AFRICA. 373 
them, either to defend the cattle or repel the 
Bofhmen. For fo great a favour, they would 
have readily granted me whatever I requh*ed. 
On the 1 9th I fet out, at four in the after- 
noon ; but the fun, more ardent than ever, 
fcorched us moft dreadfully for two days. 
W andering about, without being able to find a 
fmgle drop of water, we had recourfe to fome 
jars, which I had ordered to be filled at the 
houfe of the negro brothers ; but we were 
obliged to confine ourfelves to a certain allow- 
ance, as had feveral times been the cafe before. 
On the 2 1 ft, after croffing the bed of the 
Kriga, which was dry, and which we had 
crofTed the preceding evening, I fell in with 
two inhabitants of Camdebo, who were re- 
turning from the Cape, and purfuing their 
way to their own refidence. As I had not 
heard from my friends at the town for above 
a year, I was happy to learn that, by the affift- 
ance of France, the Cape had been proteded 
from any invafion by the Englilli, and that the 
colony was ftill in the hands of the Dutch ; but 
the pleafure I received from this intelligence 
was foon effaced by hearing of the indifpofition 
of my benefactor, whom thefe travellers faid 
they had left in a very critical fituation at the 
B b 3 w^arm 
