IMMORALITY. 177 



barter in the hope of inducing him to purchase. Brass or 

 gilt ornaments he almost spurned, but cast longing eyes on 

 articles of iron or copper. "At last he selected goods to the 

 value of four oxen, with which he quietly walked off. On 

 asking him for payment the following day, he smilingly re- 

 plied, "Why, between us there must be no talk of buying 

 and selling. You are going to stop here a long time, and 

 you want plenty of food : this I will give you." 



Knowing the truth of the adaore that " a bird in the hand 

 is worth two in the bush," we should infinitely have preferred 

 an immediate settlement to any vague promises. And the 

 end justified our apprehensions. The old rogue took good 

 care neither to pay his debt, nor make us any presents of 

 cattle, of which we stood so much in need. Nay, he even 

 went further. Under pretext of supplying our wants, he in- 

 duced his people to contribute oxen and sheep, which he was 

 mean enough to keep for his own use. 



Our friend Tjopopa was rather a sensual man: he was 

 supposed to have no less than twenty wives, two of whom I 

 found, to my astonishment, were mother and daughter! I 

 have since ascertained that this is by no means an unusual 

 practice among this demoralized nation. Moreover, when a 

 chief dies, his surviving wives are transferred to his brother 

 or to his nearest relation. 



It is in vain that poets and philanthropists endeavor to 

 persuade us that savage nations who have had no previous 

 intercourse with Europeans are living in a state of the most 

 enviable happiness and purity, where ignorance is virtuous 

 simplicity ; poverty, frugality and temperance ; and indolence, 

 laudable contempt for wealth. One single day among such 

 people will be sufficient to repudiate these idle notions. 



H2 



