102 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA, 
towards the Elephants River; but unluckily in the night 
—V—» loft our way. We faw fome fires, which we expedled had 
been made at the place of our deftination ; but on our arrival 
at the fpot, we found they had been lighted by fome Hotten¬ 
tots who had the care of a fiock of ftieep belonging to a Dutch¬ 
man, One of them direded us on our right way, and at two 
in the morning we came to the houfe of Peter Van Syl, who 
had lived on the banks of this river for many years. Our 
waggon was fo much damaged, on our journey hither from 
the Cape, that we were compelled to remain here a few days 
in order to have it repaired. 
When this bufinefs v/as completed, we tranlported our 
baggage and waggon acrofs the river, which at this time was 
high. In the evening Colonel Gordon arrived ; but as he was 
purfuing a different route, we appointed to meet in the Small 
Nimiqua Land, and then to proceed together along the fhore 
of the Atlantic Ocean, as far as we could poifibly travel to 
the northward. 
We next dire£led our courfe to the Bokke Lands Bergen, 
where we had appointed to receive a team of freftr oxen. 
When we arrived at the Bokke Veld, we afcended the moun¬ 
tain, and left the waggon by a fmall fountain ; the path being 
impaftable on account of the heavy rains which had fallen. 
At this place we fiipplied oiirfelves with fome provifion ; and 
Mr. Van Renan took a cart v/ith him, and fixteen bullocks 
belonging to his father. 
