40 
JOURNAL OF A 
v/e excused ourselves, wishing yet to proceed farther, before -we took 
up our night's lodging in the wilderness. In about an hour's tiiue, 
we unyoked the bullocks, and left them to seek their supper 
among the bushes. Tliis is always done, if possible, at a place- 
where there is a stream or pool of fresh Avater. The Hottentots 
having lighted a fire, a mat was spread on the ground to leeward of 
a large bush of the poison-apple, which screened us from a sharp 
south-east wind, black clouds on the horizon threatening us with a 
stormy, and perhaps rainy night. Coffee was boiled; of which, with 
some eggs, cold meat, cakes, and milk, we made an excellent supper, 
sitting round the fire. After our repast, we retired into the wag- 
gon to rest. The fire going out, and no preparation for our depar- 
ture being made, Brother Schmitt, on inquir y, found, that eleven oxen 
were missing, for v/hicb the Hottentots had been searching in vain. 
To point out to the latter the place of our encampment, as well as to 
guard against the cold in this dark night, some of us rekindled the 
fire, kee])ing up a constant blaze, by feeding it with rhinoceros 
bushes, a resinous plant with large roots, but easily pulled up. After 
some hours, all hopes of finding the lost cattle having vanished, a 
different arrangement was made, and we proceeded with two wag- 
gons, leaving the other two to follow us. 
30th. We passed by a farm on the Blauberg, belonging to a Mr. 
Kotzee, and about sun-rise reached a place called Trelbnteyn, an 
appendage to a farm, belonging to a Mr. Kous. Here we made an- 
other halt, and breakfasted under a thicket, consisting of difierent 
kinds of brush-^vood and flowering shrubs. Into this cover, we saw a 
snake hastening with a young frog, entangled in its coils, but its 
swiftness was such, that all our exertions to destroy it only rescued 
the wretched captive. We now travelled through a barren, sandy 
lieath, but the vve ither having cleared up, the sight of the hills about 
Groenekloof afforded us much pleasure, and Brother Schmitt pointed 
out the s])ot, v.'here, some years ago, he narrowly escaped death, in a 
rencontre with a tyger. Being about an hour's drive from the settle- 
ment, we discerned at some distance a group of HottentotS; men, 
