1812. 
RECOVERY OF THE LOST HOTTENTOTS AND HORSES. 
383 
that, as I had never admitted any one else to eat in my waggon, 
this invitation was intended as a mode of expressing my respect 
for him, and, at the same time, ray friendly sentiments towards 
all his family. He listened to this with great gravity of countenance, 
but made no reply, as he was now sitting in pubhc, and attended by 
his council ; for in this light, it will be seen, these attendants are pro- 
perly to be regarded. 
Just at this moment, I had the pleasure of seeing Philip and the 
other two Hottentots whom I had sent out on search early in the 
morning, returning with the horses, and accompanied by Stuurman^ 
one of the three men who had been missing. Philip reported that 
after he had left the town, and had been a long time seeking in vain, 
he met some Bachapins who, on his inquiring if they had seen either 
the horses or the Hottentots, gave him to understand, by signs 
and pointing to the place, and by a few words which he in part 
comprehended, that he would find them all in that direction. By 
following these instructions, he and his companions walked a mile or 
two farther and happily discovered the three lost Hottentots sitting 
together under a bush, with the horses near them. 
The explanation of this affair as given by themselves, together 
with the particulars I afterwards learnt from the rest of my men, 
partly from Keysers (Kyser) confession, was, that immediately on 
our arrival at Litakun and as soon as the teams were unyoked and 
sent to the outskirts of the town under the care of Andries and 
Stuurman, Keyser seeing me instantly surrounded and enclosed by 
so great a multitude of people, and not knowing what would be the 
result, actually lost his senses through fear : his mind became literally 
deranged and he knew not what he was doing. He flew to the 
baggage-waggon, into which he climbed with the utmost haste, and 
crept under the people's bedding to conceal himself and escape the 
cruel death which he supposed awaited him, and which he believed 
had already befallen me. Just at that moment, one of the natives 
happening to look into the waggon, merely from curiosity to know 
what it contained, this Hottentot scrambled with the greatest pre- 
cipitation and terror to the other end ; at the same time crying out, 
in the agony of fear, to Speelman who was a short distance off, that 
