14 
THE BAGGAGE DESCRIBED. 
27—28 Feb. 
wine ; but which a small fragment of rock accidentally rolling down 
from the top of the bank, now broke to pieces. 
The difficulties which heavy baggage might occasion, and the 
impediment it might become in crossing a pathless or mountainous 
country, were considerations sufficient to restrain us from taking any 
thing which was not absolutely indispensable ; and when, in debating 
this question, I put aside the influence of habit and custom, and of 
those necessities which belong only to civilized society, I discovered 
that we might dispense with nearly every thing ; even with all our 
cooking utensils, excepting a small tin pot and a tea-kettle. Without 
either gridiron or saucepan, we cooked all our meat, either broiled 
on the embers, or stuck on forked sticks before the fire. Nor could 
we admit the encumbrance even of plates and forks. We therefore 
entered upon this journey with no other provision than our watch- 
coats and covering for the night, our guns and ammunition, a hatchet, 
a quantity of tobacco intended principally for presents to the 
Bushmen, and five sheep. To this I added for myself, three blankets, 
an umbrella, and two tin boxes, one to hold my papers, my journal, 
and sketches, my compass, and a few other light articles of this kind ; 
and the other, a change of linen, and a small assortment of the 
more important medicines, particularly the volatile alkali, or liquid 
ammonia, for the bite of serpents. 
28^/?. We passed the night without having been observed by the 
natives ; and rose at day-break, hoping to see Ruiter and the cattle : 
but neither were visible, though we repeatedly called over to them 
so loudly that our words must have been distinctly heard, had any per- 
son been there. Hour after hour elapsed, and no answer was given ; 
nor was any human being to be seen along the bank. Our uneasiness 
continued increasing, and every unpropitious accident A^as in turn 
surmised, to account for their absence. 
At last towards noon they made their appearance on the shore, 
and in less than an hour afterwards, I had the satisfaction of viewing 
the whole of my party safely landed on the southern side of the 
Gariep. 
Ruiter's delay had been occasioned by an untoward circumstance, 
