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JOURNAL OF A 
disposed to accept of the landdrost's generous offer, considering my- 
self not entitled to such distinction, and disliking the idea of be- 
coming burdensome to the farmers, by pressing their men and 
cattle into our service, perhaps with injury or inconvenience to them- 
selves. On both these subjects, however, the landdrost satisfied my 
mind, particularly by stating, that the farmers received a sufficient 
consideration for services thus performed, and had no reason to 
complain, since the English Government had ruled the colony. It 
was our intention to have pui chased a spann at this place, a measure 
which was now superseded ; and as we could spare at least one of 
our Hottentots, old Christian Hector, was sent home with the spann 
we had hired at Gnadenthal. Mr. and Mrs. Von J3uissini insisted 
upon our taking up our abode at their house, and treated us with 
every mark of kindness and hospitality. 
The drosty is a substantial, spacious, well-furnished mansion, and 
the premises much improved by the present landdrost. The town 
or village lies scattered, and consists of several single houses or rows 
of buildings, connected with each other, without much regularity. 
The church is a neat plain structure, Avithout a tower. The num- 
ber of inhabitants is said to be about three hundred. The situa- 
tion of Zwellendam is under the highest part of a range of lofty 
mountains, whose rocky summits assume all manner of singular 
shapes. Two peaks, like truncated cones, form their principal 
feature, and the kloofs and beds of torrents, with which their steep 
sides are furrowed, have an almost terrific appearance. Parallel to 
their foot runs a range of low round hills, some of which are rocky, 
others, clothed with verdure. 
9th. The oxen required by the landdrost to be furnished for us, 
eighteen in number, were early at hand, and the drivers in haste to 
proceed. Having been advised to take our own spann with us as a 
reserve, we appointed Lebrecht Aris to the care of them; Jeremias 
to drive the baggage-waggon; Leonhard Paerl to take charge of the 
saddle-horses, and Marcus and Johannes to attend the lighter wag- 
gon. 
About nine A. M. we left the landdrost's hospitable mansion, in 
