392 TRAVELS IN 
can be ccrapared. The Kammoiiqiias v/Iio 
brought it to me talked la the fame fiyle. I. 
was defiroLis of taaing it after it v/as killed ; 
but I found in it iuch a muQcy flavour, and fo 
execrable a tafte of ant>j that I was obliged 
inftantly to ip-it out the morfel I put into ray 
mouth. What was to me fo difagreeable 
was the very circumilancc that rendered it ex^ 
quifite to the palate of the favages. Nor is 
this to be wondered at, fince, eating with eager- 
nefs the nymphs of ants, it is natpral they 
fiiould reliHi flefli that has a fimilar tafte. 
This ant-bear is called in the colonies erd-- 
verken (earth hog\ and by the Kaminouquaa 
goiip, 
I would gladly have treated the chief an4 
his companions with brandy, by way of teftify- 
ing my gratitude for the prefent they had mad^ 
nie : but I have already faid, that, on my retura 
to my camp at Orange River after an excur- 
fion of four months, my ca&s, eutrufced to 
the care of Swanepoel, were almoft empty. I 
had filled four fmall bottles out of what was 
left by way of referve, and the remainder I had 
given to my people, telhng them that they 
^puld have no more fi'oin ine till we arrived 
at 
