MET FIFTEEN MAROOTZEES. ^1820. 
human blood haunted his mind, as it did Cain's 
after the murder of his brother. 
We observed a tree which grows in the colony, 
and which is there called the waggon-tree ; it is 
said never to be found more than five or six 
days' journey from the sea. We found also the 
wild plum tree, and an evergreen loaded with 
young fruits, the shape of cherries, but extremely 
green. Though it was now the first week in win- 
ter, the state of the grass, and the lively foliage of 
the trees, made it rather resemble the first week 
of summer. The soil was black, and the ground 
well stocked with slates, which were apparent 
from an excavation made by the rains. 
4th. Fifteen Marootzees passed in the morning 
on their way to a mine of iron stone, in the nar- 
row pass through which we had come. From the 
iron thus procured, they were said to manufac- 
ture assagais, knives, beads, &c. which they ex- 
change for other articles with the neighbouring 
nations. Most of the men had nets to carry the 
ore in, made of grass or rushes. Each party 
halted for a short time as they passed the waggons. 
We departed at nine a.m. and ascended gra^ 
dually to the chain of hills before us to the north. 
We soon entered upon what might be called the 
Marootzee highway across them, which consisted 
