1811. HIRING OF MUCHUNKA THE INTERPRETER. 435 
in engaging a Briqua interpreter to enter my service. During our 
late excursion to the rivers, he had mentioned to me, and recom- 
mended for that purpose, a certain Half-Briqua by the name ot^ Kces, 
who, being born at Litakun (Litaakoon,) a Bachapin on the father's, 
and a Kora on the mother's, side, was equally well acquainted with 
both languages ; and, by having long resided at Klaarwater, and 
even visited Cape Town, had acquired a tolerable knowledge of 
Dutch. 
Mr. Jansz having sent a message to one of the out-stations under 
the Langberg, where Kees was living, to desire him to come to Klaar- 
water, he arrived this morning at the village, and came to us at 
Mr. Jansz's hut, where, after much preliminary and explanatory con- 
versation with him, it was at last settled that he should go no farther 
than Litakoon, there to leave me, and be at liberty to return home. 
His real name was Muchunka, which in the Sichuana lano-uase 
signifies poor. His mother was living at the Kora village of the 
Hart ; but both his brothers had died a few years before of the 
small-pox, by which disease he also lost his eldest child. His wife 
was a Hottentot woman. His property consisted in one cow, which 
being the first he ever possessed, he talked of with no small pleasure, 
as a proof of his riches and consequence ; for it seems that his name 
had originally been justly bestowed upon him. He was living in 
society with a Hottentot named Willem Casper, under whose pro- 
tection it was planned that he was to leave his wife and child, and 
his cow. 
He frequently expressed fears that I meant to take him farther 
than Litakoon, and these fears occasioned him for some time to 
hesitate whether to go or not. But after repeating the strongest 
assurances that he should be quite at liberty to leave me at that town, 
I at length effaced those impressions, which had evidently been made 
on his mind by the representations of the Klaarwater Hottentots, 
with respect to the dangerous nature of the expedition he was about 
to join. 
All these apprehensions being quieted, he took up his abode at 
my waggons, and seemed as much pleased in his new service, as I 
