AFRICA. 379 
and went to fpend the night on the right bank, 
fufEciently diftant, if an inundation took place, 
to have nothing to apprehend. 
My defign was to return to the Ifland next 
mprning. But at fun-rife we perceived a vaft 
herd of elephants, which made us alter our re- 
folution. There were at leaft a hundred of 
thefe animals ; and many of them had fuch 
fine tufks as to afford a ft^rong temptation to 
my hunters. 
As they were within fliot, we fent a few 
balls after them, which put them to flight, and 
we immediately purfued them: not that we 
could hope to overtake them ; but fome of 
them muft have been w^ounded, and we hoped 
a few might be wounded mortally. In fa.d: 
we perceived feveral traces of blood, which 
ferved to guide us in our purfuit, and which 
we followed great part of the day. But at 
length, the fun beginning to decline, I was 
afraid night would furprife me in the midft of 
the defert, and w^e regained the banks of the 
Orange. 
The favages term this river the traitor ; and 
nothing indeed can be more treacherous than its 
fydden fwellings. Frequently, when its waters 
ar^ 
