SOLITARY RIDE. ST 
rapidly to descend, and as I felt fatigued, and saw 
no sign of the village of which we were in search— 
although from the number of hours we had been 
riding I imagined it could not be far distant,—l 
inquired anxiously whether we were proceeding in 
the right direction; but I experienced great difh- 
culty in making my Bushman companion compre- 
hend my questions rightly, his constant replies being 
nothing more than Yah, yah! to the most opposite 
inquiries. Shortly afterwards, however, we came up 
to a ridge of mountains, and riding along their base, 
at length, to my great satisfaction, discovered a row 
of huts, which were known by the name of old — 
Griqua Town. Hearing the trampling of our horses, 
the inmates rushed out, eagerly demanding who we 
were, and it afterwards appeared they were under 
great apprehension of our being the forerunners of 
some evil tidings connected with the threatened visit 
of Matakatzee. 
About an hour after midnight we reached the 
Mission-house, and roused the family of Mr. Wright, 
the Missionary, with whom I had been acquainted 
at Cape Town, and who were agreeably surprised at 
seeing me, having, from the disturbed state of the 
country, and the unseasonable hour of my arrival, 
anticipated other less peaceful visiters. When I had 
delivered the letters from Cape Town, of which I 
was the bearer, and which, from the few opportuni- 
ties of communication with the colony, were very 
