154 
JOURNEY IN ALBANY. 
[1813. 
inhabitant, in order to serve as a defence betweem them 
and Geika, the chief of the other CafFres, 
Departed about two, P.M. Part of the soldiers, 
and six of our own armed Hottentots, kept about a 
quarter of a mile ahead of us ; the other soldiers kept 
at some distance on our right, between us and CafFra- 
ria; and a few of our own people remained with the 
waggons. It was amusing to see the men riding upon 
the oxen with their guns, for they had a very odd ap- 
pearance. Two ostriches crossed immediately before 
the waggons, running swiftly, though awkwardly, from 
the disproportion between the great length of their 
legs and the size of their bodies. They are gregarious, 
for you seldom meet with single ones. 
At four, P.M. we entered an extensive plain, to 
which we saw no bounds before us, or to the right. 
The soldiers left us a little after reaching this plain, to 
return to their post. They were commanded by a 
clever young Hottentot, Piet Bruntges, son to William 
Bruntges of Bavian's Kloof, who conducted Dr. Van* 
derkemp to Caffraria, and who is supposed to be the 
oldest man in South Africa. Piet belongs to Bethels- 
dorp. He and Boosak have been the principal con- 
ductors of all the Commandoes against the CafFres. 
The plain was in many parts marshy, owing to the 
late rains, which, with the want of wood for our fires, 
prevented our halting at sun-set. When the sun was 
going down, we looked wishfully in every direction, 
