AFRICA. i8i ■ 
to which we were reduced. Theu^ dogs, which 
were now like walking fkeletons, watching our 
motions, followed clofely at our heels whenever 
any of us retired to eafe the wants of nature ; 
and I have feen them fight defperately with 
one another for this difgufting nourifhment. 
Nothing in this life is durable; and a period 
is allotted to misfortunes as well as to felicity. 
The end of March brought a change in the 
weather ; the raias became lefs frequent, the 
torrents decreafed ; and I difpatched four Hot- 
tentots in queft of my oxen, which they 
brought almoft all back, after an abfence of 
four days. Some of them had returned the 
way we came, and had even repaffed the large 
brackifli river; others had taken fhelter in 
different plantations, and fome had Ihifted for 
themfelves in the beft manner they could. — 
Four of them, however, were miffing, which 
my people could not find, nor did I ever after- 
wards hear any accounts of them. Without 
delay I prepared to quit this inhofpitable coun- 
try, and to tranfport my camp three leagues 
farther, to a hill named Pampoen-KraaL I 
took advantage of two days of fine weather to 
dry my exFeds, great part of which were moift 
N 3 and 
