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It was about 3 or 4 o’clock[9] in the afternoon when we saw the welcome sight, the tops of the green trees on the banks of the Orange River and as soon as the waggon stopped we rushed down to see how high the water was, and what a beautiful sight it was! Heated, thirsty and tired as we were it refreshed us at once. We perceived the water was rising and tho’ it was possible for waggons to go through we were all too tired and it was too late to attempt it. However, father and Mr. Morris decided to prepare to cross as soon as it was light next morning. They accordingly moved all the things from under the cartels and packed them on to the cartels so that they should not get wet. Of course there was then no room to sleep in the waggon, so this was our first night of sleeping in the open air. It was such a strange sensation to wake in the night and hear the jackals screaming and see the stars overhead. Although they commenced so early and worked so hard, they only succeeded in getting the last waggon over about four o’clock in the afternoon, and then the River had risen so high they could hardly succeed in getting through, and by dusk it was flowing from bank to bank.[10] How fortunate we did not come a day later or we would have had to wait weeks or make rafts to cross with. As it was, we were detained for three weeks for the lost cattle and the man whom the Hottentots brought through on a large log of wood with a man on each side of him riding a wooden horse as they called the log of wood with a peg in front to hold on to and paddling with the other hand. The oxen were swum through with a great deal of trouble. We spent our Xmas Day[11] here and it was well we had such fine shady trees, for the weather was most insufferably hot. We sometimes amused ourselves by searching for agates and other pretty pebbles.

At last we made another start and after a very heavy trek through deep sand we reached Sandfontein a few hours from Nisbet-bath[12] the Mission Station. Here I noticed a most wretched old Hottentot woman, who was cutting up meat we had given her with a piece of white flint. I asked her why she cut with that and she looked at me with surprise, and said, it was their sort of knife, she had no other.

About eight o’clock one fine moonlight evening we reached Nisbet-bath. The people of the place saluting us in the usual Hottentot fashion of fireing off guns, which they kept up from the time we came near the place till we stopped near the Mission premises. The Missionary, Mr. Tindall, had gone to Cape Town for supplies, but as we had seen him there before we left, he had kindly given us the keys of the house, and told us to take any vegetables out of their small garden, that was fit for use. Here we were detained trying to get men and guides and waiting for rain to fall, as the country was very dry. We were here more than two months[13]. In the meantime the Mission Party had arrived. Mr. Ridgill for Nisbet-bath, and Mr. Tindall and Mr. Haddy[14] to proceed to open a mission in Damaraland. We left before them as Mr. Morris only knew the road as far as Nisbet-bath, we had to take Captain Alexander’s book for our principal guide. We had also got Saul Sheapard for our interpreter. He was the Damara boy Captain Alexander mentions in his book. He had taken him to Scotland[15] and given him some schooling and now he was going back to his country as our interpreter and was he not a lazy scamp. I remember how he used to go behind a bush and give us a dose of his long loud prayers of a morning. Goodness forgive me, if I wrong him, but I hate all hypocrisy, give me quiet and in earnest religion. Near a place called Wartal, one of the disselbooms broke and they had to go some distance up the river to get a tree with suitable wood to make another one. At another place we got a stock of milch goats and slaughter sheep.

After some weary travelling we reached the Fish River. One day we came to a Hottentot village, but all the people had run away. One man, however, was induced to stand and speak to the interpreter. He said they ran away because they thought we were a party sent by Government to avenge the murder of Mr. Therfall the Missionary, and this happened more than once, causing us some inconveniece or annoyance.

One day after a long consultation between Mr. Morris and my father, they decided on separating : one taking the most direct road to Jonkers and Walwich Bay, as they feared the vessel with the supplies, would arrive and not know what to do if one of them was not there in time to receive them, and one to take the road to Amarals (Chief of Hottentots).

We accordingly parted company, and as my father could not speak Dutch he kept Saul with him. One evening we came to a place noted for lions, and as we had to travel through the night, to get to water my father said my sister and me[16] had to go to the other waggon, where we slept. We were not long in it when it was said lions were about, so father had the loose oxen driven between the two waggons for safety, his waggon going before them and our behind. But with all their precautions a lion sprang on an ox and killed it. Our waggon had to turn a little out of the road to avoid him. Another time our bull killed or rather badly wounded a lion. While drinking at a water hole the lion sprang on him and his horns being rather sharp, he stuck the lion getting him fast between himself and the bank. Another day, we heard there were a great many spring-buck in those parts and sure enough we got a plain with thousands of them. As one of the men said they were as thick as grass, the waggons could scarcely get through if they did not open on each side so as to leave a road. I have seen nothing like it since.

We came to an old man’s verft he was not a Hottentot, I don’t know what he was. His name was Arnold, he had a garden and his waggon sail or cover was made of springbuck skins. He seemed rather intelligent and father got a lot of information from him. Next we came to Amarals place (since called Wesly Vale)[17]. He was an old Bastard who had formerly come from the Cape Colony. His wife was a clean respectable looking old woman, who formerly lived with a Boer family. They showed us many kindnesses.

Here we first saw some Berg Damaras (Herero) and we were the first white people they had ever seen, and they used to come and look at my sister[18] and me and have disputes among themselves about our hair. Some saying it was loose and something we had put on for ornament and others that it was our own hair; and then to decide the dispute, came saying “arre canda” (if you please) and give it a gentle pull to make sure it was our own hair. We amused ourselves by frightening them with our dolls, they at first thought them human beings. We did not stay here long, about a week as father was anxious to get to the Bay, our provisions being nearly exhausted. Amaral gave us some men to accompany us to the Red Nation[19] then living a couple of days journey from Jonkers.[20] A very rough lot even for Hottentots. Here I saw a native buried and was so surprised at the shape of the grave, which was made with a sort of shelf in the side, on which the body was put, then flat stones were put against it and bushes so as to keep out the sand. I thought it rather a good plan they of course not having a coffin.

Whilst outspanned one day there was a cry of rhinoceros being in sight, and father and some of the men rode after them. We proceeded on our journey, and reached a plain on which a great variety of game was. We got quite close to them, as they did not seem to know what to make of the waggons, some standing and gazing at us, as if they thought we were some sort of game. We came up to a great dust and found it was caused by the rhinoceros, one was scraping up the ground, so the driver took the gun and fired at them, one ran away and the other dropped down dead, being one father and his party had wounded early in the afternoon. We of course all ran to see and examine the immense beast, and my sister wishing to know if he had big teeth, put her hand into his mouth, and I had a mind to climb on his back, but the men said we had better be careful as he might not be quite dead, but only stunned. As it was near sunset we had to leave it without taking any of the meat or the skin as father would be waiting for us at the outspan place. I believe some of the Red Folk profited by it as they sent and got the meat.
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