1812. COMMENCEMENT OF A SICHUANA VOCABULARY. 293 
it was probable that they would not have been without an equal 
degree of apprehension, on account of the unknown tribe to which 
we were about to commit ourselves, had not Muchunka's assurances, 
and the familiar manner in which he spoke of this nation, persuaded 
them that no hostility was to be feared. 
After a day's-journey of nearly seven hours, we arrived at 
a spring of water, which the natives distinguish as the Little 
Klibbolikhonni Fountain : that which is properly called Kltbbdlikhonni, 
the source of the Krumdn river, being situated at a distance of two 
miles farther eastward. At this time the spring was in its lowest 
state, as its waters were too weak to run more than two hundred 
yards from the spot where they rose out of the ground. In the rainy 
season they form, by the aid of showers, a rivulet which joins itself 
to the Kruman. 
I had already, by the assistance of Muchunka, gained a sufficient- 
insight into the language spoken by the various Bichuana tribes or 
nations, to enable me to establish a system of orthography capable 
of expressing with certainty, its proper sounds and pronunciation j 
and had, in a desultory manner and without any systematic arrange- 
ment, composed a small vocabulary. But as I advanced nearer to 
the country where it was spoken, and became assured that it pre- 
vailed over a great portion of the Interior, I conceived a stronger 
interest in it, and felt both the necessity and the desire, of acquiring 
a more correct and extended knowledge. 
With this view, I now resolved to commence a more regular 
investigation, and to form, on the plan of a dictionary, a more com- 
prehensive collection of raw materials, in words and phrases ; and 
which might be considered as comprising the whole body of the 
language, and serve as a source from which, by future examination 
and study, might be drawn a knowledge of its nature and peculiari- 
ties, and of its grammatical construction. I still, however, continued 
adding to my vocabulary such words and phrases as my daily inter- 
course with the natives enabled me to learn, and to confirm myself 
in the right understanding of their meaning. This was used as a 
repository for that only which was learnt in a more practical manner. 
