1812. 
MAPS OF THE COLONY. — ANT-EATER. 
97 
whenever they please, traverse the country in at least half and 
sometimes a third of the time required by a colonist. 
The party remained with us this night, and partook of our 
supper. While they were happily engaged in smoking, I took the 
opportunity of a fine evening, and abundance of fuel to give me light, 
to lay down on the map of my route, the last days of our course ; 
which I had till now been prevented doing, by the unfavorable state 
of the weather. I carried with me a small Dutch pocket-map of the 
Colony ; but in this part it was so deficient and so incorrect, that not 
the least advantage could be derived from it, to guide my course, 
or to enable me to guess what particular part of the boundary I was 
now approaching. 
] 6th. Our stock of meat being now consumed, I sent oflP Philip 
and two others to hunt in advance, giving them instructions respect- 
ing the direction in which I intended to travel. Our two last visitors, 
finding that it was not in our power to supply them with provisions 
to take home, went out early in the morning to hunt in a distant 
part of the plain. They returned unsuccessful, though they had 
found an aardvark * or ant-eater ; but it took refuge in its hole, 
and after considerable labor in endeavouring to unearth it, the animal 
escaped by burrowing still deeper. These Bushmen and the women 
who came with them remained with us till the moment of our 
departure ; when bidding me farewell in the colonial manner, by 
repeating the word dag^ they hasted away to their kraal. 
We had not travelled more than eight miles, and had just 
passed through an opening between some low rocky hills, where 
there were two large ponds of fresh water, when five distant reports 
of a musket, which we supposed to proceed from a party of boors, 
induced us to halt, and watch if they came in sight. 
Both Biizo and the old Bushman advised me to stop here for 
the night, as they were not acquainted with any other water which 
it would be possible for us to reach before daylight failed us. 
* A more particular account of this animal has been given in the first volume, at 
page 342. 
VOL. n. o 
