Page:Lake Ngami.djvu/239

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JONKER SHOWS OFF TO ADVANTAGE.
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limestone rock, has a temperature of 194 degrees of Fahrenheit. Mr. Hahn informed me that here, on one occasion, he boiled a piece of meat, and that, though not quite so good as when dressed in the ordinary manner, it was not unpalatable.

Eikhams, as already said, was formerly a Rhenish missionary station. It was founded so far back as 1843 by the Rev, C. H. Hahn, resident at New Barmen in Damara-land. After a time, however, it was given up to the Wesleyan Society, which sent Mr. Haddy to reside there. This gentleman erected an excellent dwelling-house and a most substantial church. For a while the mission flourished, but was latterly abandoned, and the station is now rapidly falling into decay. This, I am sorry to say, has been the fate of many other institutions of a similar nature in Southern Africa.

Among other gifts, Mr. Galton presented Jonker with a splendid cocked hat and richly-gilt uniform: a court dress, in fact, that had once probably adorned the person of some great man when paying his respects to majesty, and with which the African chief expressed himself highly gratified.

Being desirous of obtaining a likeness of so famous a personage as Afrikaner, I requested him one day to put on this costume and allow me to take his portrait. He good-naturedly consented to my solicitation, and on the following morning appeared duly appareled. We rather expected to have a laugh at him, since his gait and figure were somewhat unprepossessing; but we were disappointed. He marched up to his seat with as much ease and dignity as if he were familiar with the usage of courts.

During our stay at Eikhams we became acquainted with a Mr. Eyebrecht, formerly in the missionary employ, but now Jonker's right-hand man. In addition to excellent English and Dutch, he spoke the Namaqua and the Damara tongues rather fluently. As he was well acquainted with the coun-