421 HISTOKY OF 



At the Cape of Good Hope, they are less forinidable, but to 

 the best of their power, equally mischievous. They are there 

 under a sort of natural discipline, and go about whatever they 

 undertake with surprising skill and regularity. When they set 

 about robbing an orchard or a vineyard, for they are extremely 

 fond of grapes, apples, and ripe fruit, they do not go singly to 

 work, but in large companies, and with preconcerted delibera- 

 tion. On these occasions, a part of them enter the inclosiu-e, 

 while one is set to watch. The rest stand without the fence, 

 and form a line reaching all the way from their fellows within, 

 to their rendezvous without, which is generally in some craggy 

 mountain. Every thing being thus disposed, the plunderers 

 within the orchard throw the fruit to those that are without as 

 fast as they can gather it ; or if the wall or hedge be high, to 

 those that sit on the top ; and these hand the plunder to those 

 next them on the other side. Thus the fruit is pitched from 

 one to another all along the line, till it is safely deposited at 

 their head-quarters. They catch it as readily as the most skil- 

 ful tennis-player can a ball ; and while the business is going for- 

 ward, which they conduct with great expedition, a most profound 

 silence is observed among them. Their sentinel during this 

 whole time continues upon the watch, extremely anxious and 

 attentive ; but if he perceives any one coming, he instantly sets 

 up a loud cry, and at this signal the whole company scamper off. 

 Nor yet are they at any time willing to leave the place empty- 

 handed ; for if they be plundering a bed of melons, for instance, 

 they go off with one in their mouths, one in their hands, and 

 one under their arm. If the pursuit is hot, they drop first that 

 from under their arm, then that from their hand ; and, if it be 

 continued, they at last let fall that which they had hitherto kept 

 in their mouths. 



The natives of the Cape often take the young of these ani- 

 mals, and, feeding them with sheep and goat's milk, accustom 

 them to guard their houses; which duty they perform with 

 great punctuality. Those, however, that have been brought 

 into Europe, are headstrong, rude, and untractable. Dogs and 

 cats, when they have done any thing wrong, will run off; but 

 these seem careless and insensible of the mischief they do ; and 

 I have seen one of them break a whole table of china, as it 

 should seem by design, without appearing in the least conscious 



