no TRAVELS IN 
neceffary precaution, impofed by the rocky da-^ 
tare of their country, and by the mimofas with 
v;hich It is covered. This tree bears a great 
number of prickles, fo that the earth around 
it is always ftrewed with them; and it is 
to prevent their feet from being wounded 
by them that they habituate themfelves to the 
ufe of fandals* 
As every novelty in drefs among flrangers 
appears almoft always ridiculous, my people, 
accuftomed to go bare-footed, confidered this as 
altogether fingular; and, to diftinguifh the new 
horde from all thofe we had before feen, they 
called them the horde of the fandal- bearers. 
Lefs numerous than the former, it confifted 
only / of two hundred individuals. They had 
alfo fewer cattle ; both becaufe the foil, on ac- 
count of its poverty, afforded little pafturage, 
and becaufe the Houzouanas made frequent in- 
curfions into their territory to plunder them. 
Not long before my arrival, they had carried 
off thirty oxen ; and, though the chief had 
armed all his people to endeavour to recover 
them, he had been able to retake only fix ; 
and thefe even wxre fo feverely wounded with 
arrows and afTagays, that it was neceflary to 
kill 
