£00 TRAVELS IN 
pleafure to dig with my own hands ; and as 
they refufed to be accomplices in my death, 
they would by no means confent to be the 
vidims of my raflinefs. Neither the fear of 
punifhment, when I ihould return to the 
Dutch fettlements, nor ray threats of chaf- 
tifmg fuch bafe deferters on the fpot, could 
move them from their refolution. 
This change always appeared to me to be 
fbmething new; and I was much vexed to fee 
them fo obftinate in thwarting my defires, and 
fo forgetful of their duty. I had, it is true, 
found them refraftory and dlfobedicnt before 
I arrived at Bruyntjes-Hoogte, when I faw 
myfelf cruelly abandoned by the horde who 
had for feme time travelled along with me, 
and by the detachment that joined me in the 
night: but here circumftances were widely 
different. \¥e had no aflurances or promifes 
from the Caffres j wx had never before fallen 
in with any of them; their manners, their 
character, and their way of living, were en- 
tirely unknown to us ; prejudice, which is ge- 
nerally ftrengthened by the abfence of dan- 
ger, had always reprefented them to us as 
a ferocious and fanguinary people. The 
fcheme of penetrating through their country 
