1812. 
LETTER TO MR. POLEMANN. 
513 
' experience I am now acquiring, would prove to be of the greatest 
* advantage.' 
To Mr, Polemann, I wrote in these words : ' Mj dear Friend, I 
' take the opportunity of some people going to the Roggeveld, on 
' horseback, to remain there till the first of May, to let you know 
' how it fares with me. I have enjoyed very good health ever since 
' leaving Cape Town : and have felt no other fatigue than that which 
' arises from my anxiety not to let any thing escape my notice ; but 
' still I fear I shall pass by many things unobserved ; yet have no 
' doubt that I shall bring home a large collection. I am situated 
' very unpleasantly, owing to want of men ; having only two besides 
' the man from Groene Kloof, whom you sent to me at Tulbagh ; 
' who ha vino; met with an unfortunate accident, cannot now be of 
' so much service to me as heretofore. The people of Klaarwater are, 
' I believe, the laziest men in the world ; yet I am reduced to the 
i necessity of soliciting some of them to accompany me ; which, I 
' fear, I shall find great difficulty in doing, as the two men taken from 
' here by the late travellers, are not returned, and it is suspected 
' that I am not coming back this way again. Yet, if I cannot get 
' men at any other rate, I must promise them that they may come 
' back, as I have some slight hopes that I may supply their place by 
' Bichuanas. If this last resource should fail, then must I make up 
' my mind to see Cape Town again ; and, indeed, think that the 
' pleasure of again meeting my Cape friends, will greatly compensate 
' for my disappointment. I mean first to visit Letaako, and then to 
' turn off to the N. or N. W., to a country of which no one here 
' knows even the name or the nature. The climate is here very hot 
' and dry ; the thermometer being, in the coolest place, at an average, 
' 95°. The oxen, which were purchased of Van der Merwe, have 
' proved to be very good ; though I have lost two of the best. The 
' remainder are now sufficiently recovered to proceed on the journey, 
' as soon as Gerrit is well enough ; which I think will be in a fort- 
' night. I am quite tired of being here so long, and am anxious to 
* behold new scenes. I am going to apply myself to hard study, to 
' obtain a knowledge of the Sichuana language, which, I have reason 
3 u 
