"I had provided myfelf with two large four-wheeled waggons, covered with a tilt. Five large chefts just covered the bottom of one of the carriages, and I could readily open any one of them without difplacing the reft. On thefe was a mattrafs, which I proposed making ufe of as a bed during my journey, whenever it happened, that want of time, or any other caufe prevented me pitching my tent. At the head of my mattrafs I placed a little cheft of drawers, which I meant fhould contain my infects, butterflies, or any other objects whofe tender texture might require care. It was in this firft waggon that I flowed all my arms and ammunition, and we called it the matter waggon; one of my before mentioned chefts was divided into fquares, each filled with a cafe bottle, containing five or fix pounds of powder, befides which I had feveral barrels, which to preferve from fire, or moisture, I had caufed to be fown up in fresh fheep fkins, which drying over the barrels, formed an impenetrable covering. I reckoned alto gether that I had about five hundred weight of powder, and not lefs than two thoufand weight of lead and pewter, wrought and unwrought; fixteen mufkets, one of which I defigned for the larger kinds of animals (fuch as the elephant, rhinoceros and hyppopoLamus) was of a larger bore than ordinary, and carried a quarter of a pound of powder. I had befides thefe feveral pair of double barrelled piftols, a large cimiter, and a dagger. "My fecond waggon contained a whimfical medley, but which was not on that account the lefs eftimable. This was my kitchen. How many exquifite and peaceable repaits has it furnished me with! How pleading are the details of this charming and domeftic life to my heart! I never affift at thofe dinners where etiquette and tedioufnels prefide, but the difguft they occafion brings to my remembrance my charming African meals, where my honeft Hottentots provided the banquet for their friend, . few other neceffaries, compofed my whole equipage. "I had provided myself with a good flock of linen, plenty of fugar candy, and white fugar, coffee, tea, and fome pounds of chocolate. "As I was to furnish tobacco and brandy for the Hottentots that accompanied me, I had a large quantity of the firft, and two cafks of the latter; packages of glafs and hardware to change occafionally, or procure the friendship of the natives; a large tent, and the neceffary implements for mending my waggons, and for running of lead; an engine for raifing weights fome nails, iron in bars, &c. with pins, needles, and thread, compofed the fecond part of my travelling equipage. ; "My two waggons might weigh about five thoufand pounds weight, and the aftonishment they occafioned among the favages afforded me much amufement. "My train confifted of thirty oxen, twenty for the two waggons, and ten to relieve them occafionally; three horses for hunting, nine dogs, and five Hottentots my number of men and animals was occafionally much increased, of the firft fometimes to the number of forty. They were generally augmented or decreased, according to the ftate of my kitchen; for in the defarts of Africa, as in other and more polished countries, there are a number of parafites; but thefe, without being much expence, were not totally ufelets, as they fur nished me with frequent opportunities of forming a judgment of the temper and genius of this people. "My baggage being ready, I took leave of my friends, fetting out the 18th of December 1781, on horseback, at the head of my cavalcade; it was not my design to make long stages; I led the way towards Dutch Hottentote, and topped at the decline of day, at the foot of thofe high mountains that border the caft of the Cape. * my piece leveral times, thinking the report might reach, and put her on the fcent. When I faw these endeavours did not fucceed, I ordered one of the men to mount my horfe, and return the way we came, directing him to fpare no pains in tracing my favourite. "In about four hours we faw the meffenger returning on the full gallop, carrying before him, on the pommel of the faddle, a chair and a large basket; Rofette was running before, appearing as pleased to see me, as I was fatisfied with her return. "The Hottentot informed me he had found her at about two leagues diftance, feated in the road, by the fide of the chair and basket, which had dropped from our waggon without being perceived. I had heard much of the fidelity of dogs, in fimilar cafes; but this was the firft inftance I had ever witneffed." From our author's account of paffing his leifure time among his fellow-travellers, we have felected the following paffage. "Sometimes our difcourfe led us beyond the ufual hour, and I must own, thefe uneducated people had often ftrokes of wit and humour in their converfation that furprifed me: I queftioned them particularly on Colben, and the different accounts authors give of their