1812. 
A FUNERAL AT LEEUWENKUIL. 
521 
person unaccustomed to them, must find, at first, particular!}? 
inconvenient. 
I remained entirely at the village, giving whatever assistance 
was in my power, especially in administering the needfiil consol- 
ation. 
2^th. Klaas Berends, one of the Hottentots, a relation of 
captain Berends was engaged to set out as soon as he could 
get ready for the journey, to carry letters into the colony, for 
the purpose of giving information of Mrs. Kramer's death to her 
relations. 
25th. The second after the death, was the day appointed for 
the funeral. A great number of people assembled on the occasion, 
many of whom came from the out-posts at a considerable distance, 
in order to pay their last duties of respect by following the body to 
the grave. All the preparations and arrangements were managed 
with greater propriety than could have been expected here. A suf- 
ficient quantity of black linen was found for a pall, with which the 
coffin was covered, and black crape hat-bands were worn by the 
missionaries. The corpse born by six Hottentots, was preceded by 
the same number of people, and followed in procession by the four 
Europeans and her son ; after whom walked the two captains, Kok 
and Berends. A long train of their people, about fifty in number then 
succeeded two by two, all cleanly and decently dressed, the greater 
part in European clothes. Every one conducted himself with a 
degree of decorum which was truly gratifying, from a tribe of 
people who in many other respects had made but little progress in 
civilization. 
On arriving at the burying-ground, which is situated between 
the rocks near Leeuwenkuil, an extempore discourse or address 
was pronounced by the missionary ; after which, the body 
was deposited in a grave seven feet deep, and covered in with 
mould to the thickness of a foot ; then, experience having 
taught them the necessity, the Hottentots covered it over 
with large, broad, flat pieces of rock, to secure it against the 
3 X 
