38o 
TRAVELS IN 
own countrymen, whofe marauding way of life he had been pre- 
vailed upon to quit, with his whole horde, on the promife of 
pardon and protedtion of the government. It is now fifteen 
years fmce they had taken up their abode on the edge of the 
Karroo, where they have lived peaceably and induftrioufly ever 
fince. He faid that, by making proper overtures to his country- 
men, he had no doubt but many hordes might be brought to live 
quietly in the fervice of the farmers, for that their diftrefles, in 
their prefent way of life, were great and grievous. 
Early on the morning of the twenty-feventh, with frefh teams 
of oxen, we proceeded to crofs the defert. The wind ftill con- 
tinued at fouth-eaft, and the weather was remarkably warm for 
the feafon of the year,, the thermometer ftanding at 5 9° at fun-rife, 
and at 80° in the middle of the day in the fhade. The waggons 
raifed a cloud of duft that was almoft infupportable. Except one 
folitary oftrich, not a living creature of any kind appeared the 
whole day. Having travelled near eight hours, our Hottentot 
guide pointed out a place under a fmall clump of naked hills, 
where water, he faid, frequently lodged in the cavities of rocks. 
He called it the Lieww kuyl, or Lions' den. After a long fearch, 
a little water was difcovered in a cavernous rock frefli and fweet ; 
and with this we replenifhed our velTels. Under one of the 
ridges of hills was a channel covered with fmall pebbly fand, 
which appeared in feveral places to have been fcratched with 
hands in fearch of water ; and thoufands of the impreflions of 
the feet of various antelopes, quachas, and zebras, were marked 
on the fand, but none of lions, of which the name of the place 
feemed to imply it to have been the refort. 
On 
