106 
JOURNAL OF A 
proceeded, and after two hours more, reached a small farm, near 
the Erste Revier, where, after battering for some time at doors 
and windows, we found no entrance. Total silence announced 
the family fled. We forded the river, and called at another larger 
farm, where we were assailed by ten or twelve fierce dogs, and heard 
the woman of the house bid her slave tell us, that, her husband being 
absent at Stellenbosch, she could not give us quarters, in which, 
however, she was contradicted by her more honest servant. It was 
midnight, and our horses as well as ourselves were not much dis- 
posed to proceed. But there was no remedy. Providentially the 
night was fair, and the moon shone bright. At one, we reached 
a good-looking house, from which we were again sent to get ac- 
commodations at a Veldcornet's. We crept on, and on our arri- 
val, a slave-girl opening the door, told us, that her master and 
mistress were gone out, and had left her alone in the house ; then 
banged the door in our faces. What could we do, but keep on 
our way. At two, we reached Mr. Morkel's farm at Hottentot's- 
llolland. Here a slave took pity on us and our beasts, provided 
the latter and our groom with good quarters and food, and showed 
us into an empty room, with a plate of peaches on the table. In an 
adjoining chamber stood two empty bed-steads, on one of which, 
with my portmanteau for my pillow, I enjoyed some refreshing 
sleep for about three hours. My companion slept in a chair. 
20th. On rising, the family received us kindly, lamented their 
not having been aware of our arrival, and treated us with a good 
breakfast. About seven o'clock, we reached Hottentot-Holland's 
Kloof, where Mr. Schultz, late of Gnadenthal, overtook and kept 
us company all day. We made halt for a few hours at Veldcor- 
net Schwartz's house, and passing to the left of the great Haue 
Hoek, over a wretched-looking wilderness, descended to the Botte 
Revier. The many fires kindled on the mountains, by the burn- 
ing of bushes, gave the country the appearance of a manufactur- 
ing district in England, and our imagination conjured up furna- 
ces, coke-burnings, and stacks of iron-works, in the midst of this 
