220 TRAVELS IN 
main. The exprefs orders, as well as the m- 
tention of government, were, that thefe li- 
mits (hould always be accounted facred ; but 
the planters, who have neither the fame views 
nor the fame wifdom as a political admini- 
flration, finding the lands of their defencelefs 
neighbours much better than their own, ia 
procefs of time took poffefiion of them, and 
with impunity drove thefe people beyond the 
Groot-Vis. The orders of the governors, 
more and more difregarded, produced no ef- 
fed:, and the great diftance favoured thefe 
abufes, and made them become every day- 
more frequent. 
Whilft I continued with Haabas I kept 
myfelf quite private, and feveral motives 
prompted me not to remain here long. Be- 
ing dcfirous of knowing whether he could 
not engage fome of his people to unite with 
thofe three who had voluntarily offered to 
accompany me when I paid my firft vifit to 
the Gonaquas, I defired him to put the 
queilion to them; and 1 found that there was 
only one who hefitated, and who at length 
gave a flat refufal: but as I v^as unwilling 
to ufe compuhion, or to afford any caufe of 
complaint to thefe worthy people, I defired 
the 
