Part 7 (1/2)
”Here, sir,” cried out one of the sailors; ”co, ing about, and who all jumped into the boat, which pushed off, and they were soon on board of the shi+p
As the et rid of his passengers and their luggage as they were to leave, the utmost expedition was used by all parties, and in a few hours everything was landed, Begu perched upon the stores conveyed in the last boat A party of soldiers sent down by Captain Maxwell assisted the seaes up to the fort, and before the evening closed in, the tents were pitched, their beds e safely housed, while they were a on the parapet and watching the passing and repassing of the boats which were unlading the vessels
As there was little chance of rain in the present season, they lay down on their mattresses in perfect security and co until breakfast was ready After breakfast they sallied out with Captain Maxwell to look after wagons and oxen, and as, on the arrival of the eons had been sent down to take them to their destinations, Captain Maxwell soon fell in with some of the Dutch boors of the interior hoons; but previous to ains, Alexander ith Captain Maxwell to the landroost, for whoentleh his intervention, before night, four excellent wagons with their tilts and canvas coverings, and four span of oxen of fourteen each, were bought and proood order, as soon as they had carried up the freights hich they were charged
As these wagons could not return under four days, the next object that they had in vieas to procure some more horses, and here they met with difficulty; for Major Henderson, who, as an excellent judge of horses, was requested to select them, would not accept of many that were offered Still they had plenty of ti out previous to their departure, and this would be a work of some days; and oa Bay, instead of the Cape, were now to be sought for and selected
At the tions and teaaged, and the wagons were fitted out with lockers all round thee separate, so that they ht require While this as proceeding, with the assistance of the landroost, they were engaging Hottentots and other people to join the expedition, soons, others as huntsht be required of them Some very steady brave men were selected, but it was impossible to make up the whole force which they wished to take of people of known character; ed rather from their appearance, their proave thee of them This could not be avoided; and as they had it in their power to dismiss them for bad conduct, it was to be presumed that they could procure others
It waswas ready for their departure, and then the caravan was coed to it were our three gentleht drivers of the teams of oxen; twelve Hottentot and other hunters (for soe of the horses, and two others who had charge of a flock of Cape sheep, which were to follow the caravan, and serve as food until they could procure oxen by purchase or gauns: so that the whole force of the party amounted to twenty men: two Hottentot women, wives of the principal men, also acco
The ani to the caravan consisted of fifty-six fine oxen, which composed the teams; twelve horses, as Major Henderson could only procure six at Algoa Bay, or they would have purchased u to Captain Henderson: to these were to be added the flock of sheep
The wagons were fitted out as follows, chiefly under the direction of Major Henderson and Mr Swinton
The first wagon, which was called Mr Wilon, was fitted up with boxes or lockers all round, and contained all the stores for their own use, such as tea, sugar, coffee, cheeses, haues, biscuits, soap, and wax candles, wine and spirits in bottles, besides large rolls of tobacco for the Hottentots or presents, and Alexander's clothes; his ons, between the lockers The wagon was covered with a double sail-cloth tilt, and with curtains before and behind; the carpenter's tools were also in one of the lockers of this wagon
The second wagon was called Mr Swinton's wagon; it was fitted up with lockers in the sareat quantity of drawers for insects, bottles of spirits for ani the plants, and several other articles, more particularly a medicine-chest well filled, for Mr Swinton was not unacquainted with surgery and physic The other lockers were filled with a large quantity of glass beads and cutlery for presents, several hundred pounds of bullets, ready cast, and all the kitchen ware and crockery It had the sa as the first, and Mr Swinton's ht spread in the on was called the aron; it was not fitted up like the two first The whole bottoe casks of spirits, and the Major unpowder in bottles and a quantity of se rolls; 1 cwt of snuff; all the heavy tools, spades, shovels, and axes, and a variety of other useful articles
The tilt-fraons, for the hoops met each other so as to make it solid It was covered with a tarred sail-cloth so as to be quite water-proof, and under the tilt-frauns, except the thich Alexander and Mr Swinton retained in their oagons in case of eon were closed with boards, which were let down and pulled up on hinges, so that it was a little fortress in case of need; and as it could be locked up at any tiet at the casks of spirits without coon at night
The fourth wagon was called the store wagon, and contained several articles which were not is of rice: it also held unpowder, a quantity of lead, two coils of rope, iron bars, bags of nails of various sizes, rolls of brass wire, and the two tents, with three chairs and a son of Major Henderson, it was covered ater-proof cloth
Such was the fit-out which was considered necessary for this adventurous expedition, and the croho ca-party, as it was called, were so great and so annoying that the utons were all loaded, the Hottentots collected together froreements read to thereements, or any misconduct, threatened with severe punishht in, and the nexttaken leave of the landroost and other gentlemen of the toho had loaded them with civilities, they retired to the fort, and passed the ht with Captain Maxwell; but to avoid the crohich would have accoress, they had resolved to set off before daylight At two o'clock in thethe Hottentots were roused up, the oxen yoked, and an hour before day-break the whole train had quitted the town, and were traveling at a slow pace, lighted only by the brilliant stars of the southern sky
CHAPTER IX
The plans of our travelers had been well digested They had decided that they would first prosecute the object of their journey by proceeding straight through the Caffre country to the borders of the Undata River, near or whereabout it was reported that the descendants of the whites would be found located; and as soon as Alexander had accomplished his mission, that they would cross the chain of h the Bush this arrangehout the whole of the Caffre country, with the exception of lions and elephants in the forest, and hippopotaa alested by Major Henderson, and had been approved by Alexander and Mr Swinton,--Alexander being equally desirous as the Major to have plenty of field-sport, and Mr Swinton anxious to increase his stock and knowledge of the anidoh the Caffre country, as the missionaries had already planted two missions, one at butterworth and the other at Chumie; and the first of these Alexander had decided upon visiting, and had, in consequence, several packages in his wagon, which had been entrusted to his care
It was on the 7th of May, 1829, that the caravan quitted Algoa Bay for Graham's Town The weather had been for soe was now luxuriant; the wagons proceeded at a noiseless pace over the herbage, the sleepy Hottentots not being at all inclined to exert themselves unnecessarily Alexander, Swinton, and Henderson were on horseback, a little ahead of the first wagon
”I don't kno you feel,” said the Major; ”but I feel as if I were a prisoner just released from his chains I breathe the air of independence and liberty now After the bustle, and noise, and crowding together of the town, to find ourselves here so quiet and solitary is freedo,” replied Alexander; ”this wide-extended plain, of which we can not yet discern the horizontal edge; these brilliant stars scattered over the heavens, and shi+ning down upon us; no sound to on-wheels in the slow and htful They say htful occasionally to be alone”
”Yes; alone as we are,” replied Swinton, laughing; ”that is, with a party of thirty people, well armed, in search of adventure To be clear of the bustle of the town, and no longer cooped up in the fort, is pleasant enough; but, I suspect, to be quite alone in these African wilds would be any thing but agreeable”
”Perhaps so”