230 
FIRST MEETING WITH BUSHMEN. 
20—22 July, 
consider this as the most serious accident which had hitherto hap- 
pened, as it appeared hkely to interfere with the accuracy of my 
future observations. For although tar, or even water in a bowl 
painted black, might have been used as a substitute, yet no surface 
would reflect the stars so clearly and accurately as quicksilver. The 
ground being a loose sand, the mercury would soon have been irre- 
cov^erably lost, had I not instantly had the idea of making a small 
hollow near it, and placing in it a sheep-skin so as to form a basin ; 
carefully and expeditiously scooping into it all the sand, to the 
extent and depth to which it was supposed likely that the mercury 
had penetrated. Then, by taking in a cup small quantities of this 
sand, and giving it a circular motion, at the same time blowing away 
the dust and lighter particles, the quicksilver was found clean at the 
bottom ; and in this manner, persevering at every leisure moment 
for three whole days, I had the satisfaction, at last, to recover very 
nearly all that had been spilled. 
Receiving information that the main body of the Klaarwater Hot- 
tentots, under a ' captain' whose name was Berns (or Berends), was 
not more than one day's journey in advance, one of our Hottentots 
was sent forward to give them notice of our approach. The Bush- 
man captain joined us in the afternoon, accompanied by four others ; 
among whom was his father, a little old man possessing quite as 
much liveliness and vigor as his son. All were mounted on oxen j 
they appeared happy at having fallen in with us, and seemed to have 
a friendly confidence in our good intentions towards them. 
This race of people had been pictured to me in the most 
wretched colors ; and, having been led to expect only a set of beings 
without reason or intellect, I was now much pleased at finding that 
they might be viewed in a more favorable light, and that the first 
individuals of this nation, whom we fell in with, were men of lively 
manners and shrewd understandings. They were all of small stature 
(about five feet), and dressed partly in the colonial, and partly in 
their own costume. 
The day being cold and windy, and the clouds which were fast 
gathering in every quarter, threatening a rainy night, we removed 
