1 Aug. 1812. 
THE PIICHO, OR COUNCIL. — PARASITES. 
499 
Hottentots, that the waggon contained any thing so showy and attrac- 
tive as my sextant. To travellers under similar circumstances, it may 
therefore be recommendable, that all their astronomical instruments 
should be made as plain as possible, and that the metal should be 
either discoloured, or its natural brightness concealed. 
August, \st. As the Chief received daily in his mootsi, or public 
enclosure, the visits of a greater or less number of kosies, or chief- 
tains, who remain sitting with him generally the whole morning, he 
may be considered as holding a piicho, or council, every day. The 
number of chieftains assembled at these ordinary piichoes, seldom 
exceeds twenty, and is often not more than half a dozen ; but on 
extraordinary occasions, such as that of debating on the propriety of 
making war, or of removing their town, or that of the arrival of a 
white-man amongst them, this assembly consists of a much more 
numerous body ; and by their opinion, or that of the majority, even 
their Chief is influenced and guided. 
Early in the forenoon, Mattivi informed his council of the con- 
versation which we had held on the preceding evening. One of the 
kosies very strongly urged his opinion, that all goods of European 
manufacture which could be found, should be brought for me to 
see ; and the Chief, in consequence, issued orders to this effect, or 
at least, pretended that he had done so. He was absent from the 
mootsi all the remainder of this day; and might possibly be busied 
in searching or making inquiry, for some articles which might be 
adduced in proof of the account which he had given me yesterday. 
Nothing further worthy of remark occurred this day ; and the 
evening passed as usual, with a house full of parasites. When the 
inhabitants first saw us making use of the ' unlucky wood" ( Vangueria 
infausta) for fuel, they warned us of our danger, and among them- 
selves made many remarks on our imprudence. They said, as 
Muchunka expressed it, ' We shall soon see all these men die ; for 
they not only make their fire of this wood and warm themselves by 
it, but they even boil their meat over it.' It would, indeed, have 
been a ' lucky wood' for us, if it had sufficiently retained its charm, 
to have checked them from coming to our fire, and to have kept 
3s 2 
