64 TRAVELS IN 
with urine, I comforted him In the beft man- 
ner I could, perfuaded that it was not mortal; 
and as I always carried about me a phial of 
volatile alkali, which Mr. Percheron, the 
French agent, gave me when I quitted the 
Cape, in order that I might difTipate even 
every appearance of poifon, I tore off fome 
pieces from my fhirt, and dipping them in the 
alkali, applied them to the part afFeded ; but 
thefe precautions of my tender friendihip, in- 
ftead of elevating the fpirits of the unfor- 
tunate Hottentot, made him perfi ft in attribut- 
ing the fevere pains occafioned by the cauftic 
to the efFefts of the poifon : as for me, what I 
wondered at moft, and what I confidered as the 
influence of my happy ftar, was, that he had 
not been killed on the fpot ; had that been 
the cafe, the affaffin, armed with a fufee which 
he might have taken from him, would not have 
failed to lie in wait for me in the neareft turn- 
ing, and to have configned me to the fame 
fate. Taking up the villain's bow and quiver, 
and leaving his body dreadfully mangled, I 
haftened to return to my camp. This ad- 
venture foon fpread the alarm throughout the 
country ; and my Hottentot, perfuaded that 
he vv^ould not live till morning, ftill added to 
the 