religion, laws and cuftoms; fome of thefe interrogatories would occafion them to laugh in my face, at other times they were downright angry, fuppofing thefe enquiries were meant either to teaze, or undervalue their faculties and knowledge. I fometimes defcribed that fet of beings, who in great cities, procure by their fineffe an elegant fubfiftence, and are entitled Chevaliers d'Induftre; I reprefented in a thousand forms the tricks of thefe camelions, and painted them in the moft flattering colours; with what pleasure ful Hottentots! behold with dildain thofe harth invaders who first reduced to flavery, then bafely traduced and placed ye on a level with the brutes ! "DESCRIPTION OF THE COUNTRY OF AUTENIQUAS. "ALL the country of Auteniquas, from the mountains to the fea, is inhabited by colonists, who breed vast quantities of cattle, make butter, gather honey, and cut wood, all which articles are fent to the Cape. I was almost exafperated to fee thefe people, who have fuch plenty of timber at hand, difpofe of all they could cut, not building themfelves tenable houfes, but living in miferable huts, formed of hurdles, covered with earth. The skin of a buffalo, tied by the corners to four stakes, ferves as a bed; a mat closes the entrance, which is alfo the window; two or three broken chairs, fome pieces of, plank by way of table, and a miserable box of about two feet fquare, compose the whole furniture of one of these dens. The extreme mifery of the dwellings difagreeably contrafts the charms of this terreftrial paradife, whose beauties extend beyond the limits of Ayteniquas. In other refpects these people live luxurioufly; they have plenty of game and fea-fish, and enjoy an advantage over the other colonifts, in having, all the year, without interruption, their gardens well stocked with vegetables. "They owe these advantages both to the goodness of the foil, and the natural waterings from the various rivulets that wind and crofs each other in a thoufand different directions; and lay under con tribution (if I may fo exprefs myself) the four feafons of the year.' In fearching for a touraco, which our author had shot, he fell into a pit twelve feet deep, which had been made, by the Hottentots, to entrap wild beafts, particularly the elephant. The hole, ་་་ and he had alfo the good fortune to ef cape being impaled alive on the pointed takes fixed at the bottom of thefe pits. After many fruitlefs efforts to get out, he was at length affifted by his men, whom he alarmed by continuing to difcharge his piece. But the accident, however serious, did not hinder him from purfuing his wounded bird; which he at length found, and confidered the acquifition as a full reward for the great labour it had cost him. "This bird is as agreeable in its form and plumage, as in the sweetness and melody of its notes; it is of a bright green, a tuft of the fame coTour, bordered with white, adorns its head; its eyes a bright red, with a ftreak over them of the most dazzling white; its wings are a beautiful purple, varying to the violet, according to the point of light in which it is viewed. "Those naturaliks who have reckoned it a fpecies of the cuckow, have been guilty of a mistake; for it has not the least affinity with them. "In every part of the world, the cuckow fubfifts on frails, and infects; but the touraco is frugivorous. "In whatever climate the cuckow may be, it is remarkable, that the never builds a neft, but lays her eggs in thofe of other birds, and by this means efcapes the trouble of rearing her young; while the touraco, on the contrary, is careful of its family, builds a neft, and hatches her own eggs. "This difference in their difpofitions is, I think, a fufficient reafon to prove them a particular species." Purfuing an elephant, while encamped at the wood Du Poort, our author. very nearly fell a facrifice to his intrepidity. "We had not yet loft the traces of the animal we were in fearch of; after fome hours fatigue and painful walking among the thorns and briars, we arrived at a very open part of the foreft, in which was a clump of fhrubs and under-wood. Here we ftopped, while one of my Hottentots climbed a tree. After he had looked about for fome time, he made a fign for us to be filent, by putting his finger on his mouth, and then, by opening and closing his hand feveral times (a fignal we had before agreed upon) gave us to underftand how many elephants he had difcovered. "When he had defcended, we confulted what means to purfue; the refult of our deliberations was, that the person who had discovered them, should lead us through the bushes as near as poffible to the fpot where they ftood. Though he led me very near one of thefe enormous beafts, I did not at first perceive him; not that fear had fascinated my fight, but I could not believe that the prodigious immoveable mafs beneath me was the animal I had fo much wished to encounter. It fhould be obferved, I was on a little hillock, which raised me above the back of the elephant; I Atill kept looking further on, and thould rather have taken, what was fo near me, for a piece of rock than a living creature. All this time iny honeft Hottentots kept crying, See there!