AFRICA. 155 
ing me, flopped at the diftance of a hundred 
paces to afk who I was, and what I wanted. 
I remarked with furprlfe, that this man was 
black, while the reft of the horde, both men 
and women, were much lefs fo than even the 
Hottentots. But what aftonifhed me ftill 
more was to hear him addrefs me in the Hot- 
tentot language. I replied in the fame lan- 
guage, that I was a traveller who wiflied to be 
acquainted with the country he inhabited, and 
was defirous, if poffible, to find friends in it. 
' He then came up to me ; and my four at- 
tendants, having advanced alfo, were as much 
aftonifhed as I v/as to fee a perfon of their 
own nation. They entered into converfation 
with him, afTured him of the truth of what 
I had faid, and gained fo entirely his confi- 
dence, that he immediately made a fign to his 
companions to join him. 
The women, more miftruftful and circum- 
fped:, remained in groups near the huts, wait- 
ing for the refult of the conference, and 
watching us with an eye of curiofity. The 
men all flocked around us. I diftributed 
among them the tobacco and beads which I had 
fhewn them j and thefe wolves, who had been 
painted 
