VISIT TO SOUTH AFRICA. 135 
did not deceive us, for the good-natured of the adjoinino- farm, 
coming out to meet us, offered to supply as much sweet miik, as we 
might want. We therefore sent a man to his house, and got enough 
for supper, and to fill our bottles in store for the next day. Our 
friendly neighbour spent about an hour in conversation v/ith us. 
He was eager after news, and of a more inquisitive turn than many 
of his brethren. My fire-box surprised and amused him much. 
Being a dealer in timber, he gave us some interesting information 
concerning the state of the woods. 
i\s the pressed oxen were rather wild, and too near home, to be left 
loose in the waste, without danger of their escaping, the men teth- 
ered them to the waggons, by which we were greatly annoyed dur- 
ing the night. Our own oxen, which we had not seen since we left 
Zvvellendam, overtook us at this place, and as the tent happened to 
be pitched on a grassy spot, they soon came browzing close to it. 
This disturbed us a little, but we w^ere completely roused, when 
some of them began to fight with the strangers, and it required 
all the attention of our men to keep them in order. 
12th. After a restless night, we broke up early, but not before 
our talkative neighbour had paid us another visit. We proceeded 
through a dull country, the weather cloudy, and the views ob- 
scured. We saw many rehbocks, and Marcus Moses was sent, 
but in vain, to get us some venison. Between nine and ten we 
arrived at Cornelius Snyman's farm, Tygerfonteyn, deriving its 
name from the death of a Hottentot by a tyger, some years ago. 
Here we hoped to find oxen, but, through the blunder of the Veld- 
cornet, were disappointed. Mr. Snyman and his Avife were civil 
people, and we all soon found employment, Mr. Melville and I 
in writing and drawing ; Sister Schmitt, with the help of the maids, 
in attending to our linen, and the Brethren Schmitt and Stein, in 
following some ostriches, with the vain hope of shooting one of 
these war}^ and swift-footed birds. To please the children, I set 
up my microscope, and though some were afraid to peep into it, 
the father and mother, and a little boy seemed highly gratified 
