566 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



pafs quickly out of the fhepherds fight into the reach of a 

 multitude of beafts feeking for their prey. Fires, the only 

 remedy, are eveiywhere lighted by the fhepherds to keep 

 thefe at a refpeftful diftance ; and dancing, fmging, and 

 mufic at once exhilarate the mind, and contribute, by alarm- 

 ing the beafts of prey, to keep their flocks in fafety, and pre- 

 vent the bad effecfls of fevere cold *. This was the caufe of 

 the obfervation Hanno made in failing along the coaft, and 

 it was true when he made it : juft the fame may be obfer- 

 ved ftill, and will be, fo long as the climate and inhabitants 

 are the fame. 



I HAVE been more particular in the hiftory of this extra- 

 ordinary nation, becaufe I had, by mere accident, an op- 

 portunity of informing myfelf fully and with certainty con- 

 cerning it ; and, as it is very improbable that fuch an op- 

 portunity will occur again to any European, I hope it will 

 not be ungratefully received. 



I SHALL only add an anfwer to a very obvious queftion 

 which may occur. Why is it that, in this coimtry, nothing 

 that would make bread will grow? Is it from the ignorance 

 of the inhabitants in not choofmg the proper feafons, or is 

 it the imperfedlion of the foil ? To this I anfwer, Certainly 

 the latter. For the inhabitants of Ras el Feel v/ere ufed to 

 plow and fow, and did conftantly eat bread ; but the 

 grain was produced ten or fifteen miles off upon the fides 



of 



* This fenfation of the favage in the heart of Africa feem; to be unknown to the eacmics of 

 the flavc-tradej th:y talk mudi of heat, without knowirg the material fuifering of the negre 

 .is from cold. 



