8 
A REMARKABLE INCIDENT. 
26, 27 Feb. 
parently of equal size and form. Immediately on my arrival here, 
one of them was, without any previous examination, or the least hesit- 
ation, pointed out by one of the Hottentots of the kraal, as having 
several years before, when he lived in Namaqualand, belonged to him; 
and on my expressing a doubt that it could be the same ox, since I 
had purchased it in the neighbourhood of Cape Town, he desired my 
driver to put his finger into its nostrils, when he would feel the hole 
through the septum, which had been made by him to receive the 
bridle, as it had been trained, while in his possession, for a riding-ox. 
And this was directly ascertained to be the fact ; although the hole had 
hitherto escaped the notice of my own people ; who, now, were pleased 
at finding that we possessed a riding-ox among the number. This 
animal, which perhaps originally had been obtained by barter from 
some more inland tribe, happened, as its owner recollected, to have 
been one of a large herd which had been brought into the colony and 
exchanged to some of the boors, for articles of which they were then 
more in need. In this manner it had changed masters till it became 
Frans Van der Merwe's, and had now completed the tour of Southern 
Africa ; but it was yet destined to visit other regions in the interior, 
until at last it was, I believe, one of the four-and-twenty which were 
stolen from me one night by the Caffres in the Zuureveld. 
My people were supplied by their friends here with pumpkins 
and milk for their supper. In the evening, Gert, who was exceedingly 
attentive, and desirous of evincing, by every act of service in his power, 
his gratitude for my past kindnesses towards him, came to me to beg in 
the name of the rest that I would play on the flute, as this was to be the 
last evening they could have an opportunity of hearing this instrument 
until my return. I willingly granted their request ; and thus myself 
took leave of a valuable friend : for the fear of accidents, on so rough 
a journey, prevented my taking it with me farther than the river. 
Perhaps this was the first time since the creation, that these groves 
and rocks re-echoed the sound of the flute : and the noveltv of the 
entertainment commanded the attention of the whole kraal, who 
had for this purpose assembled at a little distance round my waggon. 
