1812. 
BUSHMEN AND COLONISTS. — LIVELY WOMEN. 
51 
were by common consent, that I was free to travel in their country, 
wherever I chose, and that I might feel assured that nobody would 
ever harm me. 
When they had satisfied their minds, respecting my object in 
passing through their territory, and had ascertained that I bore an un- 
feigned good-will towards them, but more especially, that I was not 
one of the Dutch colonists, whom, by the bye, they knew their 
countrymen had irritated by repeated robberies ; when they were 
satisfied on these important points, and that there was no cause for 
mistrust, it was as surprising, as it was pleasing, to me, to observe 
how soon their countenances were freed from a certain anxious look 
which, notwithstanding their friendly conduct, was very visible as 
long as they were under any uncertainty whether I was really what 
I professed to be, alone and unconnected with the colonists, or 
whether there might not be a larger party following me. 
Nothing was now heard but laughter and the liveliest talkative- 
ness, on all sides. The women soon began to lay aside their timidity, 
and took their turn in the debate ; and in rapidity of utterance and 
animation of gestures, far excelled even the men. They left no time 
for my interpreter to perform his duty, and were so full of gaiety 
that they could not restrain themselves from breaking in upon each 
other's conversation ; I was often addressed by three or four at a time, 
and almost think that they were pleased at seeing me at a loss to 
know who was to be answered first. Ruiter used his best endeavours 
in all this hurly-burly of liveliness and clack ; but a great deal of 
their information went for nothing ; nor did they on that account 
allow the want of answers to disappoint them, or in the least degree 
to check their questioning. 
One woman, among the rest, was however, resolved upon being 
heard ; and seemed to think that the importance of her communica- 
tion entitled her to my first attention. She said that she had, only 
the day before, arrived from some part of the colony ; and on this 
she exhibited a small dirty rag of a checkered shirt, which I found 
on explanation, was intended as her credentials to authenticate her 
declaration that she had really come from the country of the white 
H 2 
