midday
It seemed to me unlikely that a spring in the bush could produce so great a river , and I decided that its source must lie in the mountains to the north . As well as I could guess , the Rooirand , the nearest part of the Berg , was about thirty miles distant . Old Coetzee had said that there was a devil in the place , but I thought that if it were explored the first thing found would be a fine stream of water . We got to Umvelos ' after midday , and outspanned for our three weeks ' work . I set the Dutchmen to unload and clear the ground for foundations , while I went off to Sikitola to ask for labourers . I got a dozen lusty blacks , and soon we had a business-like encampment , and the work went on merrily . It was rough architecture and rougher masonry .