-there he is with a tone of the utmost impatience. At length a flight motion caught my eye, and immediately after the head and tusks, which the enormous body had in a manner concealed, were turned towards me; without lofing time or advantage in contemplation, I inftantly fired my carbine, and the ball taking place in the middle of his forehead, he staggered and fell. This noise frighted the rest, and they immediately began running from the fpot as fast as poffible; they were about thirty in number, and it was really amusing to fee their huge ears flapping in proportion to the quicknefs of their motions. This was but the prelude to a more animated fcene. "I was examining the animal I had killed, when another paffed juft by us, which received a thot from one of my people; by the blood that followed the stroke, I judged he was dangerously wounded, and purfued him immediately. He would have lain down, but was prevented by our repeated firing. We followed him into a thicket, in which was a number of decayed trees, that had fallen through age. On our fourteenth fire the animal became outrageous, making furioufly after the Hottentot that last wounded him; another of my men difcharged his piece, crying out, at the fame time, 'Take care of yourselves!' an injunction that every one immediately obeyed. I was only at about twenty-five paces distance from the animal, with a gun of thirty pounds weight, befides ammunition, and not fo conveniently fituated for efcape as my people, who had not advanced fo far, Iran, but the elephant gained ground every moment. More dead than alive through fear; abandoned by the Hottentots (one of them only attempting to aflift me) the only chance I had was to fall down by the trunk of a great tree that lay on the ground; this I had fcarcely time to accomplish before the animal ran over it, but frighted himself at the moife made by my people, he inftantly ftopped to liften. I could readily have fired from my hiding place, for fortumately my piece was charged; but he had already received fo many wounds, that defpairing to difable him by a fingle discharge, I remained immoveable, every moment expecting death. I continued, however, to watch him, refolving, if he discovered me, to fell my life as dear as poffible. "The Hottentots, trembling for my fafety, called out from all parts, but I took care not to answer; perfuaded by my filence that I was already crushed to pieces, their cries redoubled. The elephant, affrighted at this fudden clamour, turned hastily about, ftepping a fecond time over the trunk of the tree, within fix paces of where I lay, without perceiving me. Withing to convince my Hottentots that I was living, and impatient at remaining in this perilous fituation, I got on my feet, when fending another ball after him, he continued his way, and entirely difappeared. When in the above mentioned perilous fituation, at the mercy of a furious animal, who, once difcovering, would have ended me in an inftant; while my heart palpitated with apprehenfion, I was yet fufceptible of a fentiment of veneration, infpired by one of thofe worthy men, whom polished nations have agreed to speak of with difdain, as the very out-cafts of nature; in fhort, by an African favage! a Hottentot! "In quitting the Cape, Klaas had been recommended to me, by Mr. Boers, as a man whofe courage and fidelity might be depended on; he or dered him never to abandon me, promifing a recompenfe if I returned fafe to the Cape, and gave a fatisfactory account of his conduct; he faithfully obeyed thefe orders, never quitting me in the hour of danger, and in this inftance finding I had disappeared in an inftant, he fought me in vain; I could hear him call me with the utmost emotion, and addrefs his comrades, who followed at fome distance, in terms of reproach for their cowardice. What will you do,' said he, in his own expreffive language, where can you go, should we have the misfortune to find our unfortunate mafter crushed to pieces by the feet of the elephant? Dare you return to the Cape without him? Have you the courage to face the fifcal? Whatever excufe you may make, you will certainly pafs for his affaffins. But return to the camp, pillage his effects, do what you please for me, I am refolved to find my mafter; and, if dead, to perish with him." He accompanied this difcourfe with fuch lively expreffions of forrow, that, in the most critical moment, my heart was fenfible of his attachment. 