412 
JOURNEY ACROSS THE 
[1813. 
to rise. His appearance alarmed us, being greatly 
swelled, particularly about the head and throat. He 
said that he felt the poison gradually vvorji downwards 
to his very toes, and then ascend in the same man- 
ner : as it ascended his body swelled. He felt very 
anxious, often turning on his face, and crying to 
Jesus for mercy for hi^ soul. He thought he felt the 
chief strength of thjs poison to lodge in one of his 
cheeks, and requested that the cheek might be cut off; 
which we did not comply with, persuaded that his 
whole frame was equally contaminated. The Bush- 
man we had with us said in the morning, that Peekure 
would die immediately on the going down of the sun, 
which he certainly did; for the sun had not dipped 
under the horizon five minutes before he breathed his 
last. His countenance was frightful, being so dis- 
figured by the swelling. On his brow was a swelling 
as large as a gpose s egg. He has left behind him a 
widow and three childr<3n. 
As we were under the necessity of halting all night, 
though without water, our people fortified the place 
by surrounding the fires with a w^all composed of 
bushes w^hich they cut down, lest the Bushmen, whom 
we understood to be numerous in that part, should 
attack us during the night. We likewise sent forward 
all our oxen, retaining only as many as were necessary 
to draw our waggons, that they might get water as soon 
as possible, which divided our strength, but there was 
no alternative. Thermometer at noon 76. 
