38 
THE KRAAL MADE HAPPY. 
3 March, 
breath of eternal life ; some rays of reason faintly light your path ; 
ye hold, in common with the head that wears the diadem, a lamp 
which death can not extinguish, a soul which, though it would, can 
never die. Your Creator and your Judge will pass unheeded all our 
arrogant pretensions, and will, without respect to persons or to 
nations, reward alone the good and virtuous, though His mercy may 
forgive the guilty. 
These reflections moved rapidly through my mind. I lost no 
time, but desired my people to give these poor creatures some meat. 
The Hottentots represented to me the uncertainty of our own re- 
sources, and that our present stock of provisions was already so much 
reduced, that prudently nothing could be spared. But feelings of 
humanity and commiseration rendered it impossible for me to quit 
this spot without affording some relief to their necessities ; and I 
ordered a large quantity to be cut off, and given to them. Their 
starving appearance pleaded so powerfully, and spoke the truth so 
plainly, that I could not but be convinced that these miserable desti- 
tute savages had seldom tasted animal food ; and had often passed 
the day without having been able to procure any sustenance whatever. 
I still in imagination see the happy air of these poor simple 
creatures, and the joy and thankfulness which lighted up their meagre 
countenances, when they received this supply. Their grateful voices, 
raised with one accord to express their feelings, still sound in my 
ear ; and though their words were unintelligible, their looks bespoke 
their meaning and conveyed to the heart sensations the most 
delightful, and repaid a thousand times the trifling sacrifice we made. 
I felt unwilling to quit this little community, and wished, by being 
present, to participate in the happiness which I had occasioned. The 
inhabitants had by this time all assembled, and I still lingered with 
them, standing by my horse and closely surrounded by the happy 
group, who pressed towards me to behold him whom they thought 
their benefactor. I felt ashamed at receiving so much thankfulness 
for doing so little ; and had we remained much longer, I should not 
have been able to resist my desire of giving them all we had left. 
Their feast would not have been complete without the luxury of 
