1812. 
TRONK HOTTENTOTS. 
15^ 
the colonial term of drossers or gedrost Hottentotten (runaways). It 
is also a refuge for those who, having been illtreated by their masters, 
fly to the landdrost for redress : these are called Klagt-Hottentotten, 
or ' complaining Hottentots and are usually kept employed on the 
Government works, or set to labor at the drostdy, until their masters 
can be summoned to appear and answer to the charge. If this is 
clearly substantiated, the man is either released from his engagement 
with the boor, or given over to another master, or retained to work 
as a tronk Hottentot ; although it often happens, when the baass story 
is heard, that he is proved to deserve punishment, instead of redress. 
It may therefore sometimes occur, that among these tronk volk (jail- 
people), there may be good and deserving Hottentots, as well as 
worthless. 
Now, it happened unfortunately for me, that the selection had 
been made from those of the latter description : as it appeared from 
the best authority, that before my arrival at Graaffreynet, the land- 
drost and heemraaden had resolved upon dismissing from the jail, 
nine of the least useful, or rather, the more worthless ; because, as 
it was said, there could not be found at the drostdy work enough to 
employ them. Several months afterwards I discovered that one of 
them had been kept in jail for having, after running away from his 
master, joined another Hottentot of the same stamp, and lived for 
several months by stealing cattle. It was reported, how correctly 
I cannot say, that some one had remarked that such men were 
good enough for the Englishman, as neither he, nor they, would ever 
return alive. .My people were often called the Englishman's dood 
volk (dead men) ; but they assured me that, although many persons 
of the village had endeavoured to deter them, by saying that I was 
going to take them amongst the menschvreeters (men-eaters), yet they 
considered it only as a tale invented for the purpose of frightening 
them. 
25th. Having, on the following day, obtained from the same 
quarter, the names of such tronk Hottentots as were recommended as 
fit for my journey, and whose courage and fidelity might be relied 
on, I immediately sent the German with some of my own men, to 
