'774 January.. i n r e l i e v in g th e i r c o m p la in t s ; th e y l ik e w i f e r e jo ic e d in f in d in g th em fe lv e s a b le to f ta n d th is p r o o f o f th e i r lu n g s n o t b e in g a ffed te d , as in c o n fe q u e n c e o f th e i r f e a r o n th a t a c c o u n t , th e y w o u ld h a rd ly l ia v e v e n tu r e d to f o l lo w m y ad v i c e , h a d I n o t , o n t h e f i r f t fu fp ic io n I h a d o f th e i r d i s o r d e r , in fo rm e d th em o f m o f t o f th e i r c om p la in t s b e fo r e h a n d , b y r e c k o n in g u p th e f ym p tom s u fu a l ly a t te n d a n t o n w o rm s . G a r l i c k , th e b u d s o f th e wilde aljies a b o v e -m e n t io n e d , fa it , o il, o x - g a l l , an d a lo e s , w e r e , o f all v e rm i fu g e s , t h e e a f ie f t to b e p r o c u r e d h e r e ; a n d w e r e g iv e n th em , to g e t h e r w i t h fom e r e f in o f ja la p w h i c h I h a d b r o u g h t w i t h m e ; b u t tw o o f V e r e i r a ’ s re la t io n s r a ih ly a t ta c k e d th e i r w o rm s w i t h g a r l i c k , b o th ta k e n a lo n e a n d m ix e d w i th e v e r y t h in g th e y a te , an d b y th is m e a n s fp o n v o id e d a n u m b e r o f w o rm s , a n d g o t r id o f a ll th e i r c om p la in t s . O n e o f th em fa id h e had- d i f c h a r g e d p a r t o f a w o rm w i t h le g s an d f e e t , w h i c h w a s g r e y a t to p , b u t y e l lo w u n d e r th e b e l ly l i k e rups, o r c a te rp il la r s , w h i c h a r e c h a n g e d in to c h r y fa j i f e s , a n d a fte rw a r d s b e c om e b u t t e r f lie s . H e h a d l ik e w i f e o b - f e r v e d th e exuviate o r ik in s , o f th is k in d o f w o rm in h i s o r d in a r y e v a c u a t io n s . B e f id e s th e fa t is fa d lio n I fo u n d in b e in g u f e fu l , an d ih e w in g m y g r a t i tu d e to th e fe h o fp i t a b le ruftics ., b y g i v in g t h em m y a d v ic e o n th is , as w e l l as o n o th e r o c c a f io n s , as w e l l as b y th e d i f t r ib u t io n o f fom e m e d ic in e s w h i c h I h a d b r o u g h t w i t h m e , a n d a lw a y s g a v e a w a y g r a t is in th e c o u r fe o f m y jo u r n e y , I b y th is m e a n s l ik e w i f e g o t m o r e in to th e i r g o o d g r a c e s , a n d p ro c u r e d a flif ta n c e m o r e rq a d ily , a n d m o r e a u th e n t ic in fo rm a t io n , th a n I p e rh a p s c o u ld h a v e d o n e w i t h m o n e y : fo th a t th e i le n d e r f t o c k o f m e d ic a l k n o w - knowledge I was pofleiTed of, proved of greater fervice to me than I could have imagined ; not to mention the afto- nifhment and veneration which it excited in thefe good people, and which often reminded me o f the proverb, dam le, pais des aveugles les borgnes font rois. The caufe, why worms are fo common a diforder in this colony, I dare not undertake to explain. It may be fui- peótcd that in many people they are hereditary, and are increafed by a copious milk diet. Others, perhaps, were infefted by thefe animals, by means of the foul and putrid water which they were for the moft part obliged to put up with in their hunting expeditions, and in their journey to the Cape ; the men in particular, appearing to be troubled •With this complaint. With rcfpedt to thefe country people, thefe does not feem to be much room for attributing the difofder to fiih, as in the frelh water and rivers o f thefe regions there is hardly any to be found. When, however, thefe ruftics get to the Cape, they generally take care not to want for frcfh fiih. The towns-pcople, on the contrary, who live a good deal upon frcfh fiih, are not in proportion ib much troubled with Worms ; but then they have pure water to drink; milk is rather fearee with them; while, 011 the other hand, they do not ufe to ftint themfelves in thè articles o f wine and fpirituous liquors. On the 5 th I rode out a hunting along with two farmers, being chiefly in queft of the gnu, the animal I have described at page 131 o f this Volume. In thefe parts we found large herds of them, and ihot a itvcvAt gnu quite through thebody ; nofwit'hftanding which, ihe ran, though tottering, to the diftance of eighty dr an hundred paces from us before ihe 7 fell. 1776. January, rsJ
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