158 
PROPOSALS TO A COLONIST. 
24, 25 April, 
Paul Mare *, who raised my suspicions as to the motives of his readi- 
ness to accompany me ; and proposed, as a security for his good beha- 
viour and to prevent his desertion on the journey, that he should sign a 
bond in the penalty of confiscation of all his property, on Sneeuwberg. 
This bond was to be deposited at the drostdy ; and to be, either 
acted upon, or cancelled, agreeably to a certificate which I was to 
give him at the termination of the journey. To this arrangement 
the man would on no account consent ; because no one, he said, 
could be answerable for the use that might in his absence be made 
of the bond, although the property it involved was of little value : 
nor could my promise of giving him immediately the certificate, or 
a paper to counteract its effect, induce him to agree to the landdrost's 
proposal. I was therefore left in equal uncertainty, whether the 
cause of his obstinacy might not be a consciousness of double-deal- 
ing, or whether it might really be the fear that some advantage would 
be taken of his bond. At length it was, in a few days afterwards, 
finally settled between us, that the signing of the bond should be re- 
linquished, and that he should proceed home, as soon as possible, to 
arrange all his affairs for the journey ; and that he should meet me 
on Sneeuwberg, at Herholdt's. ^ 
As soon as it became known in the village, what men the land- 
drost had given me, I received intimation from different quarters, 
that they were all, excepting one, known for incorrigible scoundrels, 
and the refuse of the tronk Hottentots. 
It must here be explained that the tronk, or jail, is the general 
receptacle, not only of convicted criminals, but of such Hottentots 
or slaves as are found, improperly or illegally wandering about the 
country, without a passport, or unable to give a credible account of 
themselves ; and who are lodged there for examination, or until their 
masters or owners fetch them away. These are commonly called by 
* This is the colonial mode of expression, when mentioning the name of a boor : 
and it is not from want of respect that they always thus omit the title of Mr. when speak- 
ing of a person of this description. 
