162 
THE HIRING OF 
25 Apbil, 
or his wife should still be living, when this volume reaches the Cape, 
I hope there will be found enough humane persons to afford them 
protection, should they stand in need of any : it will be the greatest 
personal favor which can be conferred on myself. 
Juli and Van Roye, who were acquainted with all the Hottentots 
at Graaffreynet, had found one named Platje Zwartland, who was very 
desirous of being of our party ; and recommended him to me as a 
steady useful man. He was shepherd and herdsman to a man of the 
name of Schemper, the village butcher, and had been engaged to 
him for the term of one year, which had already expired some little 
time before : and although the Hottentot wished to quit him, the 
master was resolved still to detain him, contrary to a law which 
expressly provides, that ' as soon as the period for which he has 
been engaged, shall have expired, all further service shall cease, and 
the Hottentot, together with his wife and children and all their pro- 
perty, shall be allowed to depart without let or hindrance a wise 
and necessary law, which wants no other amendment than a clause 
decreeing punishment for the infraction of it. 
Platje informed us, that as soon as the master knew of his in- 
tention of going with us, he contrived to get him into a state of 
intoxication, as he little suspected the cause of his being so liberal 
with his brandy ; and made him in that state promise to continue 
his servant for another year. Of all this, the man was perfectly un- 
conscious, and declared that he never intended at any rate, to stop 
with him longer ; but that he had always, when asked the question, 
persisted in his refusal. He seemed much rejoiced at being told 
that he should go with us, if it could be clearly made out that his 
story was true. 
On the next day, I brought this Hottentot before the landdrost, 
for the purpose of ascertaining whether he was legally at liberty to 
enter my service. On searching the official register, nothing was 
found to prove the truth of the master's assertion, who was present 
himself ; and who, finding that Mare had no power to detain the man, 
and hoping that the District Secretary could befriend him, referred 
me to that office : but neither here, could any record or proof be 
