March.] WILD BUSHMAN COUNTRY. 
45 
and we gave him some medicine in a small bottle 
for the purpose. Hearing that a son of John 
Bloom (an account of whom I gave in my former 
journal) was of the party, and having seen him 
when a boy, I recognised and pointed him out. 
He was now become a good looking young man. 
I made presents to them all, with which they 
were highly pleased. 
This day a violent gust of wind from the S. E. 
suddenly rose, though perfectly calm before, and 
blew with such fury for three or four minutes as 
to oblige the natives to take refuge behind the 
bushes ; so great was its power that it almost 
tore up our tent from its fastenings. In a few 
minutes the gust died away, and the wind veered 
round to the N. W. At six p. m., the evening be- 
coming cool, we moved up the river till ten, 
when we halted. 
We started at six o'clock the next morning, 
first travelling over a plain, and then over hills 
covered with stones which tried the strength of 
the waggons. At eleven a. m. we descended and 
halted near the river. At noon we saw immense 
clouds of sand, higher up and on the opposite 
side of the river. While the blast was yet ap- 
proaching we made every thing fast, and soon 
felt its power. It continued rushing along for 
half an hour, when it began to abate; loud peals 
