1811. 
curiosity: 
347 - 
On coming out of the waggon, a crowd of Koras gathered round 
with an eagerness of curiosity which I did not expect, as a white man 
could be no novelty to the greater part of them, who had had the 
missionaries so long in their neighbourhood. The report of my 
coming had long preceded my arrival ; and, as they had been in- 
formed that I was neither a missionary nor a colonist, but travelling 
only for the purpose of seeing their country, they felt a desire to know 
more about the stranger : and that their crowding round me, was 
from pure curiosity, was strongly proved by their never once begging, 
even for tobacco. This last circumstance appeared to me the more 
remarkable, as I had been told that I should find begging an uni- 
versal practice. Their cloaks and bodies were entirely reddened 
with ochre, and almost every one wore a leathern cap. Their huts 
here were irregularly placed, and at some distance from the spring, 
without even the shelter of a bush. 
As far as could be seen in every direction, the tops of huge 
masses of a hard blue rock *, appeared above the surface ; and among 
them some of a beautiful green color, but of exactly the same nature. 
The water, issuing from a rocky hollow, did not run, at this season, 
many hundred yards ; though the wide channel bore marks of having 
carried a more plentiful stream. The ground was, in many places, 
whitened with a saline efflorescence ; and it is to this circumstance 
that the spring owes its name. It was frequented by ' Namaqua 
partridges' or grous, and a few other birds. 
It was nearly sunset before the waggons were in motion. The 
Koras, in a friendly manner, wished us a pleasant journey, as we 
drove past their huts ; and I departed from their kraal with a fa- 
vorable impression of the friendly character of the whole tribe. 
As this day was to end our travelling for the present, or at least 
for three months, according to the plan I had proposed to myself; 
a pleasing sensation seemed, with all of us, to attend the idea of 
being about to terminate a long journey. For such, with reference 
* Technically called " Greenstone." 
Y Y 2 
