or long gun ; each wore a leathern 

 shooting-bell round his waist, and a large bullock's horn 

 containing powder dangled by his side. 



On the 31st I continued my march, and on the even- 

 ing of the 2d of April I reached Philipolis, a missionary 

 station, and the chief town of the Bastards' country. 

 My road had led between the encampments of the con- 

 tending parties. Troops of mounted Boers had been 

 scouring the country in every direction, plundering all 

 they could lay their hands on, and sweeping off the cat- 

 tle and horses of the Bastards. Halting at an encamp- 

 ment of Bastards on the preceding day, I was much 

 amused by their taking me for a missionary. My cos- 

 tume was not very clerical, consisting of a dirty shirt 

 and an old Gordon tartan kilt. From a Bastard in the 

 vicinity of Philipolis I obtained two large rough dogs 

 in exchange for three pounds of coffee and a little tea. 

 The names of these dogs were " Bles" and " Flam." 

 Bles was of an extremely fierce and savage disposition. 

 On the evening of the 3d we encamped on the northern 

 bank of the mighty Orange River, at a place called 

 "Boata's Drift," which is nearly opposite Colesberg. 

 Our march had been through a succession of mountains, 

 covered with excellent pasture to their summits. It 

 had rained heavily throughout the day. After inspect- 

 ing the drift or ford on the following morning, we cal- 

 culated that the river was too high for the wagons to 

 cross; and by sending a man over on horseback, ac- 

 cording to the most approved custom, we ascertained 

 that a passage for the wagons was impracticable. I 

 accordingly instructed my men to proceed to Nerval's 



