1812. 
MISUNDERSTANDING AND DISPUTE. 
227 
Cape Town by any of the caravan of waggons which were to accom- 
pany him : and as payment for the carriage of it, I left a draft for 
thirty rix dollars, f He promised to look after this chest in the mean 
while; and engaged to take charge himself, of a hippopotamus' 
tongue for my friend Mr. Hesse. 
I paid the captain for the goats, sheep, and corn had of him ; 
and made him a present of a blue jacket, a saw, and some linen 
which I purchased for him at Graaffreynet. 
Ath. The hook of the drag-chain belonging to my great waggon, 
was found broken, and Gert having told me that the captain had 
borrowed it for ploughing, at which time the accident happened, I 
sent it to him to be mended, as he occasionally exercised the trade 
of blacksmith. But it was soon discovered that Gert's story was 
entirely a fabrication, for the captain sent it back highly offended 
at the demand, declaring that it had never been used by him. With 
some trouble I found out, that it had really been lent to another 
Hottentot ; and when Gert was questioned why he had made up so 
false a story, he replied that as, at my departure, I had desired him 
to lend the captain any thing which he might want in my absence, 
he thought it would make the least trouble to tell me that it was he 
who broke it. 
This occurrence, trifling as it was in itself, created some serious 
misunderstanding for a time ; and strangely enough, much irritation 
against myself instead of my Hottentot. But as Mr. Anderson took 
upon himself the guidance and regulation of the Klaarwater people, 
I imagined that, to let all parties have a mutual explanation, would 
be the shortest way of putting a stop to misrepresentations ; and ac- 
cordingly, on the following day, they met at the missionary's house, 
where, it soon appearing who was to be blamed, the cajjtain with an 
openness and honesty too rare in the Transgariepine, and at which 
I was equally surprised and pleased, confessed himself in the wrong, 
f At my final return to Klaarwater I learnt to my disappointment, that this chest 
still remained there, none of the waggons, as I was informed, having found it convenient 
to take it. ^ 
G G 2 ■*■''' 
