^88 . TRAVELS IN 
Gordon, and had always olyferved him fcril- 
puloudy exadl in his refearches and operations, 
I confefs I could find nothing Uke his ftyle in 
this phrafeology ; and I was the more furprifed, 
as, according to all the heft maps, this pretended 
differs but little is a difference in reahty of at 
leaft thirty leagues. I fuppofe, therefore, Pa- 
terfon's memory to have failed him, and that, 
not recoUeding the Coloners exaft cxprefiion, 
he fubftituted in its ilead a vague and errone- 
ous exprellion of his own. 
After declaring to our prifoners that vv^e 
v/ould (hoot them without hefitation if they 
attempted to efcape, M^e returned towards the 
camp the way we had agreed. On the road^ 
the Hottentot of the colony, of whom I have 
fpoken, had the appearance of refuming his 
iifual tranquillity ; bat his two comrades dif- 
played confiderable embarraffinent and dejec- 
tion. At night they feemed to take heart a 
little, converfed with us, and gave themfelves 
out for Lefs Niraiquas, whofe language in fa<ft 
they fpoke. This did not prevent my watch- 
ing them : they might be Lefs Nimiquas, and 
yet at the fame time be Boflimen or malefac- 
tors \ for I have already remarked more than 
once. 
