AFRICA. 273 
lis. I continued to converfe with them for 
fome time, and then retired to my tent, to 
prepare for the labours of the next morning. 
As foon as day appeared, whilft the CafFres 
were preparing to depart, I afTembled my 
Hottentots. The refledions which their fa- 
miliarity with thefe favages, whom they 
dreaded more than wild hearts, enabled them 
to make, and their converfatlon with one 
another when I had retired to my tent, made 
me Immediately refolve what courfe to purfue. 
Not wlfhing to give them an opportunity of 
acquiring any merit from determining what 
plan was beft to be adopted in the prefent 
conjundture; but, on the contrary, apprehend- 
ing that they might borrow from me thofe 
ideas of prudence and compolure ufeful to 
my defigns, whatever they might In future 
be; I told them, that after what they, as 
well as I, had heard the evening before, re- 
fpedling the difficulties of advancing farther, 
and the danger of being attacked by the 
Tambouchis and the Bolhmen who were tra- 
verfing CajfFraria, my intention was to return 
to. Koks-Kraal; that in confequence of this, 
if we dire(3:ed our courfe towards the weft, 
we could not fail of falling in with the river 
Vol.11. T Groot- 