6 "The report of my piece was an univerfal fignal of joy; in a moment I was furrounded by my people. The affectionate Klaas knew no fet terms in which to exprefs his fatisfaction, but he preffed me eagerly in his arms. "Night drawing on, we haftened to find the elephant which I had the good fortune to kill with a fingle fhot; our prefence drove away feveral vultures and fmall carnivorous animals, who had lost no time, having already began to diffect it. The Hottentots quickly kindled feveral fires; provifions had began to run fhort, confequently this fupply was very welcome to us; they cut feveral flices off the animal to broil for themselves, dreifing a part of the trunk for me. "It was the first time I had tafted this kind of food, but I determined it fhould not be the last, as I thought it delicious." Shortly Shortly after this, our author fhot four more full grown elephants, and a young male, about the fize of a calf; the flesh of which they found to be remarkably delicate. "I had left my men bufy in cutting up the elephants; on my return I thought it very extraordinary, not to find any of them; I could not conceive why they had left their work, and began calling as loud as poffible, but was ftill more aftonished at feeing them come out of the elephants, being employed in fecuring fome interior parts of the creatures, which, next to the trunk and feet, are accounted the greateft delicacies." Near the little river Vogel, our traveller met with a fmall troop of Hottentots, fifteen in number, who had fled from the wars of the Caffrees, of whom he enquired many particulars, relative to the reputed favagenefs of thofe people; and found, that the Caffrees were bafely calumniated in having deteftable qualities afcribed to them, which it feems they do not merit; and which, indeed, is confirmed by Mr. Paterfon, whofe travels over the fame country we have noticed in our first volume. The perpetual vexations, and cruel tyranny of the colonists, gave rife to those wars in which the Caffrees have been reprefented as ferocious animals, nurtured with human gore, fparing neither fex nor age, and totally regardless of the rights of hofpitality. "Thefe colonifts often form pretences of lofing cattle, purposely to make inroads into the Caffree fettlements, exterminating whole hoords without diftinction of age or fex, carrying away their herds, and laying waste the country; this means of procuring cattle appearing much eafier than the flow method of breeding them. "In deftroying a finall fettlement of Caffrees, a child about twelve years old efcaped the general carnage, by concealing himself in a hole, but unfortunately was difcovered by one of the marauders, who determined to make a flave of his prize; the commander of this barbarous detachment peremptorily laid claim to the poor little prifoner; the colonift as firmly refused to deliver him up, which fo enraged the favage leader, that he ran with the utmost fury at the innocent object of the difpute, exclaiming- If I must not have him, neither fhalt thou,' and accompanied thefe words with lodging the contents of his piece in the breaft of the unfortu nate victim, who inftantly died. "In addition to the above, I was likewife told that thefe ferocious extirpators would fometimes amuse themfelves with placing their prifoners at a ftated diftance, in order to try their fuperiority over each other as expert mark finen. "A misfortune which had lately happened, contributed not a little to heat my imagination. I was informed, that fix weeks before, an English fhip, the Grofvenor, Eaft Indiaman, had been wrecked on the coaft, that part of the crew and paffengers, escaping the turbulent element, unfortunately fell into the hands of the Caffrees, by whom they were barbaroufly destroyed, the women excepted, who were referved to undergo ftill greater hardships; some few, it was fuppofed, had escaped, and were now wandering on the coaft, or exploring melancholy and almost impenetrable forefts, where they could not fail in the end of perishing miferably. Amongst thefe unfortunate people, were feveral French officers, prifoners of war, who were coming to Europe. "My heart was wounded by this afflicting detail; a thousand projects be. wildered my head. I could not be above fifty leagues from the unfortunate fpot- Various means occurred to fuccour the unhappy fufferers, whofe fituation was fo truly deplorable. I propofed these means to my companions, but every propofal was refused. In vain I offered prefents, prayers, intreaties, nay, even threatenings had no more weight; to thefe laft I must infallibly have fallen a facrifice, had I not been feconded by three of my bravest fellows, and alfo fhewn the utmost refolution, both in words and actions, being obliged to clap a pistol to the head of one of the moft refractory; however, nothing I could do was of any fervice to my favourite project. "By what I had learned from the fifteen Hottentots, I judged I could not be far from the spot where the colonists meant to affemble; and I flattered my felf |