gQ JAN TAMBOER. — HOTTENTOT SOLDIERS. 14- Mar. 
the Hottentot was found, and brought to me. Even at first sight I 
was mucli pleased with his appearance, and his countenance seemed 
expressive of good quaUties. When the object of my enquiries was 
explained to him, he answered my questions with unusual alacrity ; 
and, giving us to understand how much he was rejoiced at the pros- 
pect of again leading a life of travelling, he instantly declared his 
readiness to engage himself in my service for the whole journey. 
Thus much being settled to my wishes, nothing remained but to 
obtain his discharge from the regiment ; an affair which did not pro- 
mise to be equally easy of accomplishment, it being feared, that, to 
deprive the regiment of a man of so good a character, would be ob- 
jectionable. Nothing, however, could be done at present, as it 
seemed necessary, for this purpose, to wait till the Governor's return 
from a tour through part of the colony. 
While waiting till Jan Tamboer could be found, I amused my- 
self in making two drawings of the Camp. During this employment, 
two naked Hottentot boys, on my giving them a little encouragement, 
came and seated themselves on the ground by my side, though not 
without some shyness. A Hottentot soldier, also, approached from 
curiosity ; and, not being then on duty, was indulging himself in going 
quite undrest, except with a pair of trowsers. He told me he had 
been in the regiment five years, and liked a military life very well ; 
but added, that many others complained of being thus compelled to be, 
as he expressed himself, so exact and regular in all they did, and that 
they began to repent of having enlisted themselves. To me, almost 
every thing truly African was interesting ; and nothing gratified these 
feelings more than an opportunity of observing and conversing with 
the Hottentots, a race of men whose character and history, as given 
by the romantic pen of Le Vaillant, had made on my mind, even in 
my earliest days, many pleasing impressions, which now revived with 
all their warmth, whenever I chanced to meet any of these men. 
From this train of ideas, I was summoned to the hut of one of 
the officers, to see a tame lion. This object, instead of interrupting 
my reflections, added considerably to the lively feelings they had 
created, by reminding me that I was now in the country where these 
