204 JOURNAL OF A 
being not yet finished. As I did not wish, on any account, to 
separated from my companions, I could not accept his kind 
invitation. Speaking of the aim of our journey, he offered every 
assistance in his power, and seemed to wish to see a settlement of 
the Brethren formed in his district. For this purpose, he men- 
tioned Klein Revier, near the Chamtoos Revier, as being a very 
suitable situation, with every requisite for a village of about five 
hundred inhabitants, which we might claim, the present tenant 
not having obtained any grant of the land. He likewise described 
another place in Achter Bruntjes Hoogte, as suitable, the lease 
of w hich was about to be called in by Government, as the pos- 
sessor had been concerned in the late rebellion, and sentenced to 
be removed from that part of the frontier. One of his sons had 
been executed, and another banished, having been convicted of 
treason. The landdrost added, that there w^as sufficient land un- 
occupied on the Zondags Revier, (Sundays River), and wished, 
that we might visit that country. 
On my return to the tent, we held some consultation about the 
proposals made by the landdrost, but could come to no determina- 
tion. To an application for the possession of the Klein Revier 
farm, tlie same objections prevailed, which I have before stated; 
and we felt uncomfortable in the idea of occupying a place, of 
w hich an old tenant and his family had been deprived, though as 
a just punishment for their misdeeds. Colonel Cuyler followed 
me to our encampment, to invite the whole party to dinner. 
During the forenoon, we were visited by several Hottentots 
belonging to Gnadenthal, at present serving in the Cape regiment, 
and by others, who sought to make acquaintance with our people. 
The keeper of the tronk (prison) and his w'ife very civilly of- 
fered their services to do any thing for us; and the Secretary, Mr. 
Allen, a friend of Mr. Melville's, with great kindness, appropri- 
ated a room in his house for our accommodation, in caseachanoe 
o 
of weather should make us wish to leave the tent. We accepted 
of his invitation, and removed our bedding into the house. 
