408 
JOURNEY ACROSS THE 
[1813. 
Our situation was now very distressing, being in the 
midst of a desert, with three loaded waggons, and not 
a single ox in our possession to draw them. Five 
Bastard Hottentots, who were on a hunting expedition, 
and halted a little with us in the morning, we knew 
were to be at some place to the south-west, at about 
five hours distance. We dispatched four men, to in- 
form them of our situation. Also, lest we should be 
attacked during the absence of so many of our men, 
we examined what were our means of defence. We 
found that three of our people had sold, or rather ex- 
changed, their muskets for cattle at Griqua town, 
supposing, without any reason but their own ignorance 
of what remained of our journey, that the dangerous 
part of it was over when we returned from Lattakoo. 
Mr. Reed told me that the Hottentots were ignorant 
where or how we were travelling ; that they could not 
understand how the sun at one part of the journey rose 
on their right hand, and on their left at another; but 
they had such full confidence in him, that I believe 
had there been a way by which he could have taken 
them down to the other side of the world, had he gone 
first, they would have followed him : of course they had 
no care, only to follow us. Only five guns were found 
to be with the waggons ; the others had assagays anil 
Bushmen's bows and arrows. 
We considered it our duty first to attend to these 
measures and precautions, after which to have recourse 
to the grand refuge in times of trouble — the throne of 
grace. We assembled together, and united in prayer. 
