_ — '77S- * November. ■vve ihould not fo often hear o f it. In the mean time, what- foever it be that has given rife to this cuftom, yet we that have the happinefs o f being in a moire civilized ftate, have certainly not without reafon accufed the Hottentots o f inhumanity on this occafion. Still, however, ; they de- ferve rather to be pitied, than to be reviled and loaded with reproaches on this account; for on reflecting a little, we ihould, perhaps, find, that, too many perfons, even in our boaftéd civilized focieties, are left almoft deftitute and un- affifted; or, perhaps, are entirely abandoned to their dreads fui fate. Indeed I fear, that i f we were fairly and ftridtly to compare the failings and crimes o f the Hottentots with thofe o f civilized nations, the iflue would turn out very little, to the honour of either, and ftill lefs to that. o f . the latter. And in fadt, i f we impartially confider the con- dudt of mankind in a general view, we ihall not, perhaps, find great reafon to flatter it : neither, indeed, would this be the way effentially to ferve our fellow-creatures', as felf-love and flattery, it is allowed on all hands, renders us dangerous enemies to ourfelves ; and the cafe is juft the fame with regard to mankind in general. On the 30 th, or the day after the ball, we prepared for our departure. Our hoft, who had hitherto entertained us in a remarkably hofpitable manner, was even more than commonly careful to provide us with every thing that he thought we ihould want on our journey. With this view, he lent me a couple o f good ferviceable draught- oxen, in the place of two of mine ; one of which could not be made ufe of, on account o f its having been bit by a ferpent, nor the other by reafon o f its being in a very bad bad condition. He likewife, as I mentioned before, com- S&fc . f November.' plimented us with his beft Hottentot, whofe name was P l a t t j e , and whom he had always taken with him him- felf, in feveral hunting parties he had made up the country, to carry his arms for him, and aflift in killing the game. Our hoftefs, who was very well apprized that we ihould not often find a table ready fpread for us in a defert o f an hundred uurs in length, and that game did not always abound .there, made up an excellent viaticum for us, confifting of a box full of bifcuits, ten pounds of butter, and a large wether cut in pieces and falted in its own ikin; Which, after being taken off, was tied up again at each end with the meat in it, fo as to ferve for a fack. The reft o f our provifion confined of two loaves of coarfe bread, together with a bag o f flour for my Hottentots, who at this time were three in number. During our abode here we found a vaft number of infects, and many fpecies which we had not feen before. Among all thefe, what moft excited my admiration was a termes. On a warm day, about the conclufion of the month, (I forgot to fet down precifejy the day) there came out of the earth in feveral places thouiands o f white info £ts, in ihape fomewhat refembling ants. Some o f thefe were about half an inch long, and had each o f them four wings, with which they foon began to fly about, and fwarm round each other in the air like ephemerae, though they were not obferved to copulate. When caught, their wings came off remarkably eafily, efpeeially' i f they were not taken the greateft care of. Their bodies were milk-white, and extremely foft, fo that one could eafily fqueeze a white liquor out of them. During this, \ V o l.- I . . A a a ■ I like- -
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