February ^ ie*r w^°^e exercife through. the day is hunting, fighting, or '—>—' dancing. They are expert in throwing their lances, and in time of war ufe ihields made of the hides of oxen. The women are employed in the cultivation of their gardens and corn. They cultivate feveral vegetables, which are not indigenous to their country, fuch as Tobacco, Water-melons, afmall fort of Kidney-beans, and Hemp ; none of which I found growing fpontaneouily. The women make their balkets, and the mats which they fleep on. The men have great pride in their cattle ; they cut their horns in fuch a way as to be able to turn them into any fhape they pleafe, and teach them to anfwer a whiffle. Some of them ufe an inftrument for this purpoie, fimilar to a boatfwain’s pipe. When they wilh their cattle to return home, they go a little way from the houfe and blow this fmall inftrument, which is made of ivory or bone, and fo conftru&ed as to be heard at a great diftance, and in this manner bring all their cattle home without any difficulty. The foil of this country is a blackiffi loomy ground, and fo extremely fertile, that every vegetable fubftance, whether fown or planted, grows here with great luxuriance. There are great variations in the climate; but I had no thermometer to obferve the degrees of heat. It feldom rains except in the fummer feafon, when it is accompanied with thunder and lightning. The country is, however, extremely well fupplied with water, not only from the high land to the north, which furniffles abundance throughout the year, but from many fountains of excellent water, which are found in the woods. From what I obferved of this country, I am induced to believe that it is greatly fuperior to any other known part of Africa. ' ■ 1 The woods produce variety of arboreous plants, and fome of a great fize : they are inhabited by Elephants, Buffaloes, &c. There were alfo variety of beautiful Birds and Butterflies ; but they were fo fhy, that I was able only to preferve two Birds of that country. When we returned to our waggon, on the ninth, we were accompanied by the chief and about fix hundred of his fervants or foldiers, who followed us till noon, when we took leave of them. We then direded our courfe towards the Great Fiih River, where we flayed all night. The next morning we left our Hottentot, with a gun, as he was fo much fatigued that he could not keep pace with us. Two days afterwards he overtook us, and on his way had ihot two Rhinocerofes, and brought part of the fleih with him, which proved good eating, being very young and tender. On the twelfth we proceeded on our return by the route we had before ta k en ; and I colleded many feeds, and fruits of evergreens, in the woods. We arrived at the Now Tio towards the evening. Mr. Van Renan left the waggon, accompanied by fome Hottentots, with an intention of ihooting at a herd of Buffaloes, which they obferved at about the diftance of a mile. Before they returned
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