t4Ci T R A V E L S I N 
I felt at their departure. During the remainder 
of the day, I experienced a wearifome void ; 
fomething feemed wanting to me; and the 
fatisfadion that their abfence afforded to feve- 
ral of my Hottentots did but increafe my 
vexation. They exulted as if they had car- 
ried their point againft me : and fancied, 
now the Houzouanas were gone, they fhould 
become again as neceffary to me as ever. 
Night gave a little check to this infolent 
joy. At the clofe of day, we perceived fires 
at two or three leagues diftance on our right j 
and thefe fires abated their confidence and re- 
vived their fears. Probably they were fignals 
made by the Houzouanas who had left me to in- 
form their comrades of their fituation. But 
the finele idea of Houzouanas was fufficient 
to excite terror in my troop. My people had 
no doubt but it was a new horde, by which 
we fhould fpeedily be attacked ; and in con- 
fequence they all fpent the night on the watch, 
tormenting and perplexing themfelves with 
fmifter conjedlures. For my part, to punifh 
them for their infolence, I refolved to leave 
them in their miftake. I even pretended to 
be of their opinion refpeding the fires, and 
while 
