AFRICA. 37 
engage their attention lefs than before ; and 
ahuoft every moment of their time was em- 
ployed in dancing. The people entrufted 
with the care of keeping and feeding my 
cattle, feemed to perform this bufinefs with 
relu£lance, and fufFered them to ftray where- 
ever they thought proper ; while others ab- 
fented themfelves during the night, and re- 
turned only in the morning to deep. I 
thought, however, that It would be good po- 
licy in me to wink at thefe petty abufes, 
and to bring them all back gradually to their 
duty. The heat now began to grow infup- 
portable ; the fun, having paffed the equator, 
darted his rays perpendicularly upon us, and 
fcorched us fo much that it would have 
been dangerous to expofe ourfelves In the 
hotteft time of the day; and my tent, dur- 
ing thefe moments, was converted into a 
real ftove, which I was obliged to abandon. 
Thefe were fufficient motives to induce rne 
to tranfport my penates to a place better 
{haded, under fome thick grove ; but I re- 
membered the rendezvous where I ap- 
pointed to meet the envoys I had fent to the 
CafFres. It might happen that, not finding 
me in their return at Koks-Kraal, they 
D ^ mig;ht 
