JS6 TRAVELS IN 
countermand the departure of Swanepoel | 
ordered his people to fet my cattle at liberty ; 
and apologized in the moft fuppliant manner 
for his conduct, throwing the blame on the 
feverity of the orders he had received. 
What the knave faid of thefe orders was per- 
haps true ; for, if there are fervants of the 
greateft meannefs, there are alfo mafters of the 
moft fordid avarice. This confideration pre- 
vented me from feeking to punifh the overfeer : 
and, after all, when my oxen were reftored, 
what more had I to defire ? 
As I could not, however, perfedly depend 
on the motives which had diclated this man's 
excufes, I thought it right to be on my guard 
refpecting my cattle. To tura them loofe 
to feed during the night would have been run-? 
ning the rifk, fhould the overfeer alter his re- 
folution, of having them carried off without 
xnj knowledge : or he would have charged to 
my account, and perhaps have exaggerated, any 
damage they m'ght have occafioned. I ordered 
them, therefore, to be all made faft round my 
carriages, and I placed at baud fome armed 
fentinels to defend them. 
Next morning, at break of day, I proceeded 
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