54 
JOURNEY TO GENADENDAL. [1812. 
tempt, however, we lost much time, and got among 
tall bushes on the side of a hill, where we found that 
some marshy ground lay between us and the road we 
wished to reach. In this dilemma a slave was dis- 
patched to search for a way across, and he soon waved 
his hand as a signal he had found one. When I viewed 
it, I was sure no Englishman would have considered 
it a way for a waggon to cross. The opening among 
the bushes was a small pool, with steep sides to the 
height of several feet, only not so perpendicular as at 
other parts. When Mynheer Roos viewed it, he pro- 
nounced it passable. I could give no opinion for want 
of the Dutch language, and waited in silence to wit- 
ness the consequence. The waggon went down one 
side, with great force, into the water ; and by smartly 
applying the whip, we were soon dragged up the other. 
Nothing but barren hills appeared, in every direc- 
tion, for several miles : at length the eye was relieved 
by a farm-house coming into view, with a vineyard 
and some fields, a little to the right. Travelling for- 
ward among hills till about eleven, A.M. we reached 
the lands belonging to the Moravian settlement, and 
passed between many of their fields, but were sorry to 
observe so poor a crop. Farther on we were informed 
by a Hottentot that we had a broad river to go over, 
and he would accompany us to point out the ford. 
Genadendal was full in view before us. Their large 
church was very conspicuous at a distance. The set- 
tlement lies at the end of a valley, closely surrounded, 
except in one direction, with great mountains. At a 
