1812. 
CURE FOR NATIONAL CORRUPTION. 
281 
Here his scheme ended ; as I never from that time, during our 
whole journey, heard him mention it again. He probably soon after- 
wards became convinced of the danger he would incur by residing 
alone and unprotected in the midst of a tribe of Bushmen of suspi- 
cious character, who, there is little doubt, would not long have with- 
stood the temptation of his cattle, seeing that their owner might be 
so easily overpowered, and that he was beyond the reach of all 
assistance. 
Those who view a fine country in which, at the same time, an 
honest and well-disposed man cannot live in safety, will have learnt 
by experience how to set a proper value on the blessings of laws and 
a good government : and an Englishman who is dissatisfied with his 
own country, needs only to witness a lawless state of society and the 
mis-rule of many other nations, to make him turn with affection to 
his own, and forgive those errors to which all humanity and the 
wisest of men, are liable ; and to deplore corruption, as an evil for 
which there is no permanent or radical cure, but universal honesty. 
The groves about this place were much frequented by the birds 
called Guinea-fowls or pintadoes. Two of these were shot ; and were 
boiled into soup, which, with the addition of some parsley and celery 
seed, formed an excellent mess. For this purpose, these birds are 
much superior to any four-footed game. 
Our buffalo-meat was become so dry, and even the flesh of the 
hartebeest, though antelopes in general are dignified by the inhabit- 
ants of the Cape, with the name of venison, was so lean, that my 
Hottentots asked permission to kill a sheep. This they did, not 
through want of provisions, but merely for the sake of fat, to render 
the other more palatable. 
In the evening, from a very favourable observation, I computed 
the latitude of Kosi Fountain to be 27°. 52'. 16 '. * 
24/^. On rising this morning, I found all the men absent. 
* On the 23rd of June 1812, at Kosi Fountain, the observed meridional altitude of 
Arcturus was 41". 59'. 00". 
VOL. II. O O 
