SOUTHERN AFRICA. 229 
upon tli8 savages to come down from the heights, this unfor- 
tunate Bosjesman had stolen close to him behind a rock, 
and was in the act of taking a deliberate aim with his drawn 
bow, when another of the colonists, perceiving his design, 
levelled his musquet and shot him dead. I had fondly hoped 
that the plan I had formed would happily have been accom- 
plished without the shedding of human blood, and that the 
views of the expedition would have met with no interruption 
from an accident of such a nature. They soon perceived, 
however, that there was no intention to pursue them up the 
heights, which could easily have been effected ; but that, on 
the contrary, their enemies had laid down their arms and 
turned out their horses to graze. Upon the strength of this 
evident cessation of hostilities, in a short space of time several 
little children came down upon the plain. We distributed 
among them some biscuits and other trifles, and then suf- 
fered them to return : presently afterwards the women and 
young girls, to the number of thirty or forty, came towards 
us, but not without symptoms of fear. After treating these 
in the same manner, they were sent back to desire their hus- 
bands would also come down in order to receive a present of 
tobacco. The men, however, seemed to have less confidence 
in the Christians than the women. They hovered a long time 
round the summit of the hill, doubting what step they should 
take ; and the women had gone and returned, at least a dozen 
times, before they were able to prevail upon a single man to 
descend ; and when at last he ventured to come down, he ap- 
proached us in the utmost agitation, half-laughing, and half- 
crying, with trembling and trepidation, and conducting him- 
self like a terrified child. A large piece of tobacco was im- 
