520 
A MELANCHOLY EVENT. 
23 Jan. 
23rd. A melancholy event, and one which caused considerable 
distress, and was deplored with an universal feeling of sorrow and 
regret throughout the settlement, took place this day at the village, 
in the death of Mrs. Kramer, the wife of one of the missionaries : an 
inflammatory attack, which took place about eleven days before, was 
at last succeeded by those cruel symptoms which thus, in the fair 
morning of youth, terminated the life of a worthy and amiable woman. 
About a week previous to this, serious apprehensions began to be 
entertained, and I was first informed of her danger by a messenger 
sent to my waggons to request some laudanum. The distress which 
this unexpected information occasioned, prevented my attending to my 
own affairs ; nor could I forbear my unavailing anxiety and assistance 
to avert the catastrophe, till death put a stop to further hope. In the 
alarm and distress which the missionaries and Mrs. Anderson, her 
only female companion, felt at the too evident prospect of a fatal 
result, they flew to me for advice, as well as medicine ; and, would 
that I possessed the knowledge and the power to save my poor fellow- 
traveller ! I interpreted to them the opinions of the medical books 
/ which I had by me, and added all that my own judgment could 
suggest. This they hastened to adopt ; and, at my representation, 
cleared the room of a crowd of sorrowful, but useless Hottentots, 
who, distressed and anxious for her whom they appeared much to 
esteem, created a suffocating heat, which considerably increased the 
danger. To mitigate this, I recommended a small opening, or win- 
dow, to be cut through the reeds and plastering to admit fresh 
air : this also was immediately done ; but, alas ! all was in vain ; and 
her pain and delirium left her only to make way for the last symp- 
toms of dissolution. 
With a mind already rendered susceptible by the disappoint- 
ments which I had met with at this place, I felt deeply affected at 
this mournful occurrence. From her, equally with Mrs. Anderson, 
I had experienced many marks of good-will, in their kind atten- 
tions to supply those deficiencies in the comforts of food, and 
those privations of many little luxuries, which they imagined a 
