46 
walking trip and sleep and live as site could. It appeared 
slie liad been sixteen years in a Dutcliman's family, and, 
not being well treated, bad bolted, and turned up at our 
wagons ; but tbis we didn 't know till afterwards. As 
Dubois could not be back under three days, we spent the 
time in preparation for our next move. Put together little 
sacks to hold 40-lbs. of flour or rice a-piece, and soaked 
the outer covers in a composition of resin and fat to make 
them waterproof; and made up sundry other loads of 
various articles to the proper weight. Shot a secretary 
bird at last, which came quite close to the camp in the 
long grass, through which I crawled out to meet it. We 
find it is impossible to get anything in the way of butter, 
milk, or other provisions that we want, as it is all snapped 
up for the gold fields. 
June 20th, Soon after breakfast this morning a Dutch- 
man appeared on horseback, and after asking me some 
questions which I couldn 't understand the drift of, he 
suddenly discovered our new lady's maid, and calmly 
saying, Come along, Sara!" he wished me good-bye and 
rode off towards the town. Sara made no more ado, said 
good-bye to E. and went after him. He turned out to be 
her master, and had been hunting for her far and wide, 
and after finding her at our wagons took her before the 
magistrate, who declined to punish her, but ordered her to 
return to her old service ; and the old fellow who claimed 
her wouldn 't listen to anything I had to say. I tried to 
strike a bargain with him, and make it worth his while to 
let the girl go, but it was no use, the fact being she was 
as good as a slave till twenty-two years of age, when she 
became independent; but the Dutch law allows the 
farmers, if they save any children alive in their raids 
against the Bushmen, to keep them as their property till 
they are twenty-two ; and so it was with Sara. I called 
upon the German missionary, Herr Nachtigal, who was 
