27^ TRAVELS IN 
before they had feen this worthy man bn the 
Bofiiman river, the banks of which they then 
inhabited, and from which the planters had 
never yet been able to expel them : he was, 
as they faid, a man who, like me, travelled 
merely for curiofity. I could eafily perceive 
that they alluded to Colonel Gordon ; and 
they were extremely happy to underftand 
that we lived in ftri£t friendfhip together : 
they even begged me to intercede with hirrl 
when I returned to the Cape, and to prevail 
■upon him to lay before government a true 
'and affeding pifture of their mifery, and of 
the deftitute condition into which they had 
been thrown by the atrocious injuftice of 
their perfecutors. 
I fpent all this day in converfing with 
thefe CafFres refpeding their manners, cuf- 
toms, religion, tafte, and refources; and I al- 
ways found that their anfwers correfponded 
with what had been related to me by thofe 
whom I had firft feen. They toldme^ with 
equal fincerity^, whatever tended to criminate 
themfelves, or to do them honour 5 and my 
Hottentots found them fo peaceable and un- 
fufpicious, that they requefted at night that 
1 would permit them all to remain amon^ft 
