18J1. 
DESERTED HUT. — SUNDAY. 
231 
for shelter against the storm, to the deserted hut at -a cattle-place, 
discovered by our herdsmen at a distance of about a mile and a half 
on our right. One of the missionaries, with the Bushmen for their 
guides, set out immediately on foot ; and, as soon as the oxen could 
be brought in from pasture, and put to the waggons, we followed ; 
but, missing the proper direction, did not arrive there till dark. 
The hut was in, what might be called in this part of the colony, very 
decent condition, as the walls and roof were weather-tight, and it 
was furnished with a door ; for it appeared not to have been many 
weeks since it was inhabited. It contained, however, merely a 
single room, which fortunately was large enough to lodge the whole 
party, as the missionaries and myself always slept in the waggons, 
and the Bushmen betook themselves to their own fire, a few yards 
off, amongst the bushes. 
21st. Being Sunday, all our people were assembled in the hut, 
for divine worship. This consisted in singing psalms for half an hour ; 
after which a sermon was read to them, out of a favourite Dutch 
author, of a very proper and useful tendency. 
The Bushman captain and his companions left us, and pro- 
ceeded on their journey to the Veldcornet's with the letter. 
22nd. The Hottentots, who hitherto were seldom observed to 
be in a hurry to depart, were now very active in getting every thing 
early in readiness for starting ; and it was quite unusual to find that, 
instead of requiring to be repeatedly ordered to work, all this was to- 
day done of their own accord, and without any directions from the 
missionaries. The cause, however, was not their sudden reformation, 
but an anxiety and haste to join the party of their countrymen, 
which was on before. 
We returned to Tys-kraal, and immediately commenced the 
rather steep ascent of the Goudsbloein s Hoogte. The flowers which 
gave rise to its name, were not to be found at the present season. 
The Wind-heuvel (Wind-hill) is a mountain much more difficult 
to climb, and required all the strength of our oxen, and great care in 
the drivers, to bring the waggons over it in safety. The road is very 
rocky and irregular, and the declivity but thinly clothed with vege- 
