526 
DISCOURAGING ARGUMENTS. 
2—5 Feb. 
ror of his name, rendered every one afraid to encounter him, and 
imwiDing to proceed. 
2nd. The effect of these reports was not a httle increased 
by the opinion of the three missionaries, who laid great stress 
upon ibem, and apparently were not less alarmed than the Hot- 
tentots themselves. Still I continued to forward the arrange- 
ments for departing : I ordered Muchunka (Kees) to remain 
constantly at the waggons, and hold himself in readiness for the 
journey ; and sent the same orders to the other men whom I had 
engaged. 
The next morning the missionary, who had the chief direction 
of the affairs of the settlement, and the leading voice with his two 
companions, paid me a visit at my waggons, for the purpose, 
formally and in the name also of the others, of dissuading me 
from attempting to proceed on my journey with so few men. They 
had, he said, been consulting on the affair, and had agreed on the 
propriety of opposing it by every means of dissuasion ; alledging 
for this, two reasons : the first, my own personal risk, and . that of 
my men ; and the second, the very serious consequences to them, 
and to the settlement, which would result from Africaander's getting 
possession of my guns and ammunition ; and concluded with a 
clinching argument, — he had ascertained that none of the men I had 
lately engaged, had any intention of going beyond Litakun ; and 
that the one named Manell, had no other view in going with me 
than that of suiting his own convenience in bartering with the 
natives of that town, and then to return home. 
The latter part of this unexpected communication, for which 
I was not at all prepared, was deserving of some attention, as I fore- 
saw in it, if true, the total subversion of my present plans. There 
was, however, a certain incongruity in his arguments which puzzled 
me, and held my mind undecided. During our former casual con- 
versations on the subject of Dr. Cowan's failure, it had been 
his opinion that the exploring of the interior of this part of 
Africa could perhaps only be accomplished by means of the mis- 
