1811. TRANSACTIONS AT TULBAGH. — VACCINE. X83 
having been informed of my arrival, renewed very pressingly his 
former invitation ; and proposed that I should come to his house 
without delay. My oxen were therefore again put to, and I reached 
his hospitable mansion just at dark. 
27/^. This morning I rode to the Drostdy for the purpose of 
conferring with the landdrost ; but unfortunately he was gone from 
home, and not expected to return in less than a week. In the 
absence of a landdrost, all public business, not requiring the sanction 
of Xhe Heemraaden (the District Council), is transacted by the District 
Secretary. Mine being of this nature, I addressed myself to ikfr. 
Munnik, the secretary, from whom I experienced a polite and ready 
attention to my wishes. A copy of my papers was registered in his 
office, and orders were immediately issued to the veld cornets re- 
siding along the northern boundary of the colony, that they should 
afford me whatever assistance I might need, should I again re- 
turn into the colony. This was intended merely as a precautionary 
measure, so that, in the case of meeting with any unforeseen acci- 
dent, such as the loss of the waggons, or some misfortune com- 
pelling me to retreat, I might secure the aid and authority of the 
field-cornets, even should these papers be lost. This gentleman an- 
ticipated my wants, by proposing, as the passage of the Hex-river 
Kloof, and the ascent of the Roggeveld mountain, would greatly 
exhaust the strength of my own oxen, that he might issue orders for a 
voor-span, (relay of oxen) to meet me at those places. At the office 
of the secretary, Speelman was bound in my service, by the usual 
legal forms ; which consist in each party signing in triplicate a certain 
prescribed and printed form of agreement, so constructed as to 
secure to the Hottentot the due payment of his wages, and his 
liberty at the expiration of the term, and to the master his obe- 
dience and services during the time contracted for. Of these three 
papers, one is given to each party, and the third is left in the secre- 
tary's office. 
At the Drostdy I received a small packet, containing vaccine 
matter, dispatched from Cape Town after my departure. It was 
