[ 353 3 



XL Account of C. F. Damberger's Travels through the- 

 interior Parts of Africa, from the Cape of Good Hope to 

 Morocco. 



[Continued from p. 253. J 



o 



N the 15th of December our traveller proceeded on his. 

 journey, and after pafiing through three villages refted for 

 fome time near a fourth under a beautiful matahora tree *. 

 Here he was vifited by fome of the natives, who offered him 

 a piece of wolf's flefh, which he at firlt refufed j but finding 

 he could get nothing elfe, he ate it, and thought it tafted 

 better than that of the buffalo. Two miles further he found 

 in a wood a prodigious number of tortoifes, which exciting 

 his appetite, he refolved to fpend the night there under fome 

 trees. He therefore made a large fire, and roafled fome of the 

 flefh of thefe animals, but ate fo freely, that for fome time he 

 could not fleep. Towards morning he fell afleep, but had 

 fcarcely remained an hour in that ftate, when he found fome- 

 thing move at his feet ; upon which he ftarted up, and disco- 

 vered a fnake three ells in length and a foot in thicknefs, 

 devouring the remains of his meal. Being much alarmed at 

 the appearance of this gueft, he immediately haftened from 

 the fpot and continued his journey. Towards evening he 

 arrived at a narrow but long ridge of mountains, where he 

 lefted for the night. 



Next morning, when about to depart, he heard humaa 

 voices, and foon after faw about twenty armed men, who 

 were efcorting a company of prifoners, coupled together, two 

 and two, with thongs. Some of the former immediately 

 fprung towards him, and conducted him to their leader, who, 

 after furveying him for fome time, took a thong which was 

 •wound round his middle, and, having bound with it his hands 

 and feet, ordered him to follow him. Towards noon they 

 arrived at the large village of Cuojaha, where thev refted, and 

 procured a fupply of water. This was the firft village in the 



• The leaves of this tree are fmal! and long; the branches hang down, 

 and the flowers are of a reddifti colour. The fruit are round, and about 

 the fize of a lar^e pea; thty contain a kind of meal of an excellent tafte, 

 iphich is formed into a fcrt of cakes nor inferior to bifcujt. 



province 



