68 
A prp:sent from kaabi. 
7 March, 
who were able to sustain the fatigue, were desirous of going. To 
this I consented ; and retained by the baggage, only old Cobus, who 
complained of being unwell, and Hans Lucas, whose services, in the 
meantime, as interpreter, could not be dispensed with. It was 
previously agreed on that the horse, which I allowed them to make 
use of on this occasion, should be sent back for me, in the case of 
their being successful. 
Soon after their departure, I received, as a present from Kaabi, 
a whole goat skinned and cleaned ready for cooking. So unexpected a 
thing as a present from the indigent Bushmen, was an incident which 
afforded me, situated as we were, peculiar pleasure, and was rendered 
affecting by the truly benevolent air with which he gave it, and the 
undisguised simplicity with which he acknowledged that ' I had been 
very good to him during our journey from the Gariep, and therefore 
he had wished to do some good to me.' There can be no man 
possessing any sensibility, who would not have been moved at wit- 
nessing his artless manner, and the kind expression of his counte- 
nance ; both so indicative of gratitude and sincerity. 
I was prevented from accompanying the hunters, by the neces- 
sity of recording in my journal the observations of the past day, 
before the impressions which they had made became weakened, or 
mingled with those of succeeding objects and occurrences. 
I was, however, not suffered to remain long alone ; for, in the 
course of the morning, many visitors, chiefly old people, came to me 
at the bush under which I had slept and taken up my station. 
Sometimes in parties they seated themselves around me, while I 
amused, and possibly instructed, them by exhibiting various articles 
of my baggage, and explaining their uses, the nature of their manu- 
facture and their construction. Yet, whatever was totally different 
in principle and use, from any thing to which they had been ac- 
customed among themselves ; such things, very contrary to what we 
should expect from the influence of curiosity , excited little surprise 
or attention : but my blankets, which approached, in the nature and 
use of them, to their own sheep-skin karosses, were greatly admired ; 
and many of my visitors rose from their places to examine them. 
The leather of my pistol-belt was highly approved of, because it was 
