420 
A BACHAPIN HUNT IN THE 
18 July, 
among Bachapins, having been entertained with milk and corn. It 
could not, however, be said that more than the half of my party had 
thus banished their fears : the others, though less uneasy than before, 
were evidently not in a state of tranquillity. 
ISth. Early in the morning, before I had risen, the promised 
oxen were delivered over to my men ; and had been driven out to 
pasture along with my own cattle. Mattivi had, I found, now given 
me two more than I had expected ; one as a present, with the same 
intention with which he had at first given me the cow ; for slaughter : 
the other as a return for the gunpowder. I gave him to understand 
that the last was not due to me, as the powder was meant as a free 
gift ; but he replied, that what he had once given, he could never 
receive back again ; and that to return it to him, would be an affront. 
The Chief had issued orders for about five hundred of his people 
to commence the great hunt early in the morning. These spread 
tiiemselves over the plains to the distance of several miles, and by 
preconcerted arrangement according to their custom, encircled an 
extensive tract of country, driving all the wild animals which hap- 
pened to be thus enclosed, towards the town. 
These were but few, and consisted only of paalas, springbucks 
called tsepi in the Sichuana language, zebras, and buff^aloes ; all 
which were thus made so exceedingly wild, that the Hottentots had 
no opportunity of shooting more than four springbucks ; and pro- 
bably the natives did not kill so many. 
My own men, of whom I allowed no more than Speelman, 
Philip, Juli, Gert, and Cornells, to go, were looked up to as the 
principal hunters on this occasion, and were each attended by a 
separate party, one of whom was generally employed to carry their 
gun in order to save them that fatigue. From this, we may see 
the inconsistency and imprudence of these Hottentots : the}^ who 
at other times believed there was reason for dreading that these 
natives would murder them, were now so thoughtless as to put into 
their hands the power of accomplishing such a purpose, and voluntarily 
to give up the only means by which they might defend their lives. 
Speelman was attended by Mollemmi with Mattivi's gun. The 
