AFRICA. 117 
of agreeable parafites, whofe countenances are 
feldom tinged with a blufli : thefe, however, 
without being very burdenfome, were not en- 
tirely ufelefs to me, and they did not difappear 
when the cloth was removed. 
My projeded journey being known through- 
out all the Cape Town, when the time of my 
departure approached, I was ftrongly folicited 
by feveral people who wifhed to accompany 
me. Every one ftrove who fliould firft offer 
his fervices : but thefe gentlemen and I rea- 
foned in a very different manner. They ima- 
gined that their propofals would afford me 
great joy ; and they could never believe that I 
intended to depart alone. Such an idea appear- 
ed to them to be altogether ridiculous ; whilfl 
I, on the contrary, confidered it as the height 
of w^fdom and prudence. I had been inform- 
ed that, of all the expeditions fet on foot by 
government for making difcoveries in the in- 
terior parts of Africa, not one had fucceeded. 
I knew likewife that a diverfity of humours 
and charaders could never conduce to the fame 
end: in a word, that concord fo neceffaryin a 
hazardous and new enterprize could not be 
preferved among men, where felf-love w^ould 
I 3 ' make 
