i68 TRAVELS IN 
tention ; but their eager curiofity required 
fomething more. This I expeded, and 1 luck* 
ily had an opportunity of gratifying them. 
Obferving two fvvallows cleaving the air be^ 
fore me, I fired at them, and they fell at the 
diirance of a few paces from us. This fud- 
den adtion, performed with the ntmoft com-r 
pofure, redoubled their aftonifhment ; and 
they knew not which moft to admire, the 
arms, or the perfon who ufed them. It is 
certain that this lucky ftroke, which might 
not have fucceeded, infpired them with the 
higheft idea of my fkill ; and I took advan- 
tage of it to imprefs them with a deeper 
fenfe of my fuperiority. I afked them, by 
figns, whether tliey could do the fame with 
their aflagays ; but they fhook their heads 
with a fmile, and gave me to under ftand, 
that with thefe weapons it was impoffible to 
kill a bird flying. One of them, however, 
rifmg up, pointed to my iheep, w^hich were 
feeding at fome diltance, and fignified that 
he and his companions could ftrike them 
running, as wdl as other quadrupedes, whe- 
ther of greater or lefs f ze. Hans then pre- 
fented to m.e a young CafFre, who was per- 
feclly well formed, and whofe perfon imnu- 
diately 
