One of them reached for the digging stick lying unmarked in the sand, then withdrew his hand. It was bad luck to linger, and bad luck to take her possessions; they couldn’t even drink the water. They looked at each other with sad eyes. Their journey had been for nothing. But they were used to the cruelties of the gods. Desire for water was carved into their souls.

Taking a last look at the remains, squinting their eyes into the sun, they marched resolutely in the direction from which they had seen lightning fork the land.

Glossary

baster

half-breed

bijwoner

someone who works on a farm and usually lives on the premises

biltong

strips of dried meat; used for long journeys

blesbok

antelope characterised by white blaze on the head

bliksem

expletive; abusive mode of address or reference to someone, roughly equivalent of ‘bastard’ or ‘swine’. Can also be used as a verb. Normally, however, it means ‘lightning’. Thunder and lightning = donder en bliksems (see ‘dondering’)

bosjesman

Bushman; today called San

botterbeskuit

dried-out, bread-like type of cake that could be kept for a long time; used for long journeys

buitekamer

outside room

caffre

derogatory term used by the Dutch for blacks; ‘kaffir’

dagga

hemp, marijuana

dassie

small, harelike mammal

dominee

preacher, minister

dondering

see ‘bliksem’ (from ‘donder’)

doopmaal

meal served to celebrate a christening. ‘Doop’ = christen, baptize; ‘maal’ = meal

doringboom

thorn tree

druppels

drops

duiker

small pieces of antelope

grootbaas

term used by servants or workers to address the master

hok

hut or shed

Hottentot

name given to the Koi-na by the Dutch; today called Khoi or Khoikhoi

jakkalsjagter

someone who hunts jackal

jong

derogatory term used by the Dutch for male person of mixed race

kapje

head-covering worn by women; bonnet

kareeboom