370 TRAVELS IN 
this animal to efcape, not becaufe I confidered 
It as of little value, but becaufe I refpeded the 
afylum of the dead, and was defirous of ren- 
dering this natural homage to the tomb of 
one of their countrymen. Having covered 
the bones with the fame gravel which I had 
taken from them, we purfued another route i 
and during this interval fome more of my 
hunters had killed four gnous, the faking of 
which employed us three whole days. 
On the 1 6th I arrived at a plantation 
belonging to two brothers who were free ne- 
groes, one of whom was married to a young 
mulatto .woman. Thefe worthy people re- 
ceived me with the utmoft joy, and offered 
me the free ufe of every thing they poffeffed, . 
But, fhall I fay it ? my heart, agitated by a 
thoufand different fenfations, received w^th 
indifference their careffes and their tender fo- 
licitude. I found in them almoft the fame 
manners and the fame cuftoms as thofe com- 
mon in the civilized world. I had now re- 
turned to fociety, and I again beheld fields, 
iitenfils, poffefGons, eftablifhed order, mafters ; 
in a word, I was on a plantation. So much 
indulgence became a burden to me ; an in- 
voluntary impulfe hurried me from this re- 
7 treat: 
