56 T R A V E L S I N 
of It^ half favage, half poliflied rnhabitants, I 
could not avoid incurring fuch riiks. I tooK 
care, however, to affociate with fuch Hot« 
tentota only from whom I had nothing to fear, 
or whom I could difmifs at my pleafure. This 
little excurfion became everyday more intereft- 
ing to me. It was in a manner the frame 
of the grand pidure I was defirous of fketch- 
ing. To have rambled, during my abode at 
the Cape, from habitation to habkation, in 
the neighbourhood of the town:, was little 
gratification to me. I muft pcnetfate fafther^^ 
and make the tour of the colony at large, to 
procure, if poffible, a topographical plan of 
it. A radius of forty or fifty leaguCvS would 
be too infignificant a diftance to prevent my 
returning the moment I defired it ; and at 
prefent there feemed to be no plan better cal- 
culated to ccnfole me under the mortification' 
I felt from the fufpenfiion of my journey 
into the defart. 
It was in this little enterprife I engaged- 
Swanapoel. I did fo with the lefs relud:ance," 
as I confidered it only as a pleafant journey, 
that would be unaccompanied either with 
fatigue or danger. I allowed him a day or 
two to enjoy with his friends the liberty that" 
had 
