AFRICA. 255 
find at leaft fome appearance of them in the 
territories of the king of the Caifres, This 
Idea had Infpired me with a very ftrong 
defire of feeing Faroo ; but I no longer 
found the fame food for my curiofity, after 
the laft guefls whom I had received in my 
camp, and who generally refided near, had 
told me that this prince, Vv^ithout any parti- 
cular train, inhabited, like the meaneft of 
his fubjeds, a hut which was neither larger 
nor better ornamented than the reft ; that, 
like them, he might become very poor. If a 
mortality prevailed among his cattle; that 
his fubjefls were obliged to pay him neither 
fubfidies nor taxes ; that he had no right to 
touch their property ; that, in a word, he was 
only a plain chief as among the Flottentots : 
that the only remarkable difference between 
this chief and the reft was, that his place 
was hereditary ; but that, deftitute of every 
external decoration, and of every badge of 
royalty, he pofTelTed only a very limited 
power. 
From thefe details, many of thofe brilliant 
ideas which my Imagination had formed re- 
fpefting this king began to difappear; and as 
I could gain nothing by feeing him, and as I 
defpaired 
