■776- January. ta ile d h i s d e f c r ip t io n o f th e mangoujl-, t h o u g h , as I h a v e fa id b e fo r e , i t is m u c h ih o r t e r th a n it is in th e Hijloire Naturelle, I h a v e d o u b t le fs fa id fu f f ic ie n t a t p r e fe n t , to c o n v in c e a m a n o f M. d e B u f f o n ’s g r e a t g e n iu s , th a t e v e n h e , w i th h i s fu p e r io r ta le n t s , is c a p a b le o f c om m i t t in g b lu n d e r s , a n d a t th e fam e t im e h a s in p a r t ic u la r d o n e g r e a t w r o n g to academicians o f th e h i g h e f t m e r i t : an d th a t i f , o n th e c o n t r a r y , h e ih o u ld r a th e r ih e w th a t h e is to u c h e d w i t h c om p a n io n fo r th e i r fu f fe r in g s , and is at th e fam e t im e h a p p y o i l e v e r y o c c a iio n to v in d ic a te th e i r r e p u ta t io n w h e n a t ta c k e d , h e w o u ld g iv e m a n i fe f t p ro o f s o f th a t m a g n a n im i t y a n d c a n d o r w h i c h , in a g r e a t m a n , o u g h t a lw a y s to g o h a n d in h a n d w i t h h is ta len t s , a n d w h i c h w o u ld m o f t a f lu f e d ly a d d to th e e f t e em w h i c h e v e r y lo v e r o f l ite r a tu r e e n te r ta in s f o r th em . Of the tiger-bofch-kat I have made mention above, and had an intention of defcribing it in this place, (together with the reft of the African animals) from the ikin of this creature w'hich I brought home with me j but find that it has fince been fo accurately defcribed and delineated from the live fubjedt by Dr. F o r s t e r in the Philofoph. Tran fait. Vol. LXXI. for the year 178 1 , that I can refer the reader to it with the greateft pleafure. On the 21 ft of January, as I have mentioned above at page 169, we took our departure from Agter Bruntjes- hoogte. In the afternoon we arrived at Great Vijch-rivier, where we again refolved to try our luck in the purfuit of fea-cows; for I was determined not. to depart out of the country, before I had made as accurate an inveftigation of this large, though not unknown animal, as I had of the , two-horned rhinoceros. On our arrival at a certain fpot upon Vifch-rivier, we found feveral farmers from the province we had juft left, who had arrived there before us. In their company, likewife, came to this place a huibandman, or, as they are ufually called here, a corn-boor, from the country near Cape Town. When we firft faw him he was fleeping under a fhady tree, by the fide of a perfedt beauty, who was clad in a light fummer drefs : no wonder then, that fo uncommon and romantic a fcene appearing on a fudden in a defert, ihould immediately chafe away all thofe images of defolation and wild horror, which the favage and dreary afpedt of thefe plains had begun once more to excite in mine and my friend’s imagination: and I would not anfwer for him, that he would not foon have forgot all his botany, had he fuffered himfelf any longer to be carried away, by the firft delightful and charming impreflions made on him by the contemplation of fo perfetft a production in the chief of the three kingdoms of nature. On our entering into converfation with them, our voluptuous corn-boor and his beautiful fpoufe informed us, that they had juft been to pay a vifit to their relations at Agter Bruntjes-hoogte, where having experienced for the fpace of fix months the fweets o f the eafe and convenience attending a paftoral life, when compared with the drudgery o f that o f the huibandman and wine-dreifer, they had given up all thoughts of their former bufinefs, fo that they intended to fell their vineyard and corn-farm near the Cape, and to look out for fome fpot in thefe parts, proper to carry on the grazing bufinefs. Our converfation on this fubjeCt was now in- Vo l . II. K k terrupted *776- January. ■I i 11® 111 all if
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