90 
3RAPKS. 
every man of »ur party was in a fow days laid low, except 
a Bakwain and myself, lie managed the oxen, whilo I 
attended to tho wants of the patients and went out occa- 
sionally with tho Bushmen to got a zebra or buffalo, so as 
to induce them to remain with us. 
^ Hero for tho first time I had leisure to follow tho instmo- 
dons of my kind teacher, Mr. Macloar, and calculated seve- 
ral longitudes from lunar distances. Tho hearty manner 
m which that eminent astronomer and frank, friendly' man 
had piomisod to aid mo in calculating and verifying my 
woik conduced moro than any thing clso to inspire mo 
with pci severance in making astronomical observations 
throughout the journey. 
Wo wished to avoid tho tsetso of our former path, so 
kopt a courso on tho magnetic moridan from Lurilopepo. 
Tho necessity of making a now path much increased our 
toil. Wo wore, however, rewarded in hit. 18° with a sight 
wo had not enjoyed the year before, namely, largo patches 
of grape-bearing vines. There they' stood before my' eyes; 
out tho sight was so entirely unexpected that I stood some 
tune gazing at tho clusters of grapes with which they wore 
loaded, with no moro thought of plucking than if 1 l> ad 
been beholding them in a dream. Tho Bushmen know 
and cat them; but they are not well flavored, on account 
of the great astringcncy of tho seeds, which aro in shape 
and s.zo like split peas. The elephants aro fond of the 
fruit, plant, and root aliko. 
The forest, through which we were slowly toiling, daily 
ocamo more donso, and wo wore kept almost constantly 
at work with tho axe; there was much moro loafinoss in 
the trees hero than farther south. Tho leaves aro chiefly 
o t o pinnate and bi-pinnato forms, and aro exceedingly 
beautiful when seen against tho sky: a great variety of 
tho papilionaceous family grow in this part of tho country- 
l'lcmiug had until this time always assisted to drive his 
own wagon, but about tho end of March ho knocked up, »* 
wed as his doodIo As I could not drive two wagons- * 
