AFRICA. 365 
the confternatlon of my people. It would 
have been in vain for me to attempt to allay 
their terrors ; they all entertained the fame idea 
as my patient, and imagined that he could 
not live the night through : but it palTed away 
without the appearance of any alarming fymp- 
toms; and the painhavingabated,he began to be 
convinced that he would efcape at the expence 
of being well frightened. When he awoke, 
his companions, aftonifhed to fee him alive, 
recovered the ufe of their fpeech, and boafted 
in a thoufand different ways, as is commonly 
the cafe when danger is over. They judged, 
above all, that the death of the affalTm was the 
moft fortunate circumftance for us in this ad- 
venture ; for had this man efcaped and follow- 
ed us through the thickets and winding ways, he 
would have difcovered our retreat. He would 
not then have failed to give notice to the reft 
of the Bofhmen, who, in a numerous body, 
would have fuddenly fallen upon us and maf- 
facred us without mercy. The various conjec- 
tures of my Hottentots, and their endlefs prat- 
tling, amufed me much, and proved not at all un- 
interefting. I concluded from it that they would 
<it length become familiarized with danger ; 
and I was exceedingly glad that they had feeii 
it 
