AFRICA. 23 
had not followed the etiquette of her com- 
panions, and that (he had abftained from her 
undions. She knew how much this refine- 
ment in her drefs difgufted me ; and, what- 
ever fuch a facrifice might have coft her, fhe 
had fubmltted to it in order to pleafe me. 
She introduced me to her fifter, who ap- 
peared pretty 5 but whether it was that pre- 
pofleffion had blinded me, or that I was 
offended by the fmell of her ointments, I 
did not find in her the fame attradions as 
In Narina, nor did fhe excite the fmallefl 
emotion in my breaft. 
When I arrived at the habitation of Haa- 
bas, he fhewed me his wife, who had no- 
thing to diftinguifh her from the reft ; and 
I found here, as is often the cafe elfewhere, 
that the commandant's lady was old and 
ugly enough. This however did not pre- 
vent me from prefenting her, like a polite 
courtier, with a red handkerchief ; which fhe 
accepted without ceremony, and immediate- 
ly bound round her head. To this prefent 
I added a knife, and a piece of fteel for ftrik- 
ing fire with a flint ; but as I had a great 
defire to knov/ her tafte, and was very glad 
C 4 to 
