1812. 
STATE OF THE PARTY. — THE KHAAKA. 
423 
waggons, would come and murder the few who remained with them, 
that he had taken his musket and gone away, intending to pass the 
day out of the town, with Keyser, who was tending our cattle at 
pasture. Van Roye was not less penetrated with fear ; as his looks 
too clearly betrayed : he had in the same manner absconded till the 
evening. 
Such was the state of the Hottentots, at this time. In Juli, no 
undue, or unreasonable, fears had hitherto been observed ; and I 
viewed his steadiness and general conduct, with a satisfaction which 
was increased by contrasting him with the others. In talking with 
him on this subject, he confessed that, on the first appearance of bad 
intentions towards us, on the part of the natives, it was much to be 
feared that every man of my party, excepting Speelman and Philip, 
would run away and leave us to defend ourselves. This was precisely 
my own opinion ; and I derived, therefore, some pleasure from this 
proof of his discernment ; and some consolation from the assurance 
that I had at least three men who would stand by the waggons in time 
of danger ; for, although Speelman had once or twice shown some 
symptoms of timidity, I had sufficient confidence in his attachment, 
to believe that he would not desert me at sucli a time. Neither 
Philip nor Juli had betrayed any want of real courage. 
I observed the skin of a very extraordinary animal lying on the 
hedge of Mattivi's cattle-enclosure, placed there, as I was told, to pre- 
serve the cattle from the evil effects of sorcery. The name of it was 
khdakd : it was of the genus Manis, but whether the penladactyla, or a 
new species, I could not at that time determine ; because the feet, 
head, and tail had been cut off, and the descriptions contained in the 
books of my travelling library, were too imperfect to assist in the 
decision. I neglected describing it from the mutilated skin, having 
no doubt of procuring afterwards the complete animal ; but in this 
expectation I was disappointed, as it is not only a scarce creature, but 
one which it is very difficult to secure. This skin was two feet long, 
and covered with scales an inch and a half broad, of an obtuse or 
roundish form, the outward edge of which was very sharp. 
The sum of all the information which 1 couki obtain from the 
