MARCH.] JOURNEY TO BETHELSDORP. 
67 
No place could be more retired. But while enjoying 
this sublime gratification, I observed a scorpion near 
my foot, which we killed. Cupido preached to about 
sixty people in the evening. 
7th. Rose at six, and found the rain continuing to 
fall pretty plentifully. The thunder rolled around us 
the whole forenoon. It continued for a while on our 
side of the mountains, then on the other, after which it 
returned, and was succeeded by much rain, which 
threatened to swell the rivers, to protract our stay at 
Papoon kraal, and to try our patience. I spent most 
of the day in musing on Stephen's last and dying speech, 
which is a noble esample of fidelity to his master and 
to man. His life was in the hands of his audience, 
nevertheless he testified unto them the most cutting 
truths. Even when dying one of the most painful 
deaths which imagination can fancy, he was unquestion- 
ably the happiest man in the whole multitude. 
A waggon which left Papoon kraal three days before 
stuck fast in the mud, and there it remained immove- 
able. The wolves were beginning to be rather trouble- 
some. On Wednesday evening, while Cupido was 
preaching at George, one of them attacked two cows 
hard by, wounding the one and killing the other. Two 
of the Hottentots who attended the worship, mounted 
their horses and rescued the wounded animal. 
Towards evening the rain began to descend in 
torrentSj which had a gloomy aspect to us travellers. 
K 2 
