1811. 
BOOHS' RESPECT FOR GOVERNMENT ORDERS. 
241 
'25th. From two altitudes of the sun, I computed the latitude 
of this place to be 32° 46' 45". * 
Gerrit Maritz, the field-cornet of the division next to Snyman's, 
had also received orders from the Drostdy to render me his official 
aid in proceeding on the journej ; and, having heard of my arrival 
in the Karro, came to learn v^^hat assistance was required. He 
offered his services with great civility and readiness, and concerted 
the order for the voorspans, with Snyman, who was equally ready to 
fulfil his duty. I mention this with pleasure, because I experienced 
on other occasions, afterwards, a very different treatment ; and ascer- 
tained, to my mortification, that an order from the government will 
not always procure for an Englishman the necessary assistance from 
the boors ; nor, though they receive a remuneration, ensure even 
their civility to him, or their respect for a higher authority. 
2Sth. Early this morning, one of my Hottentots was sent 
with a packet of letters to a farm-house at the distance of eight 
miles, where the Tulbagh Boode, who was to forward them to Cape 
Town, was expected to arrive in his way from the Hantam. 
29^^. Having, in the course of travelling, learnt by experience, 
what alterations in the internal arrangement of my waggon would 
render it more convenient, I here changed the place of one of the 
chests ; and, by moving it backwards to the extremity of the 
buik-plaiik, a vacant space of nearly three feet, was left between that 
and the next, forming a very commodious sitting-room, well en- 
closed and barricaded by the after-chest. This arrangement proved 
so convenient in every respect, and so well adapted for personal 
safety, that it was never afterwards found necessary to make any 
change in it during the whole of my travels. 
• SQth, A letter, brought by a Hottentot from the missionaries, 
informed me that no flour was to be purchased any where, as I had 
requested them to make enquiry for me in the quarter where they 
* 25th July, 1811, at 8h. 44 m. 30 sec. A.M., the observed altitude of the sun's centre 
was 19° 33' 29''; and at lOh. 36m. ISsec, 33° 35' 44". 
I I 
