304 TRAVELS IN 
ferted habitation, from which nothing had 
been carried away except the furniture^ I 
intended to pafs the night here ; but fcarcely 
had we arranged ourfelves, when I perceived 
a moft extraordinary itching all over my 
body ; upon which I uncavered my brcaft, 
and found it quite black with innumerable 
fwarms of fleas. My Hottentots themfelves 
were not entirety exempt from the attacks of 
thefe importunate vermin ; and on this ac- 
count we inftantly qmtted thefe infe£tiou& 
places, which my people named the camp of 
jieasy and went to eftablifli ourfelves at a 
little diftance, on the banks of a limpid and 
delightful rivulet, into which I plunged 
without taking time to undrefs. As my 
body was abfolutely fpeckled, Klaas advifed 
me, when I quitted the bath, to fufl?er myfelf 
to be rubbed in the manner of the lavages* 
1 was therefore greafed and boghoued for the 
firft time in my life, and I muft confefs that 
I found myfelf much eafier. Though we 
had ftopt only a quarter of an hour in this 
unlucky fpot, my dogs and my carriages 
wxre covered with thefe infeds. The bal- 
famic operation to which I had juft fubmit- 
ted was the only meaos to fecure me from 
them. 
