AFRICA. 343 
a hillock, or any little ri fin g, appeared before 
us, feveral of them would voluntarily fet off to 
reconnoitre it, and be fure that no ambufcade 
was formed there ; and they would not fuffer 
us to advance till they gave the fignal. They 
were real children, whofe very timidity ren»- . 
dered their company the more diverting to me, 
and whom I might have led to either pole, 
through a hundred deferts, provided I could 
have guarantied their lives, which they valued 
above all things ; haj)py in being ignorant of 
our wants, which frequently render exiftence 
a burden to us not eafy to be fupported. 
During the halt we made to dine, one of 
the favages of the horde, who had gone upon 
the fcout, came to inform me, that a few 
leagues to the right he had difcovered one of 
the angles formed by the Orange in its courfe, 
and had perceived the trees fkirting its banks. 
This was joyful news to my troop. We re- 
fumed our journey gaily without ahering our 
way, and about four in the afternoon reached 
the river, having travelled ten leagues ia the 
courfe of the day. 
As mafter, the firft thing I did was to choofe 
an advantageous place for the encampment 
Z 4 of 
