66 TRAVELS IN 
age, they arrive at laft to the managcmerit of a 
bamboo, nicely tapered, fifteen or fixteen 
ftet in length, with a thong at the end of it ftill 
longer; and with this inftrument they carl 
ftrike, at the diftance of more than twenty-five 
feet, a pebble that is pointed out to them, or a 
piece of money thrown upon the ground. I 
have already mentioned a pleafant amufement 
of this kind, which one of the Slabers procured 
me, who fmgled out with aftonifhing addrefs, 
among a multitude of birds, fuch individuals 
as I was defirous of having. Swanpoel alfo, 
the companion of my journey, would feldom 
mifs a partridge flying ; and, notwithftand^ng 
his age, applied his whip with fo much force, 
that, in one of our excurfions, I faw him 
ftrike perfedly dead, a duck, of a much larger 
fpecies than the common one of Europe. 
When a young planter can drive a waggon, 
and exercife a whip, his education is nearly 
completed ; for they never think of teaching 
him either to write or read. At the age of 
fourteen he is confidered- as arriving at man- 
hood, and ranks in fociety accordingly. He 
fhakes hands with the men, embraces the wo- 
men, and fmokes, A fufee alfo is given him, 
with 
