478 THIEVING PROPENSITIES. 



. And on his knee a pretty wench, 

 And on the table a bowl of punch ?" 



In one respect the English clown has an advantage over the 

 barbarian of South Africa, inasmuch as the latter does not ap- 

 pear to make any stipulation in favor of a female companion. 



The Bay eye are much given to lying and pilfering, and are 

 as suspicious as they are deceitful. As an instance of their 

 thievish propensities, I may mention that, when ascending the 

 Teoge, they deprived me gradually of almost the entire stock 

 of articles of exchange, consisting chiefly of beads. These 

 things constituted my only money, and being well aware that 

 without it 1 should not be able to get on, I determined to 

 recover my property at all hazards. But, before proceeding 

 to extremes, I was anxious to acquire positive proofs of the 

 guilt of my treacherous companions. Accordingly, I order- 

 ed my own men to mark carefully the different parcels. As 

 soon as the canoes arrived at night at the appointed rendez- 

 vous (we ourselves, as I have mentioned, were walking) we 

 hastened to the shore, and, while Timbo was ransacking the 

 baggage, I stationed myself at the head of the canoe, in order 

 to prevent the crew, from landing until we had ascertained if 

 any pilfering had taken place during our absence. 



Scarcely had my servant opened the first pack before he 

 exclaimed, "Oh yes, master, the rascals have been there, sure 

 enough !" Immediately stepping up to the native who was 

 in charge of the canoe, I presented my gun, on cock, at his 

 head, threatening to blow out his brains if he did not instant- 

 ly produce the stolen goods. A scene of the utmost confusion 

 now took place. The men appeared at first inclined to be 

 hostile, many seizing their arms, while the women were run- 

 ning to and fro, crying and howling in a manner which baf- 

 fles all description. However, I was determined, come what 

 would, to have my property back, and I quietly told them 

 that their menaces should be of no avail, for the first indi- 

 vidual who attempted to molest me would, to a certainty, be 



