AFRICA. 35 
I owe it to chance, which dlredled my fleps 
to the Rooye-Zand, or Red-fand colony. 
Fatigued with the extreme heat of the 
weather, and defirous of refting myfdf, I 
one day at noon entered an habitation that 
offered itfelf, where it was my intention to 
remain till the cool of the evening. There was 
nobody in the houfe but a young woman, of 
a charming figure, and who appeared to be 
about fixteen years of age. I paid my refpedts 
to her, and, agreeably to the cuftoms of the 
country, faluted her. My eyes involuntarily 
wandered round the room. Conceiving that 
my aftonifliment arofe from the circumftance 
of her being alone, fhe anticipated what flie 
imagined I was about to fay, by telling me 
that her father and mother v^ere abfent upon 
bufmefs. Surprifed they fhould be from 
home in the burning heat of the day, I afked 
by what accident they had been compelled to 
leave her. " Why," faid fhe, " we were 
" told this morning that fomebody had plant- 
" ed a baaken (a ftake) upon our eftate; and 
" my parents, alarmed at the intelligence, 
*V immediately fet off to enquire upon the 
fpot into the truth of the report." At a 
lofs to conceive how a ftake driven into the 
D 2 ground 
