204 WANT OF FEELING IN MUNAMEETS. [1820. 
the real cause of their not proceeding to Lattakoo 
arose from the dread of being attacked by the 
Bushmen in that direction. They had not been 
able to prevail on any of the Mashows or the 
Tammahas to accompany them, wherefore they 
judged it more prudent to wait our return, and 
travel under our protection. 
On meeting them they saluted me with the 
word murella ; then pointing to the flatness of their 
bellies, called out " Hunger!" Perhaps they had 
eaten little at Mashow, being a time of scarcity, 
and had found less upon the road. 
I was sorry to witness the want of feeling in 
our friend Munameets upon this occasion. He 
came into the tent and told us that one of the 
Marootzee had a battle-axe which he liked, or 
rather coveted ; that the man was willing to part 
with it for a piece of flesh ; that the flesh of 
which he ate belonged to his party, that is, to 
himself and his servants ; he said he would give 
a piece of his meat, but he wished to have a 
piece of our's to add to it, in order to purchase 
the axe. Perhaps he and his few people had 
upwards of a hundred and fifty pounds of meat 
exposed to the air on the trees, before our eyes, 
when he made this request. We could not coun- 
tenance him in taking advantage of the distress of 
the Marootzees. We gave them a portion of our 
