ts they had brought.

Swinton, who was spokesman, returned for answer that they were hunters,
and not traders; that they had come to see the wonders of the country
belonging to so great a monarch, and that hearing that his majesty had
animals in his country which were not to be found elsewhere, they wanted
permission to kill some, to show upon their return to their own people
what a wonderful country it was that belonged to so great a monarch;--
that they had brought beads and copper wire, and knives, and boxes for
making fire, and snuff and tobacco, all of which they wished to present
to the great monarch; a part as soon as they had received his permission
to enter his territory, and another part when they were about to leave
it. A handsome present of the above articles was then produced, and the
messengers of the king, having surveyed the articles with some
astonishment, declared that their king would feel very glad when he saw
all these things, and that he had desired them to tell our travellers
that they might come into his dominions with safety, and kill all the
animals that they pleased. That his majesty had commanded one of them
to remain with the party, and that as soon as he had received his
presents, he would send a chief to be answerable for their safety. The
Matabili then packed up the articles presented, and two of them set off
at full speed on their return to the king. The third, who remained,
assured our travellers that they might cross the river and enter the
Matabili country as soon as they pleased.

A debate now ensued as to whether they should go with their whole force
or not. The Matabili had informed them that in three days' journey they
would fall in with the giraffe, which they were in search of; and as
there would be some risk in crossing the river, and they had every
reason to expect that it would soon rise, the question was whether it
would be prudent to take over even one of the waggons. The opinion of
the Griquas was asked, and it was ultimately arranged that they should
take over Alexander's waggon only, with fifteen pair of oxen, and that
some of the Griquas should accompany them, with Swanevelt, Omrah, and
Mahomed;--that Bremen and the Hottentots should remain where they were,
with the other three waggons and the rest of the Griquas, until our
travellers should return.

This arrangement was not at all disagreeable to the Hottentots, who did
not much like the idea of entering the Ma